Biden calls NBC's Lester Holt 'wise guy' for probing White House claim on 'transitory' inflation

In another hostile moment with the media, President Biden hit back at Lester Holt during a sit-down interview on Thursday's "NBC Nightly News."

After an inflation increase of 7.5% from January 2021 to 2022, Holt probed on what Biden had meant when he and his administration maintained that inflation was "temporary" and "transitory." 

Holt said, "Back in July, you said inflation was going to be temporary. I think a lot of Americans are wondering what your definition of temporary is." 

INFLATION ACCELERATES 7.5% IN JANUARY, HITTING A FRESH 40-YEAR HIGH

In July, Biden said that "no serious economist" believed "unchecked inflation" was "on the way." He added, "Our experts believe … the price increases we’ve seen are … expected to be temporary."

Biden retorted to Holt, "Well, you're being a wise guy with me a little bit, and I understand that's your job." He proceeded to blame inflation on the supply chain crisis. 

Quippy remarks are becoming more common from Biden, who recently called Fox News' Peter Doocy a "dumb son of a b----" when asked about inflation and its potential implications for the midterm elections. 

Additionally, in a press conference in January, Biden appeared to raise his voice at a reporter after a question on divisiveness. 

"You campaigned, and you ran on a return to civility. And I know that you dispute the characterization that you called folks who would oppose those voting bills as being Bull Connor or George Wallace. But you said that there would be sort of in the same camp?" asked Philip Wegmann, a reporter for RealClearNews.

Biden responded, "No, I didn't say that. Look what I said. Go back and read what I said and tell me if you think I called anyone who voted on the side of the position taken by Bull Connor that they were Bull Connor? And that is an interesting reading of English. Yeah, I assume you got it in the journals because you like to write."

In June, Biden seemingly lashed out at CNN's Kaitlan Collins.

Collins asked, "Why are you so confident [Putin] will change his behavior, Mr. President?"

Biden responded, "I am not confident he will change his behavior. Where the hell … what do you do all the time? When did I say I was confident? I said, what I said was — let’s get it straight — I said what will change their behavior is if the rest of the world reacts to them and it diminishes their standing in the world. I am not confident of anything. I am just stating the facts."

In response to Collins' follow-up question, Biden said, "If you don’t understand that, you are in the wrong business."

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When Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich asked Biden about Russia's tensions with Ukraine, Biden also reacted similarly.

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"Why are you waiting on Putin to make the first move, sir?" Heinrich asked, after his marathon press conference that sent his staff into clean-up mode the following day. 

Biden had predicted that Russia would invade Ukraine, made a differentiation of what would be considered a major and "minor incursion" for the White House vis-à-vis Russian President Vladimir Putin's plans for the neighboring country.

Biden responded to Heinrich, "What a stupid question."