President Joe Biden ridiculed a reporter Thursday after she asked him about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Why are you waiting on Putin to make the first move, sir?” Jacqui Heinrich of Fox News asked as reporters were given access to a meeting between the president and his science and technology advisory team on his video set across the street from the White House.
“What a stupid question,” Biden replied, in a comment that was picked up by audio engineers as they were ushered out of the room.
Heinrich was referring to Biden’s characterization of the escalating tensions with Ukraine, and his assertion that it was up to Putin to make a choice about the future.
“Putin has a stark choice,” Biden said. “Either de-escalation or diplomacy; confrontation or the consequences.”
Biden has a history of lashing out at White House reporters.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Biden snapped at a reporter who questioned why he compared his political opponents to historical racists and segregationists.
“That is an interesting reading of English,” he snapped. “You — I assume you got into journalism because you liked to write.”
At a press conference in June, Biden also snapped at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in Switzerland after she asked him why he was confident that Putin would change his behavior.
“I’m not confident that he will change his behavior. What the hell? What do you do all the time?” Biden replied. “When did I say I was confident?”
Biden also said the reporter “was in the wrong business” if she did not understand how his meeting with Putin was constructive.
In July, Biden grew frustrated after he was asked about the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan.
“I want to talk about happy things, man!” he said.
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