Get the Interview
The battle between the press and the President has been going on just about as long as there have been Presidents. It all began with the supposed encounter in 1829 of President John Quincy Adams and journalist Anne Royall. What we know is true: Adams took almost daily summer swims in the Potomac River or it’s tributaries. It was his ritual; walk from the White House(about a mile or so), leave his clothing on the shore, swim, and walk home. That went on even after his Presidency, almost to the end of his ninety-seven years. And in those days, going for a swim was a bathing ritual; men seldom wore clothes. We would call it “skinny dipping”.
Skinny Dipping
So we know that the President of the United States would regularly “skinny dip” in the Potomac, early in the morning in the summer months in Washington. We aren’t the only ones who were aware of that, in fact it was a well-known fact throughout Washington that the President could be found near the Potomac Bridge with a “full moon” at the dawn’s early light. And we also know that Anne Royall was a woman journalist who was known for her honest, frank, and sometimes scathing stories about the folks in Washington, DC. She was even taken to Court for being a “common scold”.
So legend has it that Anne Royall wanted an interview with the President, but was refused because she was a woman. The story goes that she wandered down to the Potomac shore one morning, and found the Presidential clothing neatly folded on the shore. So she sat down on the pile, and waited for the man to swim back to shore. When he realized that his clothes were held hostage, Adams stayed in waist high water, and, as fitting the former Secretary of State, negotiated: an interview for access to his clothing.
Kid Gloves
By the way, Adams wasn’t the only skinny dipping Chief Executive. Teddy Roosevelt was known for his exercise regimes. The French Ambassador wanted a “moment” of TR’s time, and accompanied him for his daily long hike. But this hike ended at the River shore, and TR stripped down, and dove into the River to cool off. The French Ambassador was reticent to join in, but finally succumbed to Presidential pressure. He managed to maintain the dignity of France, by keeping his kid-leather gloves on, saying, “…in case we meet the ladies”. (For more about skinny dipping Presidents and politicians, click here. No pictures, I promise).
Presidential Profanity
Harry Truman was known as “Give him Hell, Harry”. He was a “plain-spoken” Missouri man, which was another way of saying, Truman knew his way around profanity. In fact, Truman actually physically threated a reporter for writing a negative review of his daughter’s piano recital. “Someday I hope to meet you,” he wrote. “When that happens, you’ll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!” (UVA).
George W. Bush called a New York Times reporter a “major league a$$hole”, and Richard Nixon left hours of White House tapes with varying forms of profanity about the “Press”.
Fox in the House
So Joe Biden is in pretty good company (and, as far as we know, he keeps his clothes on!). When you listen to the questions some reporters ask the President, it shouldn’t be a surprise that sometimes they say “out loud” what everyone is thinking anyway. Peter Doocy is the Fox News White House correspondent, and, as befitting being the Fox in this White House, asks “contrarian” questions. His last one was if Biden thought inflation would impact the 2022 mid-term elections. Biden as first came back with sarcastic remark, “It’s a great asset, more inflation”. Then he quietly added – “What a stupid son of a bitch”.
Presidents live under a microscope, with every public movement videoed and recorded for posterity. Like the Secret Service agents, microphones and cameras are always present; so much part of the scenery, that it’s easy to forget they’re on. “Hot Mic” moments become fodder for the national media, whether it’s Anthony Fauci calling a US Senator a “moron”, or President Biden’s last remark. And Biden is no stranger to “hot mic” moments. As Vice President at the announcement of the Affordable Care Act, the mic caught Biden “whispering” into Barack Obama’s ear, “this is a big f##king deal”.
Make the Point
Biden is a “stand-up” guy. He later called Doocy, and told him not to take it personally. And while he didn’t apologize, he wanted Doocy to know that they will continue to “work together” in their adversarial roles. But don’t be too surprised that Biden said this into an open mic. The press has asked him recently whether he’s senile, or if his son’s under control of China. There’s been a lot of frustrating time with the press, and the maybe he wants a message out, not to the press, but to the nation.
There’s serious work to do, and serious challenges for our nation. Reporters should ask the important questions, the hard questions. But don’t waste America’s time with stupid “gotcha” questions. Stop being a “stupid son of a bitch”.
