The F-bomb that exploded on MSNBC's airwaves this week seemingly at the expense of President Biden is shedding light on the growing discontent among liberals over his handling of a volatile Middle East in recent months.
On Monday night's installment of "The ReidOut," host Joy Reid was caught on a hot mic appearing to knock Biden while a clip of the president played during her monologue attacking Republicans.
"Starting another f---in' war," Reid could be heard saying with a chuckle before her audio was immediately cut.
Reid later offered an apology to viewers for what she described as her "behind the scenes chatter."
Democratic strategist and Fox News contributor Leslie Marshall said she wasn't surprised by Reid's snafu, telling Fox News Digital, "There are people on the air across the board who are champions of their candidate on the air, but say something different off air."
"There are many in the Democratic Party who like the president but don't like his policies, specifically when it comes to Israel and Palestine, the Middle East," Marshall said. "And a lot of people in my party are very anti-war, and they're concerned when they hear, 'Oh, I know how I'm going to respond to this with regard to Iran… Oh, I'm going to send money and weapons to Israel.' What's next?"
While she conceded that Biden's handling of the Middle East could impact Democratic turnout in a state like Michigan, which has a higher Muslim population, Marshall insisted November is still "a lifetime away." She viewed the electoral map in favor of the president, adding that "kitchen table issues" that directly impact voters, such as the economy, immigration and abortion, will motivate them more at the ballot box than foreign policy.
Fox News contributor Richard Fowler suggested that the turmoil in the Middle East will be a factor in the upcoming election, saying "political pressure" on Biden and other Democrats could impact their policies.
"There are a lot of Biden voters who see live reports from the Middle East and are horrified by the images on their nightly newscast who question Biden’s foreign policy decisions and his campaign choice to make democracy the centerpiece of his re-election fight," Fowler told Fox News Digital. "This doesn't mean they will vote against him in November. Still, their political pressure is necessary for shaping how the president and the Democratic Party move forward as a big tent that has always been a part of the party's modern history and modern-day way of making a policy change."
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Christopher Hale, a Tennessee Democrat and a former Biden DNC delegate, was actually encouraged by Reid's blunt criticism of the president, suggesting to Fox News Digital that the more criticism Biden receives from Reid and her MSNBC colleagues, the more support he receives from moderates.
"We need to spend more time seeking converts than preaching to the choir," Hale said. "Biden didn’t win in 2020 because he was MSNBC’s favorite Democrat. He won because he was able to convince enough moderates and conservatives to vote for him."
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Hale continued, "There have been legitimate concerns that young people who support Palestine will turn against Biden in critical swing states, but the recent polling showing that John Fetterman is still doing strong both among Democrats and Republicans in Pennsylvania despite his hawkish pro-Israel rhetoric has somewhat soothed those fears. Ultimately, the president is right to trust Fetterman's political instincts over those of Joy Reid and other MSNBC hosts."
