President Biden Calls Fox’s Peter Doocy ‘A Stupid Son of a B****’

Early Monday evening following remarks at the start of White House Competition Council meeting, President Biden lashed out at Fox White House correspondent Peter Doocy as “a stupid son of a bitch” and mocked him as “a great asset” for asking about inflation.

The meeting began after Biden had finished his opening remarks. He was followed by Brian Deese (White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman), who seemed to hint that the assembled press would leave before it could go on.

As usual With presidents at such events, Biden faced a smattering of shouted questions from reporters and answered this question from CNN’s Kaitlan Collins: “Mr. President, can you give us a brief update on your call with European leaders on what’s happening in Ukraine?”

Biden replied that “[t]he only reason I don’t like doing is this is you never report on why I’ve called a meeting and this is really important,” seeming to express annoyance with a lack of reporting about events such as the Competition Council meeting as they don’t always pertain to a lead story.

After answering the Collins’s question and saying it was “a very, very, very good meeting” with “total unanimity with all the European leaders,”Other reporters attempted to raise their questions, while officials urged them to go.

CBS’s Ed O’Keefe and The Wall Street Journal’s Catherine Lucey could be heard trying to ask about Ukraine, but Doocy stuck to the economy since that was the reason they were in the room to begin with: “Will you take questions on inflation then? Do you think inflation is a political liability ahead of the midterms?”

Biden did not hesitate to shoot back, as White House staff kept shouting at reporters for their departure: “That’s a great asset. Inflation? What a stupid son of a bitch.”

Moments later, FNC’sFive co-host and former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said Jen Psaki should “call him and say you’re sorry or you have the President call him” and, though unlikely, offer him “an interview in the Oval Office tomorrow.”

Doocy joined the show moments later to give his first-person account (click “expand”):

HAROLD FORD Jr.: It seems that we are blessed with young Mr. Doocy right now. You heard Dana’s comments and everyone’s comments, Peter. You have been asked by the White House to attend the oval office tomorrow in order to be interviewed. 

DOOCY: No, no. It’s not coming to my mind, too. But what’s crazy about this is — in the longer version of the clip, there was a group of reporters that were all gathered. As he explained the Competition Council to us, we listened and then someone shouted a question regarding Russia. He said that I wouldn’t take any questions regarding anything else so I shouted something. Let’s talk about inflation. Are you concerned that inflation could prove to be a liability during the midterms, or do you agree? And then he said that and I couldn’t even hear him because people were shouting at us to get out but somebody came up in the briefing room a few minutes later and said, “did you hear what the President said?” And I said, “no, what?” He said, “he called you a stupid sob.” And I said, “did he say sob?” And that person said, “no.’

[PANEL LAUGHS]

JEANINE PIRRO – He performed the extended version.

Co-host Jesse Watters joked that Biden’s “right,”This was quickly rebuffed by Doocy: “Yeah, nobody’s fact-checked him yet and given him and said it’s not true.”

“No one’s giving him Pinocchio’s for that one…You’re going to be known as the stupid SOB guy. Before you, I was the man with blonde hair. Now you’re — now you’re the stupid SOB. Is this something you’re embracing, Peter,” Watters quipped.

Doocy delivered one more punch before moving on. “Do I have a choice?”

Doocy had more jokes (click “expand”)

DOOCY: Well, you know, the White House and the communications officials here when they had their first year in office anniversary that they were going to take a different approach with reporter and we thought that meant, after he did the two-hour press conference, oh, well, he’s just going to be available for Q&A more often. It could be more like this. 

PERINO – It could be. 

PIRRO – It’s great that you have the ability to smile.

DOOCY: Well if I don’t smile, I’m just going to be a ball of tears and I can’t because I have to do a hit with Bret Baier in 10 minutes.

Doocy and Psaki fought earlier in the day over crime, economy, masking in schools, (and especially in Virginia, given the order by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin). Click on the tweet to see the thread containing the entire, six-minute-and-17-second exchange:

DOOCY TIME – “Does President Obama think that it is a huge deal that today’s Dow Jones is lower than 1100?

Psaki says, “Well, for starters, we concentrate on the trends and the economy, rather than any one day or any single indicator.” pic.twitter.com/5NsSGZK234

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 24, 2022

At one point, Doocy pressed Psaki on whether parents should have a role in deciding what’s best for students. Here was how part of that went (click “expand”):

DOOCY: On schools in Virginia, seven districts representing 350,000 students are suing the state, they’re hoping to get a strict mask mandate that has rolled back by the new governor reinstated. The President doesn’t know better for students than school board members and parents. 

PSAKI: The President thinks that the public health officers have the most information about what can be done to protect ourselves. This includes teachers, administrators and students. It is up to the local school districts to decide how to proceed with the implementation of the measures. But here’s what we know from public health officials who are the experts on a pandemic: Studies show that masks reduce transmissions in school. The masks can be used to protect teachers and students from COVID. They also help maintain school safety and openness. It works. We need leaders to concentrate on strategies to ensure schools are safe. Virginia was mentioned, however, Texas is trying to block a crucial public health measure that would protect children and maintain schools open. One provision that requires masks is required for Head Start communities. This protects students as well as communities. They’re fighting against that. Is that why? I think that has — that has more to do with politics than it does with public health.

To see the relevant transcript from the White House vent on January 24, click “expand.”

White House Competition Council Meeting [via C-SPAN]
January 24, 2022
8:06

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: You’re going to make a difference in ordinary people’s lives. Ordinary people’s lives — you’re going to make a difference. Brian, you have the chance to take over.

BRIAN DEESE [INAUDIBLE]

[REPORTERS SHOUTING]

KAITLAN COLLINS: Mr. President, can you give us a brief update on your call with European leaders on what’s happening in Ukraine?

BIDEN: The only reason I don’t like doing is this is you never report on why I’ve called a meeting and this is really important. The meeting was very productive. Absolute unanimity was reached with all European leaders. We’ll talk about it later. We are grateful.

DEESE. Thank you.

[REPORTERS SHOUTING]

CATHERINE LUCEY: On Ukraine, sir —

ED O’KEEFE: Why are you sending 8,500 troops to Ukraine?

PRESS AIDE

PRESS AIDE 

PETER DOOCY: Do you want to answer questions about inflation?

PRESS AIDE: Let’s go.

PRESS AIDE: Let’s move. 

PRESS AIDE

PRESS AIDE

DOOCY: Are you concerned that inflation could be a liability in the future?

PRESS AIDE Let’s go. Thanks!

BIDEN: That’s a great asset.

PRESS AIDE – Thank you.

PRESS AIDE

INFLATION: Is there more inflation in BIDEN? This is a foolish son of a bitch.