White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates called out the Republican National Committee on Monday after they mocked President Joe Biden for petting a dog during his visit to Hawaii.
Biden visited Maui after wildfires devastated the island leaving 100 people dead and more than 800 still missing.
During the visit Biden met with first responders, as well as a cadaver dog helping officers locate bodies.
“What’s the boss’s name?” Biden asks before patting the dog on the head. “How you doing, pal?”
RNC Research, an account run by the Republican National Committee, posted the clip on Twitter with the caption, “Biden gets distracted by a dog: ‘That’s some hot ground, man!’”
Bates fired back in a tweet calling their criticism “classless and stupid.”
“He’s petting one of the dogs that’s working hard searching for remains so survivors who’ve lost loved ones can have closure,” he wrote.
