A Newsmax host on Friday raised concerns about whether President Joe Biden’s dog is receiving the care and grooming that befits a White House pet.
The moment: Greg Kelly took aim at the appearance of Champ, the 12-year-old presidential pooch, saying, “I’ve never seen a dog in the White House like this.”
- “I love dogs, but this dog needs a bath and a comb and all kinds of love and care,” Kelly said, before unfavorably comparing Biden’s German shepherd to Bill Clinton’s Labrador retriever and George H. W. Bush’s springer spaniel.
- Kelly went on to introduce presidential historians Craig Shirley and Doug Wead to talk about Biden’s dog.
- “He looks very dirty and disheveled and very unlike a presidential dog like Millie or Victory or any other dog that I’ve seen in the White House,” Shirley said.
The reaction: The segment was met with widespread outcry, including a dedicated counter-segment from MSNBC’s Brian Williams.
- “Think of it this way: If Champ were to meet Greg Kelly, he would probably love Greg Kelly unconditionally,” Williams said. “That’s what dogs do. Probably also why there are no dogs anchoring Newsmax.”