Left-wing CNN host Brian Stelter, who maintains he’s objective and keeping the media to account, took heat online Monday night after he ran interference for President Joe Biden calling Fox News reporter Peter Doocy a “stupid son of a b****” on camera earlier in the day after Doocy questioned POTUS about rising inflation.
“At the end of a Biden photo op, when reporters shouted Q’s hoping he’d respond, Fox’s Peter Doocy asked, ‘Do you think inflation is a political liability in the midterms?’ Biden deadpanned: ‘It’s a great asset—more inflation. What a stupid son of a b****,'” Stelter captioned a video clip of the shocking moment.
Conservative politicos online noted of how Stelter framed the post, particularly his lack of outrage over the moment and his use of the word “deadpanned.”
At the end of a Biden photo op, when reporters shouted Q's hoping he'd respond, Fox's Peter Doocy asked, "Do you think inflation is a political liability in the midterms?" Biden deadpanned: "It's a great asset—more inflation. What a stupid son of a bitch." pic.twitter.com/Tt4ZVz5Ynj
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 24, 2022
Even more telling, Stelter retweeted a post categorizing Biden’s remarks to Doocy as a “blip” and mocking Fox News for forthcoming coverage of the incident.
Stelter apparently thinks Trump calling a journalist a son of a bitch exposed reporters to “threats and intimidation” but Biden doing it should just be dismissed as a mere “blip.” pic.twitter.com/OtimT8sdkU
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) January 24, 2022
Of course this will probably be the lead story on Fox News for the next two days, turning it into a thing when it should really be a blip.
— Jen Chaney (@chaneyj) January 24, 2022
Politicos also pointed out to Stelter that he had a very different take when former President Donald Trump referred to MSNBC host Chuck Todd as a “sleepy son of a b****.”
“Calling a journalist a ‘son of a b****?’ It was wrong when Trump was just a candidate, and it’s even worse now that he’s POTUS,” Stelter posted in 2018. And a newsletter excerpt attached to the tweet notably states, “These jabs expose journalists to threats and intimation.”
This is from 2018. It's still true. Biden was wrong to call Doocy an SOB. The press is right to hold presidents to high standards. Biden doesn't berate the media like Trump, so the context for today is different, but it's still out of line https://t.co/RYiO4Nyg08
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 25, 2022
“Would you call this a stunning and chilling attack on freedom of the press, Brian?” questioned conservative strategist Greg Price.
Would you call this a stunning and chilling attack on freedom of the press, Brian?
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 24, 2022
“If Trump said this to a CNN reporter they’d be holding candle light vigils to commemorate the tragedy for the next 50 years,” The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh asserted.
If Trump said this to a CNN reporter they’d be holding candle light vigils to commemorate the tragedy for the next 50 years https://t.co/pAU7yghHCD
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) January 24, 2022
Others simply reposted Stelter’s tweet about Trump in the replies to his tweet about Biden, highlighting the obvious discrepancy in outrage.
Stelter clearly saw the posts and responded on his Twitter account, rationalizing that it’s “different” with Biden because of the “context” surrounding former President Trump, whatever that means (other than Trump is a Republican and Biden is a Democrat).
“This is from 2018. It’s still true. Biden was wrong to call Doocy an SOB. The press is right to hold presidents to high standards. Biden doesn’t berate the media like Trump, so the context for today is different, but it’s still out of line,” the CNN host rationalized.
This is from 2018. It's still true. Biden was wrong to call Doocy an SOB. The press is right to hold presidents to high standards. Biden doesn't berate the media like Trump, so the context for today is different, but it's still out of line https://t.co/RYiO4Nyg08
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 25, 2022
Stelter seemed to bolster his Trump-is-worse defense for Biden with a retweet calling Doocy’s question “pretty dumb.”
“I am able to hold this thought in my brain while realistically appraising Trump’s dealings with the press and the danger his ‘enemy of the people’ comments put reporters in at home and around the world. Civility is a good thing. That said, it was a pretty dumb question,” Politico’s Josh Gerstein wrote.
I am able to hold this thought in my brain while realistically appraising Trump's dealings with the press and the danger his 'enemy of the people' comments put reporters in at home and around the world. Civility is a good thing. That said, it was a pretty dumb question. https://t.co/nhxPGfh81q
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) January 25, 2022
Related: Biden Snaps At Reporter Peter Doocy For Asking About Inflation: ‘What A Stupid Son Of A B****’
Related: Peter Doocy Responds To Biden Calling Him A ‘Stupid Son Of A B****’
Related: Brian Stelter Claims CNN Would ‘Never’ Air An ‘Incendiary’ Phrase That Anderson Cooper Used Thursday