Biden apologizes after going off on reporter over question about Putin



President Joe Biden lost his cool with a U.S. reporter in Geneva on Wednesday over the journalist's question regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The exchange went viral, sparking condemnation from other U.S. reporters. Afterward, Biden apologized for his response, saying he "shouldn't have been such a wise guy."

What are the details?

Following his summit with Putin, Biden held a press conference where he took questions from a list of pre-approved journalists, Fox News reported. But as the president turned and walked away, he decided to respond to questions shouted from the press pool.

That's when CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked, "Why are you so confident he'll change his behavior, Mr. President?" referring to Putin.

"I'm not confident he'll change his behavior," a visibly frustrated Biden replied. "What the hell! What do you do all the time?"

Biden then raised a finger and began walking toward Collins, saying, "When did I say I was confident? 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."

Collins pressed back, replying, "but given his past behavior has not changed, and in that press conference after sitting down with you for several hours, he denied any involvement in cyberattacks, he's downplayed human rights abuses, he even refused to say Alexei Navalny's name. So, how does that amount to a constructive meeting?"

"If you don't understand that, you're in the wrong business," Biden told the reporter.



Several other U.S. reporters took to social media condemning Biden for his treatment of Collins, and her name became a trending topic on Twitter.

New York Magazine's Olivia Nuzzi tweeted, "If you're the most powerful person in the world and you can't field questions from the media without losing your temper, maybe you're in the wrong business." Nuzzi added, "What kind of example does it set for other countries when the president of the United States insults a member of the free press on an international stage for asking a fair question in good faith?"

Glenn Greenwald described video of the exchange as showing "Biden aggressively insulting and demeaning a female reporter while she's just doing her job, all in front of her colleagues."

Before boarding Air Force One afterward, Biden stopped to tell the White House press pool, "I owe my last questioner an apology. I shouldn't have been such a wise guy with the last answer I gave."

President Biden apologizes to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins before departing Geneva for his response to her question at the… https://t.co/ngPh1h5GmU

— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) 1623868156.0

Texas Rep. Chip Roy considering run against Elise Stefanik for House leadership: report



Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy is reportedly mulling a run against New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R) to replace Liz Cheney as House Republican Conference Chair following Cheney's ouster.

What are the details?

The Daily Caller first reported that according to two sources, Roy is considering throwing his hat in the ring against Stefanik for the No. 3 position in House GOP leadership.

When reached for comment on the prospect, Roy's office told the outlet, "While not ruling anything out, Congressman Roy has never sought a position in conference leadership. His focus is on serving Texas' 21st Congressional district … But if the position must be filled, then this must be a contested race — not a coronation."

Cheney was ousted from leadership Wednesday in a voice vote, over her continued vocal opposition to Republicans supporting former President Donald Trump, after she voted to impeach him for allegedly inciting the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol by a mob of his supporters.

Stefanik has been widely floated as a replacement for Cheney, and Trump himself issued a statement endorsing her.

But on Tuesday, Roy sent a letter to all House GOP members urging them to pick someone other than Stefanik for the role, citing her "liberal" voting record .

He wrote to his colleagues, "With all due respect to my friend, Elise Stefanik, let us contemplate the message Republican leadership is about to send by rushing to coronate a spokesperson whose voting record embodies much of what led to the 2018 a**-kicking we received by Democrats."

The congressman also said in his letter that he would vote to recall Cheney.

Roy has voted 90% of the time in favor of Trump's positions, compared to Cheney's 65% and Stefanik's 35%.

Anything else?

Meanwhile, Cheney remains defiant after being booted from leadership.

She told NBC News' Savannah Guthrie following the vote that she intends to be "one of the leaders in a fight to help restore" the Republican Party, "in a fight to bring our party back to substance and principles."

When Guthrie noted that Trump's allies were actively seeking to find a primary challenger to oust her from Congress entirely, Cheney replied, "Bring it on."

CHENEY: I intend to be…one of the leaders in a fight to help to restore our party, in a fight to bring our party ba… https://t.co/nbmOMv5ADb
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) 1620852539.0

Cheney sticks to her guns against Trump's 'lies' in speech before expected ouster from leadership



Republican Conference Chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) took a stand on the House floor Tuesday night, delivering a speech wherein she refused to back down from her insistence that former President Donald Trump is a threat to the Republican Party — and the nation — over his continued claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

Cheney's remarks come the night before the GOP plans to vote on booting her from leadership over her views.

What are the details?

The conservative congresswoman from Wyoming noted in the beginning of her speech that the topic on the floor for the evening was "cancel culture," saying that she has "some thoughts about that," but said her remarks would be about "freedom, and our constitutional duty."

Cheney then told stories about people in other nations being threatened with violence for attempting to vote, and of individuals who were killed for pushing back against communist regimes.

"God has blessed America, Mr. Speaker." Cheney said. "But our freedom only survives if we protect it; if we honor our oath — taken before God, in this chamber — to support the Constitution. If we recognize threats to freedom when they arise. "

"Today, we face a threat America has never seen before," she continued, speaking of Trump. "A former president, who provoked a violent attack on this Capitol in an effort to steal the election, has resumed his aggressive effort to convince Americans that the election was stolen from him. He risks inciting further violence."

The Wyoming Republican added, "Millions of Americans have been misled by the former president. They have heard only his words, but not the truth as he continues to undermine our democratic process, sowing seeds of doubt about whether democracy really works at all."

Cheney went on to note that Trump's own DOJ did not find evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, before telling her colleagues: "Those who refuse to accept the rulings of our courts are at war with the Constitution."

She added, "This is not about policy. This is not about partisanship. This is about our duty as Americans. Remaining silent, and ignoring the lie, emboldens the liar. I will not participate in that."

Liz Cheney’s full House floor speech:“The election is over…that is our constitutional process. Those who refuse t… https://t.co/I3HR5XdoLx

— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) 1620779291.0

Although House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) initially joined Cheney in saying Trump was responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by the former president's supporters, McCarthy slated a vote for Wednesday with plans for ousting Cheney over her continued refusal to re-embrace Trump months after she voted in favor of impeaching him following the siege.

Several House members have expressed support for replacing Cheney in the No. 3 spot with Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who is much more liberal in her views — but staunchly devoted to Trump.