President Joe Biden said in 2020 that “attacking” the press is “part of the authoritarian playbook.”
Biden said that “free press” was “essential to a free society” on World Press Freedom Day. Biden called Fox News’ White House Correspondent Peter Doocy a “son of a bitch” on Monday during a White House photo opportunity.
“Tyrants know this all too well. That is why attacking the press and attempting to intimidate independent media is a standard part of the authoritarian playbook,” Biden said. “And, it’s why Donald Trump’s repeated efforts to demonize the media put us on such a dangerous path. When he labels the press as the ‘enemy of the people’ or decries ‘fake news,’ he is eroding our essential, Constitutionally guaranteed freedom of the press in ways large and small.”
Biden then criticized Trump who he said “bullies and berates individual members of the press, rather than take responsibility for his failures of leadership.”
A free press is essential to a free society. That’s why attacking the press and attempting to intimidate independent media is a standard part of the authoritarian playbook around the world. And it’s why Donald Trump’s efforts to demonize the media put us on such a dangerous path.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 3, 2020
“It is particularly offensive to see the White House seek to spread misinformation and bully reporters in the midst of a global pandemic,” Biden continued. “Journalists hold those in positions of authority accountable, investigate and document abuses of power, and expose the truth for everyone to see. While many presidents have been unhappy with their media coverage, only Donald Trump has attacked the independence of journalists and launched an all-out assault on the media.”
Biden was caught on a hot mic Monday calling Doocy a “son of a bitch” after Doocy asked whether the president thinks “inflation will be a political liability in the midterms?” (RELATED: Peter Doocy Gives Comeback To Biden Calling Him ‘Stupid Son-Of-A-B*itch’)
“It’s a great asset, more inflation,” Biden muttered. “What a stupid son of a bitch.”
Biden caught on hot mic calling Peter Doocy a “stupid son-of-a-bitch” when he asked a question about inflation pic.twitter.com/sA4dDIKTn1
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 24, 2022
Doocy later responded while on “The Five,” after co-host Jesse Watters joking replied he thought “Biden was right” and that Doocy was in fact a “stupid SOB.”
“Yeah,” Doocy replied. “Nobody’s fact-checked him yet and said it’s not true.”