President Joe Biden called a Fox News reporter a "stupid son of a b—-" after the journalist tried to question him about inflation at a meeting with economic advisers at the White House on Monday.

As journalists were ushered out of White House's East Room, where Biden was meeting with cabinet secretaries and others in his "Competition Council," they shouted questions about his approach to Russia's military buildup around Ukraine and his efforts to combat rising prices.

Biden complained that he was being asked about Russia and Ukraine instead of the Competition Council. Then, Peter Doocy of Fox News shouted a question about inflation.

"Do you think inflation is a political liability in the midterms?" Doocy asked.

"No — that's a great asset," Biden deadpanned. "What a stupid son of a b—-."

Biden had been discussing his administration's efforts to discourage greater corporate consolidation and how that would reduce inflation, which has became a threat to Democratic prospects in next fall's elections for the House and Senate.

Doocy, appearing later on Sean Hannity's Fox program, said Biden had called to apologize.

"Within about an hour of that exchange, he called my cellphone and he said 'it's nothing personal, pal,'" Doocy told Hannity. "And we went back and forth and we were talking about moving forward, and I made sure to tell him that I'm always going to try to ask something different than what everybody else is asking. And he said, 'you've got to.' And that's a quote from the president so I'll keep doing it."

"He cleared the air, and I appreciate it," Doocy added. "We had a nice call."

Nearly two-thirds of Americans said the president hasn't put enough attention on inflation and 58% say the same about Biden's focus on the economy as a whole, according to a CBS News/YouGov poll released over the weekend.

The president has shown flashes of frustration and indignation with the media in recent days, as his efforts to pass his economic agenda and voting rights legislation have stalled on Capitol Hill.

Doocy frequently asks combative questions of the president and his press secretary, Jen Psaki.

Justin Sink and Jennifer Epstein report for Bloomberg News.

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