On Monday, President Joe Biden gave remarks in the East Room of the White House regarding inflation and drug prices before heading into a meeting with cabinet members.
Toward the end of these remarks, White House correspondent for the conservative Fox News network—Peter Doocy—asked Biden if higher inflation was a liability going into the 2022 midterms. Biden's response was at odds with the return to civility on which he campaigned.
Watch below.
Biden calls Fox News reporter Peter Doocy a "stupid son of a b----" https://t.co/N1t3oy4HSu (video via @quicktake) pic.twitter.com/BuRsKeJm9P
— Bloomberg (@business) January 24, 2022
Of course, no politician goes into an election cycle bragging about inflation. Biden sarcastically said that inflation was a "great asset" before saying under his breath of Doocy:
"What a stupid son of a b***h."
But the microphone was still on and Biden's comments were heard clear as a bell. According to Kaitlan Collins of CNN, Biden personally called Doocy to apologize for the remark.
The apology didn't keep some on the right from slamming Biden for the comments, including Republican Congressman Jim Banks of Indiana.
Have we ever seen a President attack and malign the free press like Joe Biden has??
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) January 24, 2022
Banks asked if we had seen a President "attack and malign the free press like Joe Biden has???"
It's a laughable question considering Banks' strong support for former President Donald Trump, whose demonization of the free press was a defining aspect of his time in the White House.
Trump repeatedly referred to the press as the "enemy of the people," and went more than a year without a single White House press briefing. He regularly berated journalists on Twitter and in the public sphere, accusing MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski of "bleeding badly from a facelift" and Fox's Megyn Kelly of having "blood coming out of her wherever."
When CNN's Jim Acosta persisted in asking Trump about his reference to immigration as an "invasion," Trump's administration revoked his White House credentials, only backing down after CNN sued. After hearing Biden apologized to Doocy, Acosta noted that members of the press "never got an apology" from Trump.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) concluded in an extensive report that the Trump Administration was a threat to the freedom of the press, finding:
"The Trump administration has stepped up prosecutions of news sources, interfered in the business of media owners, harassed journalists crossing U.S. borders, and empowered foreign leaders to restrict their own media. But Trump’s most effective ploy has been to destroy the credibility of the press, dangerously undermining truth and consensus even as the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to kill tens of thousands of Americans"
Trump repeatedly lashed out at journalists during the COVID-19 pandemic as well.
Given the record of Biden's immediate predecessor, people couldn't tell whether or not Banks was being serious or trolling.
these mfs can't be serious lmao https://t.co/qSwHzz89sz
— ava (@avaphilia) January 25, 2022
Is he being stupid? Dishonest? Both? Was Rep. Banks sleeping under a rock during the TFG years? How could he make a statement like this and expect anyone to ever take him seriously? https://t.co/gADCVDvlMb
— The QOP Are Seditious Hypocrites (@Dadilicious2) January 25, 2022
Is this guy joking? Really how insane is @RepJimBanks? https://t.co/mcpACUmqP7
— Barbara Hoffmann (@sophiesmother95) January 25, 2022
This has to be a bit, right? https://t.co/web2cp2nOb
— Aaron (@rightsideonly4) January 25, 2022
Is it April Fools Day? 🤥 https://t.co/tNHa3BiIcr
— Tara Setmayer (@TaraSetmayer) January 25, 2022
Remember when we could tell the difference between reality and parody? https://t.co/7UQGdO64D3
— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 25, 2022
Banks may have forgotten Trump's frequent "enemy of the people" comments, but social media users hadn't.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
*stares in ‘enemy of the people’* https://t.co/FP8d1pf9ol
— Angry Staffer (@Angry_Staffer) January 25, 2022
I’m old enough to remember when Donald trump called the free press the “enemy of the people.” OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. https://t.co/pSoUyLfv0A
— 💀 Scary Larry 💀 🇺🇸🌊✊🏻🗽 (@StompTheGOP) January 25, 2022
I remember the guy who said the press was "the true enemy of the American people" and called reporters “corrupt,” “scum,” and “some of the worst human beings you’ll ever meet.” https://t.co/88o7lrohnp
— Travis Akers (@travisakers) January 25, 2022
Trump's demonization of the press has led to threats against journalists, with one Trump supporter even sending pipe bombs to their offices.
