CNN host Brian Stelter claimed Tuesday that President Joe Biden was not, as some had suggested, caught by surprise on a “hot mic” when he called Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy a “stupid son of a b****.”
Stelter suggested on CNN’s “New Day” that Biden had been well aware that the microphone was live and had made the comment intentionally.
Brian Stelter Says Biden ‘Knows What He Was Doing’ When He Cursed Peter Doocy on Hot Mic https://t.co/YGPyAFfEx2 via @mediaite pic.twitter.com/15IewjBWjs
— Tommy moderna-vaX-Topher (@tommyxtopher) January 25, 2022
Anchor Brianna Keilar introduced the clip as Monday’s “big media story,” and viewers watched once again as Doocy posed a question about the impact inflation might have on the fast-approaching 2022 midterm elections.
Biden first responded sarcastically before turning on Doocy directly, adding, “What a stupid son of a b****.”
“Mr. Doocy there is sort of a thorn in the side often of Jen Psaki, of President Biden. In the end, though, the president called him to apologize,” Keilar began as she turned the floor over to Stelter.
“Certainly you see the smile on Biden’s face. I don’t think he’s surprised this was caught on mic. I think he knows what he was doing,” Stelter began, going on to note that it was still not an acceptable thing for a sitting president to say.
“Whether it was Donald Trump saying Chuck Todd was an SOB or whether it’s President Biden saying Peter Doocy is an SOB, it’s wrong. No matter what,” Stelter said, referencing a comment former President Donald Trump made about NBC’s Chuck Todd — although not to his face — at a 2018 campaign rally.
Trump on Chuck Todd: “He’s a sleeping son of a bitch.” pic.twitter.com/tyjyvsinrL
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 11, 2018
“The president should be held to the highest standards. And so in this case, Biden was out of line,” Stelter added, noting once again that Biden had called Doocy after the exchange to clear the air. “I think he knew it because he called Doocy right away to say sorry and try to play it as water under the bridge.”
Biden’s profane outburst has sparked criticism from both sides of the aisle, even dividing the table at ABC’s “The View.” As The Daily Wire reported:
“I hope it’s not politics as usual though. The former president set the bar low, right? One of the reasons why Joe Biden was elected, even though he has a history of being a loose cannon, is he was thought to restore civility to the office,” guest host Lisa Ling was first to respond. “It’s not like he just dismissed it as a dumb question. He name called. I just think, as a mom to young kids, these are the people who should be setting examples for our kids. And it’s like, more examples of men behaving badly and mothers having to clean it up because it’s giving license to kids.”
“I completely agree with you. It’s sort of beneath the dignity of the presidency,” Sunny Hostin agreed, but she said it was important to note that Biden had reached out to Doocy afterward. “That’s something that we would have never heard the former, you know, twice impeached, disgraced president of this country do.”
“It’s true, but I think he should apologize to everyone,” Ling continued as the hosts began to talk over each other and Joy Behar suggested that Fox News might fire Doocy for accepting Biden’s apology.