Tipsheet

Joe Biden Snaps, Calls Reporter 'Stupid Son of a Bitch'

Spencer Brown
Spencer Brown  |  January 24, 2022 5:35 PM

In a major hot mic gaffe for President Biden on Monday, the leader of the free world got caught calling Fox News' Peter Doocy a "stupid son of a bitch."

The comment from Biden came after the official White House video feed on YouTube had been cut, but not before C-SPAN's feed ended. Following Biden's opening remarks, White House handlers were trying to shoo members of the press corps out of the room when Doocy shouted his questions: "Will you take questions on inflation? Do you think inflation is a political liability in the midterms?"

Biden, seemingly not aware that his mic was still on and being fed out to broadcast networks including C-SPAN, responded with "What a stupid son of a bitch." 

The president's words Monday are a far cry from what Biden promised on day one of his presidency just more than one year ago. "I am not joking when I say this, if you are ever working with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect...talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot," Biden pledged. "On the spot. No ifs, ands, or buts," he emphasized. "Everybody is entitled to be treated with decency and dignity," Biden told the country before adding "that's been missing in a big way the last four years."

While it's unlikely Biden will fire himself for breaching the alleged cornerstone rule for his administration, this is probably not the kind of headline the White House was looking for when it planned an event titled "President Biden Meets with Members of his Administration on Efforts to Lower Prices for Working Families."

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The remark from Biden follows a tumultuous first year for President Biden — and Jen Psaki — who often had their contradictory statements and broken promises raised in questions posed by Doocy during Biden's (few) press conferences and Psaki's daily briefings. Once again, Biden has beclowned himself in an unforced error that makes his poor temperament the story rather than whatever he was blathering about.