Concha on media coverage of Biden administration: 'Hospitable now, not going to get hostile for some time'
Fox News contributor Joe Concha reacts to critics slamming the media coverage of President Biden.
The New York Times was blasted by liberals on Friday over a report drawing attention to President Biden's Rolex watch.
In a piece headlined "Is That a Rolex on Biden’s Wrist?" writer Alex Williams asserted that Biden was "breaking from prevailing presidential tradition" by wearing the iconic brand.
"At his inauguration, Mr. Biden laid his hand on the family Bible wearing a stainless steel Rolex Datejust watch with a blue dial, a model that retails for more than $7,000 and is a far cry from the Everyman timepieces that every president not named Trump has worn conspicuously in recent decades," Williams wrote.
"To many, a president wearing a luxury watch might not seem unusual. Shouldn’t the leader of the free world wear a power watch befitting his position?"
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After highlighting that Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson were both known for wearing Rolex watches, Williams claimed that the "political power watches" have "gone out of style in the internet age," explaining that more recent presidents "seemed to consider the luxury watch as a signifier of out-of-touch elitism". As examples, he cited Bill Clinton and George W. Bush's Timex watches, while Barack Obama wore Shinola and Jorg Gray. Trump, however, did wear Rolex among other top-brand watches.
"To be fair, none of Mr. Biden’s watches scream 'luxury,' at least to watch connoisseurs who are acclimated to the thin air of Swiss watch prices," Williams explained. "His Rolex Datejust, for example, is considered an undisputed classic, but in another sense, almost could be regarded as entry level for a brand with head-turners that quickly climb into the five-figures."
Critics on the left blasted the Times' report on social media.
"Headlines complaining about Biden’s peloton and Rolex after 4 years of a dude with a literal gold toilet are beyond parody," GQ Magazine writer Laura Bassett reacted.
"OMG, he has a Peleton! Omg, he has a Rolex. WHO THE F--- JUST HELD OFFICE AND WHAT KIND OF GOLD PLATED TOILET DID HE HAVE," Mother Jones editor-in-chief Clara Jeffery exclaimed.
"They must be real bored at the Times. There's *nothing* else to focus on? MLK day was not even a week ago, and y'all think his dream was no one has a rolex. This MF takes the train, shut up," Crooked Media host Akilah Hughes tweeted.
"Two weeks ago, our democracy was teetering on the brink of collapse at the hands of a violent, white supremacist cabal directed by the President of the United States. And now the New York Times is showing its 'fairness' by attacking Joe Biden for wearing a Rolex. Shame on you," television writer Bryah Behar told the Times.
"What's the worst presidential scandal, the time when Biden wore a Rolex, the time when Obama ordered Dijon mustard, or the time when Trump encouraged [an] insurrectionist mob to violently seize the Capitol in a vain attempt to overturn an election that he lost?" Vox correspondent Ian Millhiser asked.
"Thank God. We’re back to good ol’ days of stupid-ass, meritless scandals like watches, tan suits & Dijon mustard. Much better than scandals re insurrection, white supremacy, children separated from their parents, corruption, strippers, abuses of power..." CNN commentator Ana Navarro similarly expressed.
"Biden’s Rolex which he wears every day and lasts for decades costs less than one of Melania Trump’s Chanel outfits; a jacket and skirt combo easily sells for $15,000. Just some context. But can we talk about real stuff like battling COVID, the economy, domestic terrorism," reporter Melissa Chen said.
The New York Times has been at the center of multiple viral controversies this week. Editor Lauren Wolfe was reportedly fired after she sent a celebratory tweet reacting to Biden's arrival at Joint Base Andrews ahead of his inauguration, writing "I have chills."
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Times contributing writer Will Wilkinson also faced backlash for a tweet that joked that Biden should "lynch Mike Pence" for the sake of national unity. Wilkinson later apologized, but was fired from his position of vice president for research at the Niskanen Center.
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