President Joe Biden’s reputation for a sleepy and unenthusiastic President is getting plenty of rehab this week, as a stern new tone appears to have been cooked up by his marketing team.
Biden’s first year in office has been a disaster, and his administration’s lackadaisical efforts in just about every realm of their existence has left many Americans wondering whether or not the President is truly fit for office.
But recently, in a likely effort to combat that, the President has been a bit harsher and “on edge” – something that very well could be the result of some coaching from the PR team.
One of Fox News’ most intrepid White House reporters bore the brunt of this new tactic this week.
President Joe Biden on Monday called a reporter a “stupid son of a bitch” after he was asked whether inflation was a “political liability in the midterms.”
It wasn’t just any reporter. It was Fox News’ Peter Doocy, the network’s rising star who is known for needling the president and for his clashes with White House press secretary Jen Psaki during daily briefings. Doocy has covered Biden from the start of his presidential campaign and was named a White House correspondent in early 2021.
So, what led to this profane and unbecoming outburst?
“Do you think inflation is a political liability ahead of the midterms?” Doocy asked, according to the official White House transcript, which included the full exchange.
The president, who is known for having a short temper and not the cleanest of vocabularies during heated moments, spoke right above his microphone. “No, it’s a great asset — more inflation,” Biden said, shaking his head. “What a stupid son of a bitch.”
The moment was soon trending on social media:
President Joe Biden was caught on a hot mic calling Fox News reporter Peter Doocy a 'stupid son of a bitch' when pressed about inflation at a White House event pic.twitter.com/OfsSBsXseO
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 25, 2022
Biden later called Doocy to apologize, but only after finding out that the moment had gone viral.
