Thread by @DrewHolden360

🧵Thread🧵

It seems not all cases of a president swearing at a reporter are created equal.

When Trump used an expletive about journalist Chuck Todd, it was a crisis.

When Biden did the same thing to Peter Doocy? Well, let me know if you can spot a different attitude.⤵️

First, some context. Back in 2018, then-President Trump called Chuck Todd, host of Meet the Press, a “son of a bitch” at a rally. The MSM was apoplectic.

Yesterday, Biden used the same term in response to a question from Fox’s Peter Doocy during a presser. This time, no outrage.

@politico captures the difference well.

Back when Todd was on the receiving end of an insult, Politico wrote a piece titled “When the president of the United States calls you a ‘son of a bitch’” but when Biden does the same he’s just making “plain his opinion” about a reporter.

Not to be outdone, @CNN got out ahead of the comparison, jumping in to play PR for the Biden White House in response to the outburst.

I’m guessing a “How Peter Doocy responded to President Biden’s vulgar insult” piece isn’t on the way.

I know that plenty of others have dunked on @brianstelter for suggesting Trump’s quip would “expose journalists to threats and intimidation” but ICYMI Stelter then went on to suggest the hubbub this time was because people are…deprived of political authenticity.

She has me blocked but it wouldn’t be a thread if it didn’t point out that @joyannreid is entirely full of it.

From deep concern about Trump’s use of an expletive and attacks on the media to Biden winning Twitter for the same behavior.

Speaking of media figures who don’t always act in good faith, it doesn’t appear that we’re getting another #stayclassy call out from @atrupar

With Todd, outlets like @HuffPost practically tripped over themselves to quote the victim about the terrible message that it sent to kids that the President would swear in public.

But now, the hand waving is about Biden calling Doocy - I kid you not - “a not so nice name”

We saw the same thing out of @NYMag. When it was Todd, we got a morality play about Trump and children.

But when the Bad Orange Man is no longer the offender? Well, it’s just “a level of candor [Biden] probably should’ve reserved for the Oval Office.”

And once more, this time from @TheWrap: when it’s Trump, it’s Chuck Todd on to bemoan how Trump’s words are a “challenge to all parents.”

Odd how we don’t see that type of hand-wringing when the vulgarity comes from Biden.

Beyond the media, we’ve seen plenty of folks treat these very similar situations radically differently.

Here’s newfound decency advocate @WalshFreedom.

Perhaps my favorite is @funder, who suggested that “Trump should be forced to resign for calling Chuck Todd a son of a bitch.”

But when it’s Biden? It’s just “fake outrage.”

Apparently @danpfeiffer no longer thinks a dig against a journalist is an indication that someone shouldn’t have the nuclear codes.

I don’t usually put people without a blue check on blast but I couldn’t not include this about-face from @PaulaChertok.

These from @NancyLeeGrahn presented without comment.

And of course many were eager to explain how Trump’s comments were of deep concern who haven’t said anything about Biden doing the same thing.

I’m not holding my breath for similar takes from:
@jayrosen_nyu
@MoveOn (lol)
@MarkHertling
@sbg1 (“this is so hard to watch”)

Needless to say, that goes double for @WHCOS @RonaldKlain, who you may recall once suggested that perhaps Rep Waters would have a hearing about Trump’s language, or something.

Look. I get it. The president swearing at a reporter is far from the biggest news these days.

But it isn’t lost on millions of Americans that so many people in and around the media are putting their fingers on the scale when it comes to reporting on the President.

I get that this whole situation is silly, and so I’m not gonna wax poetic about it any more.

But it’s worth reminding folks about the sort of naked hypocrisy that many in the media have grown comfortable with on issues both large and small.