United States President; Joe Biden has been caught on a hot mic cursing a Fox News reporter after the journalist shouted a question about the impact of rising inflation on this year’s congressional elections.
Mr. Biden was responding to questions from reporters in the East Room of the White House for a meeting of his Competition Council, which is focused on changing regulations and enforcing laws to help consumers deal with high prices.
As journalists were ushered out of the meeting of Biden’s Competition Council on January 24, 2022, Fox News White House correspondent; Peter Doocy — who regularly spars with Mr. Biden asked him about inflation, which is at a nearly 40-year high and has hurt the President’s public approval rating.
Doocy called out: “Do you think inflation is a political liability ahead of the midterms?”
“That’s a great asset, more inflation,” Mr. Biden responded sarcastically over a din of reporters shouting questions, apparently not realizing his microphone was still on.
“What a stupid son of a bitch,” he added.
U.S. consumer prices increased solidly in December, culminating in the largest annual rise in inflation in nearly four decades. The White House has insisted repeatedly that it is focused on curbing inflation, with Mr. Biden reorienting his entire economic agenda around the issue. But Mr. Biden has also shown a willingness to challenge media that he deems to be too critical, especially Fox News.
Within about an hour of the exchange, Biden called Doocy’s cell phone and said “it’s nothing personal, pal,” Doocy later told Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Doocy laughed the incident off in a subsequent appearance on Fox News, joking: “Nobody has fact-checked him yet and said it’s not true.”
Biden calls Peter Doocy a “stupid son of a bitch” Appeared to forget the hot mic pic.twitter.com/FtelbODMO0