This is the guy we wanted to see.
Do not get us wrong. We did not at all like Trump bully1ng the press. In fact, at least publicly, Trump was seldom uglier than when he was puffing his “big man” chest out and yelling at reporters, particularly attractive women and women of color, “you’re a terrible reporter.” He did, we should acknowledge, also go after men from time to time, right Peter Alexander?
But Biden didn’t come at Kaitlin Collins to say anything personal about her, or even get personal. He came back out with his voice raised because Collins had already mischaracterized his statement about his hopes for the meeting with Putin. Collins asked President Biden why he was so confident that Putin would change his behavior, and that did it. Biden made a u-turn, and walked right at her, putting his arms up to quiet her. Video Below quote:
“Why are you so confident he’ll change his behavior, Mr. President?” Collins asked.
“I’m not confident he’ll change his behavior. Where the hell — what do you do all the time? When did I say I was confident?”
He continued as he walked up and said, “I’m not confident of anything. I’m just stating a fact.”
Biden didn’t want to let that one slide pic.twitter.com/ogMePeIb8W [1]
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 16, 2021 [2]
Biden then explained that Putin would only change his behavior if the United States and the rest of the world helped diminish Russia’s standing.
“But given his past behavior has not changed,” Collins continued, “and in that press conference after sitting down with you for several hours he denied any involvement in cyberattacks, he downplayed human rights abuses, he even refused to say Alexei Navalny’s name.”
“So how does that account to a constructive meeting?” she asked.
“If you don’t understand that, you’re in the wrong business,” the president said before heading off.
Again, it is not beating on the press that is impressive. it is that Biden was experienced enough to know that he couldn’t let Kaitlin walk on the air on CNN and say that Biden said he was “confident” that Putin would change his behavior, a patently absurd statement. Biden simply wasn’t having it and he knew he couldn’t let it go.
That is why we voted to put that kind of experience in the Oval Office. Biden didn’t make it too personal, he did say “what the hell do you do all the time” – but that was actually a reference to the fact that she knew his quote and mischaracterized it. That angered him and it’s somewhat reasonable. A reporter shouldn’t be twisting his words, she should be quoting his words. Let analysts put context on it and question it.
But it’s the experience that matters. He couldn’t let it go.
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Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @JasonMiciak