Joe Biden calls Fox News reporter "a stupid son of a bit*h"

On a live microphone, President Joe Biden called Fox News White House reporter Peter Doocy "a stupid son of a bit*h" after Doocy questioned Biden if inflation was a political issue for him.

The blunder occurred during a White House ceremony about the Biden administration's anti-inflation measures.

"Will you take questions about inflation?" Doocy asked after Biden claimed that all the press questions were about the military buildup near Ukraine. Do you believe inflation will be a political liability in the run-up to the midterm elections?"

"No, that's a fantastic asset," Biden sarcastically remarked, thinking his microphone had been switched off. "There will be more inflation."

"What a stupid son of a bit*h," he added.

After his debate with Biden, Doocy returned on Fox News, where "The Five" co-host Jesse Watters joked with his colleague, "I guess the president is right." "You're a dunderhead."

"Yeah, nobody's fact-checked [Biden] yet and stated it's not true," Doocy remarked, smiling.

When host Bret Baier asked Doocy about the "colourful exchange" with the president on the Special Report, Doocy said, "He didn't want to take any questions off topic." He was at an inflation-related event. I inquired about the rate of inflation. Now see if the White House needs to bleep that on the transcript."

"What did the other reporters say about that?" Baier continued. "Did you have a conversation with them?" "They had to tell me he said it since I couldn't hear anything over the wranglers' shouting," Doocy answered. As a result, the clip will continue to exist."

Biden called Doocy later in the day to apologise for the statement, Doocy claimed later Monday evening.

During press conferences, Doocy often baits Biden by yelling over other reporters in an attempt to catch the president off guard.

Biden has a history of swearing into hot microphones, so his remarks were not wholly unexpected.

Biden was famously caught on camera telling then-President Barack Obama that passing the Affordable Care Act was "a big fucking thing" in 2010.

With inflation at historic highs, the White House has been grappling in recent months with how to communicate with the public about its efforts to help bring prices down in the long run.

There is little Biden, or any president, can do in the short term to counteract macroeconomic factors such as rising consumer demand and supply chain snarls in Asia.