Biden lashes out at journalist for 'dumb question' on FBI informant

Biden lashes out at journalist for 'dumb question' on FBI informant. "Why'd you ask such a dumb question?" President Biden responds to a reporter's question over why Ukraine FBI informant file called him "the big guy." (Photo/AFP)

US President Joe Biden has pounced at a reporter after being asked what he called a "dumb question" about an FBI informant's allegations.

"Why did the Ukraine FBI informant file refer to you as the big guy?" a reporter asked Biden at the end of a White House event on Thursday.

Biden quickly retorted, "Why'd you ask such a dumb question?"

At issue is an FBI document long-sought by congressional Republicans containing an unsubstantiated allegation implicating US President Joe Biden in wrongdoing as part of a bribery scheme with Ukrainian nationals while serving as vice president during the Obama administration.

The claim was made by an FBI informant in what is known as a FD-1023 form, and Republicans in the House of Representatives threatened to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress unless he handed it over.

A resolution was reached late on June 7 when Wray allowed all members of the House Oversight Committee to view the document.

Wray had previously allowed Committee Chairman James Comer, and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin to view it at a secure location at the FBI's headquarters, and briefed the lawmakers on it.

Conservative US media outlets have said the FBI form includes information that a Ukrainian oligarch referred to Biden as the "big guy" during a conversation.

Past encounters

It wasn't the first time Biden clashed with journalists.

In January 2022, Biden was caught on a hot mic after cursing a Fox News reporter when he asked about the impact of rising inflation.

"That's a great asset, more inflation," Biden responded sarcastically before saying "what a stupid son of a *****."

In 2021, he snapped at a CNN reporter and a White House correspondent after she asked him why he was confident Russian President Vladimir Putin is going to change his behaviour.

"I'm not confident. What the hell, what do you do all the time," Biden responded.

After a follow-up with a second question, Biden said, "If you don’t understand that, you're in the wrong business."

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Source: TRT