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Video of John McCain calling Peter Doocy 'dumb' in 2017 goes viral after Biden gaffe

In 2017, when Doocy asked John McCain about not being supportive of then-president Donald Trump's initiatives, McCain retorted, 'Why would you say something that stupid?'

Journalist Peter Doocy was trolled by sympathizers of President Joe Biden after the latter called him a "stupid son of a b***h" live on CSPAN on Monday, January 24, in response to a question about rising inflation. 

Monday's exchange became the latest chapter in what is becoming an ongoing feud between Biden, 79, and 34-year-old Doocy. But this wasn't the first time the son of veteran Fox reporter Steve Doocy had engaged in a contentious back and forth with a political figure. In 2017, he had asked the late senator and presidential candidate John McCain about his relationship with former President Donald J Trump and whether that influenced his decision-making on the Senate floor.

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"Has your relationship with [then-President Donald Trump] frayed to the point that you are not going to support anything that he comes to you and asks for?” the Fox News reporter asked the late Arizona senator at the time, referring to his contentious history with the then-President, dating back to Trump’s “He’s not a war hero” comment in 2015. 

McCain was visibly perturbed by Doocy's question. “Why would you say something that stupid?" he retorted, "Why would you ask something that dumb? Huh? My job as a United States senator, as a senator from Arizona, which I was just re-elected to. You mean that I am somehow going to behave in a way that I’m going to block everything because of some personal disagreement? That’s a dumb question," McCain insisted.

Clips of the 2017 exchange between Doocy and McCain have resurfaced in light of the ongoing controversy, with some mocking the right-wing reporter for attracting "bipartisan" criticism.

"There is bipartisan agreement on what Peter Doocy is. Biden and the late John McCain agree," producer Cheri Jacobus tweeted. "Roasting Peter Doocy is a long-standing bipartisan tradition," commentator Lyndi Li added. "Joe Biden doesn’t like Peter Doocy. John McCain didn’t like Peter Doocy. No one likes Peter Doocy," activist Jack Cocchiarella chimed in. "John McCain calling Peter Doocy stupid before it was cool," one Twitter user wrote. "Senator John McCain tagged Peter Doocy as stupid in 2017. Biden today simply amended it to stupid son of a b***h," someone else offered.

During an appearance on Fox News' Special Report, Doocy explained that Biden "didn't want to take any questions off-topic. He was at an event about inflation. I asked about inflation. Now, wait to see if the white house has to bleep that on the transcript.” The White House, however, had no choice but to include the President's uncensored quote in the transcripts of the council meeting.

It's worth noting that Biden and Doocy had another tense back and forth just last week. Moments before Doocy could ask Biden a question at last Wednesday's press conference, the President said sarcastically, “You always ask me the nicest questions,” and added, “None of them make a lot of sense to me.” Unfazed by the commentary, Doocy asked, "Why are you trying so hard in your first year to pull the country so far to the left?", to which Biden simply replied, “Well, I’m not."