Newsmax host Greg Kelly took aim at President Joe Biden’s senior dog Champ on Friday, mocking his appearance during a segment of his show.
“Doesn’t he look a little, uh, a little rough? I love dogs, but this dog needs a bath and a comb and all kinds of love and care. I’ve never seen a dog in the White House like this,” Kelly said during a segment in the show.
Kelly then compared Champ to Buddy, former President Bill Clinton’s Labrador retriever, and Millie, former President George H.W. Bush’s English springer spaniel.
“I remember Buddy. I remember Millie. I remember lots of dogs but not a dog who seems — I don’t know. I don’t know how much love and care he is getting,” the host added.
One of the guests in the show, Craig Shirley, said Champ looked “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.”
The video received immense backlash on Twitter, with one user tweeting, “This is a 12-year old German Shepherd – a senior dog. And you’re insulting his APPEARANCE? He’s in better shape than any of you – and smarter than all of you combined.”
Brian Williams, host of MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour,” also aimed Newsmax for the segment.
“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.”
Champ, a 12-year-old German shepherd, has been in the Biden family since 2008.