CNN anchor Jake Tapper defended Fox News reporter Peter Doocy after late-night host Jimmy Kimmel claimed that President Joe Biden was correct when he said during a hot-mic moment that Doocy was a "stupid son of a b-tch." But Tapper also falsely claimed during the exchange that Fox News would never come to his defense if he was attacked in the same way that Doocy was.
This comes after Biden appeared in front of the media Monday and was asked by a departing Doocy if he thought inflation would be a political liability in the midterm election, prompting the president, seemingly unaware that his comments would be picked up by the microphone in front of him, to sarcastically say, "It's a great asset. More inflation. What a stupid son of a b-tch." Doocy later reported that Biden called him following the incident to "clear the air."
When asked during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Monday night if life is "boring" without former President Donald Trump in the White House, Tapper said that was not the case and pointed to Biden's comments earlier that day about Doocy.
"No, the current president just called someone a dumb son of a bitch today," Tapper responded.
Kimmel then asked the CNN host if Doocy is a "dumb son of a b-tch," but Tapper pushed back, defending the reporter.
"I don't think any president should be calling any journalist a dumb son of a b-tch," Tapper replied. "And to be fair to Peter Doocy, the question was fairly anodyne."
Kimmel then claimed that Biden "didn't technically call [Doocy] a dumb son of a b-tch" but was instead caught on hot-mic.
Tapper rejected the defense of Biden, pointing out that the president was directly in front of a microphone at a press conference when he made the remarks.
The anchor was then asked why he was defending Fox News despite the network throwing constant criticism his way and claiming that he was a Democrat.
"Fox News says you're on Team Biden and you are a mouthpiece for the Democrats and yet, here you are, defending Peter Doocy, who, as far as I've been able to tell, is indeed a dumb son of a bitch," Kimmel said.
Tapper, however, said that it is irrelevant whether or not Fox News would stand up for him if he were to have an experience similar to Doocy's.
"So, I do not agree with that. And I will say ... standards for decency don't have to do with whether or not you like the people who are being treated poorly, it just has to do with the standard. And yes, I recognize that Peter's channel probably would never come to my defense like that, but it is what it is," Tapper explained.
Jimmy Kimmel: "Fox...says...you're on Team Biden...yet, here you are, defending Peter Doocy, who...is indeed a dumb son of a bitch."
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 25, 2022
Jake Tapper: "So, I do not agree...I recognize that Peter's channel probably would never come to my defense like that, but it is what it is." pic.twitter.com/GAdURGzeaR
But Fox has defended CNN reporters in the past when the Trump administration restricted the liberal network's press access back in 2018.
In July of 2018, after CNN White House reporter Kaitlan Collins was denied access to an open press event one day after asking Trump a question earlier in the day that the White House communications team deemed "inappropriate," Fox News anchor Bret Baier shared a tweet saying that Fox News "stands firmly" with CNN on the issue of media access.
And after CNN's Jim Acosta had his White House press credentials revoked in November of 2018, resulting in CNN filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration, Fox News president Jay Wallace said in a statement that Fox News "supports CNN in its legal effort to regain its White House reporter's press credential" and added that press passes "should never be weaponized."