The Truth About Lester Holt And Joe Biden's Tense Interaction
Ever since he took office, the man we once knew as President Barack Obama's sweet-natured second-in-command — colloquially called "Uncle Joe" and even "Sleepy Joe," as far as former President Donald Trump was concerned — has proven time and again that he's got true grit under that soft, smiling outlook.
President Joe Biden generally presents a cool, calm exterior, but the current commander-in-chief reaches his limit just like anyone else.
Most recently, per CNBC, he was caught on a hot mic calling Fox News reporter Peter Doocy a "stupid son of a b***h" during a press conference. The veteran journalist questioned whether President Biden was worried about rising inflation rates, particularly when it comes to his party potentially losing seats.
"No, that's a great asset. More inflation," President Biden quipped sarcastically. He then added the insult, not realizing that everybody could still hear him.
Doocy, for his part, milked the moment for all it was worth, appearing on Fox News soon after to joke around about how President Biden's claim hadn't been fact-checked just yet. He also claimed the president had called to apologize shortly after the incident became public.
President Biden is known for hot mic exclamations, but this latest incident, involving another journalist, occurred while he was unmistakably on air.
President Joe Biden wasn't playing around in his interview with Lester Holt
According to the New York Post, President Joe Biden got a little testy when the topic of inflation came up once again, during an interview with NBC journalist Lester Holt.
"I think it was back in July, you said inflation was going to be temporary. I think a lot of Americans are wondering what your definition of temporary is," Holt asked.
"Well, you're being a wise guy with me a little bit," he responded, quickly adding, "And I understand, that's your job." But the president's irritation was abundantly clear.
In December 2021, Biden reassured citizens that the worrying 6.8% annual inflation rate, recorded in November, was the highest it was likely to go. Elsewhere, the previous July, he claimed that the rate, which was then around 5%, was only "temporary."
When put on the spot by Holt about things getting even worse, President Biden offered several reasons for the rise, including supply chain issues. "It ought to be able to start to taper off as we go through this year," the president said.
Immediately prior to conducting the interview, President Biden urged Democrats to pass his struggling Build Back Better Act as a means of tackling rising inflation rates.
Per the Independent, the numbers are at their highest in 40 years, as of January 2022, at 7.5%. The Consumer Price Index, meanwhile, recorded a rise of 0.6% for goods and services for December to January.