US: Biden is only carrying forward legacy of ever-decaying press freedom through his acts

US President Joe Biden's latest abusive remarks to a Fox News reporter has sparked controversy and also raised questions about his administration's stance on freedom of speech. In the first year of his office, President Biden signed a number of executive orders that are expected to have an influence on free expression. In the coming time, it will be clear how the 46th President of the United States will be remembered in terms of defending free expression. But as of now, he seems to be no different than his predecessor Donald Trump in terms of attacking media. Restoring respect for a free press was one of the many items on President Biden's to-do list but it seems the democratic leader has no intention to fulfil it. 

Distinct lack of leadership in supporting democratic values in the US

Leading up to the 2020 elections, Joe Biden had launched blistering attacks on his rival and former President Trump for his continuous attack on media as well as for introducing laws restricting a range of freedoms. Earlier during the Trump regime, the incumbent US Vice President Kamala Harris had raised her voice against the treatment of the press.

There has been a distinct lack of leadership in supporting democratic values, such as a free press and the right to dissent, over the last five years in the United States. First, Trump repeatedly attacked the press and allied himself with dictators around the world during his reign, and now incumbent President Biden's unacceptable behaviour towards the media has raised serious doubts over Democrats' support towards a free press.

President Biden's 'stupid son of a b***h' remarks 

The latest incident is pertinent to Biden's abusive remarks for a reporter during a White House event on Monday, January 24. President Biden was caught on a hot mic after he lost his temper during a regular press conference. He called Fox News reporter Peter Doocy "stupid son of a b***h" after the latter posed him a question regarding soaring inflation in the country. After Biden ended his prepared speech at the White House gathering, several reporters started posing questions to the President. Doocy then yelled out his question, asking if Biden believed "inflation will be a political liability ahead of the mid-term election?" In response to this, Biden stated, "That's a great asset. More inflation? What a stupid son of a b****." The video of Biden's remarks was widely shared on social media platforms, causing outrage among Americans.

Biden has chastised reporters on more than one occasion

It should be mentioned here that this was not the first time President Biden chastised reporters for asking about subjects that he doesn't like. Earlier, Biden lashed out at a woman reporter of Fox News when she posed a question regarding escalating the Russia-Ukraine conflict. "Why are you waiting for Russian President Vladimir Putin to make the first move?," the reporter asked, to which Biden replied, " What a stupid question," as per Fox News. Notably, after taking over as the 46th President of the US, President Biden had advised his employees to treat colleagues and members of the press with respect, however, his own acts don't seem to be in sync with what he preaches.  

120 journalists were arrested or criminally charged in 2020 in the US

According to the US Press Freedom Tracker, 120 journalists were arrested or criminally charged in 2020, and about 300 were assaulted, the majority by law enforcement. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees freedom of the press in the United States. Nonetheless, there are some limitations to press freedom in the United States, such as defamation laws, a lack of protection for whistleblowers, information access barriers, and constraints caused by public and government hostility to journalists. 

Biden's popularity as the President starts to decline

It is significant to mention here that Biden's popularity as the President of the US has already started to decline in the country. According to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 56% of Americans disapproved of Biden's performance as President. Currently, only 28% of Americans want Biden to seek re-election in 2024, with only 48% of Democrats supporting him, the research revealed.

Image: AP