Earlier this year, President Biden was caught on a hot mic referring to a Fox News reporter as a "stupid son of a b----." According to a buzzy report out Monday at Axios, the president's own staffers are pretty familiar with that type of derision. The report asserts that Biden, contrary to his avuncular public image, has a "quick-trigger temper" that frequently leads to him berating staffers with foul language. The report (which includes "Old yeller" in its headline) has examples of Biden outbursts, including, "God d---it, how the f--k don't you know this?!" and variations on the theme. The White House has not commented.
The Axios story by Alex Thompson includes the sentiment of presidential defenders who say that getting berated by Biden is something of a welcome initiation, and that if it doesn't happen, it's a sign Biden doesn't respect the person. Others say they wish the public was more familiar with this side of Biden because it counters the image some may have of a "disengaged" old man. Some quick reaction:
- From the right side of the political spectrum, a post at Red State sees the behavior as "detestable" for a president and accuses Axios of undercutting its own reporting by allowing some to cast the temper tantrums in a positive light. The post by bonchie also see hypocrisy at play. "Accusations of Donald Trump having a temper (and if he did this kind of stuff to his staff, that's bad as well) were treated by the press as 'terrifying' and disqualifying."
- Another site on the right, Twitchy, points to Biden's promise in 2021—"If you're ever working with me and I hear you treat another with disrespect ... I promise you I will fire you on the spot"—and wonders what happened.
- A defense comes from a post at Balloon Juice, which suggests a president has every right to drop an f-bomb on a staffer who comes in unprepared for a briefing. "Honestly, this makes me like Biden more," reads the post. "He can come across as too much of a softy sometimes, so, if true, maybe it's good that he has an angry, ranty side. Lord knows these times call for it!"
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