White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended her remarks on Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy on Friday after saying he sounds like a “stupid son of a bitch.”
“Full video shows I also told a story about Peter’s grace last night and made very clear I was not being critical of him or any reporter at Fox, and instead was critical of the slant of some Fox topics,” she said. “He is doing his job. I am doing mine. We debate. We disagree. I respect that.”
Full video shows I also told a story about Peter’s grace last night and made very clear I was not being critical of him or any reporter at Fox, and instead was critical of the slant of some Fox topics. He is doing his job. I am doing mine. We debate. We disagree. I respect that.
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) April 16, 2022
The press secretary said Fox News’ topics can “make anyone look like a stupid son of a bitch” on a Thursday live recording of “Pod Save America.” She then complimented the Fox News reporter for his graciousness to President Joe Biden after being called a “stupid son of a bitch” on hot mic in January.
The president called Doocy within an hour of the incident telling him the remarks were “nothing personal.” Doocy said he accepted the president’s word and “appreciated” him for reaching out. (RELATED: John Roberts Jumps To Defend Doocy After Psaki Slammed Doocy’s Questions)
“He said, ‘it’s nothing personal, pal,’” Doocy told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “I told him that I appreciated him reaching out. Hey, Sean, the world is on the brink of, like, World War III. With all the stuff going on, I appreciate that the president took a couple minutes out this evening while he was still at the desk to give me a call and clear the air, but I don’t need anybody to apologize to me.”
CNN’s Brian Stelter defended the press secretary’s remarks saying she targeted Fox News, not Doocy directly. He noted that the White House correspondent has a tendency to “advance right-wing talking points” and that the network pushes narratives that “are sometimes nonsense.”
“She didn’t really criticize him directly, she was really criticizing Fox News as an organization,” Stelter told CNN Newsroom on Friday.
Fox News issued a statement Friday in Doocy’s defense by calling him a “terrific reporter” whose job it is to “elicit the truth.”
“In his role as White House correspondent, Peter Doocy’s job is to elicit truth from power for the American public. His questions are his own, he is a terrific reporter and we are extremely proud of his work,” the statement said.