Of course, the liberal hacks and Democratic Party lackeys at CNN thought Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy had earned President Biden’s insult. And that’s exactly the argument CNN’s anti-Fox hatchetman Brian Stelter made on Tuesday’s CNN Newsroom, suggesting Doocy’s question about inflation and the midterms was a “provocation” as he lamented “Biden took the bait.”
According to Stelter, “the question was less a question and more a provocation” to elicit that kind of reaction from the President.
He did say that “the White House press corps should be able to ask whatever it wants. Reporters should ask whatever they want” and that “there should be tension between the press corps and the president. We are not there to be best friends with the president,” but he doubled down on besmirching the question. “But that question was more of a provocation and Biden took the bait.”
After co-hosts Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell, and Stelter sympathized with Biden over having “hot mic” moments, Stelter compared Biden’s insult to the ones former President Trump would throw out and not apologize for.
“I think the difference, of course, is the backdrop, the context,” Stelter declared. He went on to suggest the reason Doocy was “handling this with such class and basically blowing it off [was] because the backdrop is so different than it was during the Trump years” when there was supposedly an existential threat to the press.
Stelter bragged about Biden’s demeanor when belittling Fox News reporters citing the “mischievous smile on his face when he’s talking – responding to Doocy.” He also believed “it wasn’t a hot mic. I think he knew what he was doing, he knew he was on. And then he had the manners to call later and to try to mends fences.”
Now, Stelter did say that Biden was just as wrong as Trump was for slinging insults at a reporter, but that didn’t stop him from touting dangerous comments from former Obama adviser Ben Rhodes, who called Fox News a worse problem for the country than Biden’s insults:
But, it is still interesting to get inside the mind of the President, to hear what he might have been thinking or what he was feeling at that time. Fox certainly has been a pain on his neck. And I thought Ben Rhodes, the former Obama aide said it really well on Twitter. He said: “What Fox News has done to this country is infinitely more offensive than anything Biden has said.”
“Now, that's an interesting argument and that’s a strong liberal argument,” Stelter boasted. “That’s why so many Democrats were cheering for Biden when he was heard on this microphone yesterday insulting Peter Doocy.”
At one point, Blackwell popped a hole in Biden’s defense saying: “I don't know how you call somebody a ‘stupid son of bitch’ and then say ‘it's not personal.’ I think it's a personal attack there.” To that, Stelter said he didn’t “want to do the 3D chess part of it.”
Brian Stelter’s smears against Peter Doocy and Fox News were made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Panera Bread and Angi. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN Newsroom
January 25, 2022
3:31:32 p.m. EasternALISYN CAMEROTA: It sounds like Peter Doocy handled that with humility. I mean, he wasn't trying the make himself the story. I think that he said he accepted the President's apology. It sounds like they were both being grownups about that. As Victor has pointed out to me, but for the grace of God, go all of us with hot mics.
VICTOR BLACKWELL: Truth.
CAMEROTA: We all have a lot of understanding here but the issue comes into, remember, when former President Trump called NFL players SOBs, I think including Colin Kaepernick, and that was a very media story. Now, he didn't call and apologize but that said something in the culture at the time. And so, is this in the same vain?
BRIAN STELTER: Well, it's in the same vain in so far as all presidents should be held to high standards. No presidents should go around calling reporters, cursing at reporters. So, by that standard, a high standard, Biden was out of line just like Trump was out of line when he called Chuck Todd an SOB and when Trump would say crass, crude things about other individuals.
I think the difference, of course, is the backdrop, the context. Why is Peter Doocy handling this with such class and basically blowing it off because the backdrop is so different than it was during the Trump years when you had a president trying to destroy the American media, trying to undermine the American media, using crude and crass and profane language, and also doing it in an indecent way that was suffused throughout his presidency. So certainly, the press had to speak out about it, against that.
Now we see with Biden it's something different. Right? He has a bit of a mischievous smile on his face when he’s talking – responding to Doocy. I personally believe it wasn’t a hot mic. I think he knew what he was doing, he knew he was on. And then he had the manners to call later and to try to mends fences.
But, it is still interesting to get inside the mind of the President, to hear what he might have been thinking or what he was feeling at that time. Fox certainly has been a pain on his neck. And I thought Ben Rhodes, the former Obama aide said it really well on Twitter. He said: “What Fox News has done to this country is infinitely more offensive than anything Biden has said.”
Now, that's an interesting argument and that’s a strong liberal argument. That’s why so many Democrats were cheering for Biden when he was heard on this microphone yesterday insulting Peter Doocy.
But from the point of view for high standards for any president, I would say it's out of line.
BLACKWELL: Brian. So, one, I don't know how you call somebody a “stupid son of bitch” and then say “it's not personal.” I think it's a personal attack there.
STELTER: Ah.
BLACKWELL: But you say you believe that the President knew exactly what he was doing. Why? And what would be the benefit of that to get the cheers from the left? Do you think it was that calculated?
STELTER: Eh, I don't want to do the 3D chess part of it. But, you look at his eyes, he knows he's on camera, he's in the middle of an event. You know, he’s been in this business a long time. As the three of us know, when you're wearing a microphone, you assume you are always being heard and you are always being recorded. So, I think he was in on it to some degree.
And look, the question was less a question and more a provocation. And by all means, that’s great. The White House press corps should be able to ask whatever it wants. Reporters should ask whatever they want. There should be tension between the press corps and the president. We are not there to be best friends with the president.
So, bring it on. Right? And let Biden respond. But that question was more of a provocation and Biden took the bait.
