Fox News host Jesse Watters rants about masculinity after Biden eats ice cream in public

‘A grown man – especially the president – shouldn’t be licking ice cream in public,’ Watters lashes out

Fox News host Jesse Watters was lampooned on social media for complaining about Joe Biden eating an ice cream in public on Monday, saying it did not make the president look masculine.

The US president has been vehemently criticised for talking about the Israel-Hamas war while eating a cone of ice cream in New York City but Watters had a different bone to pick with Mr Biden over his public act.

Mr Biden visited Van Leeuwen’s artisanal ice cream shop after filming an appearance for Late Night With Seth Meyers when he was asked about the war in Gaza by reporters. He responded as he ate a mint chip ice cream.

While his actions were described as “tone deaf” and “irresponsible” in light of the more than four-months-long war that has ravaged Gaza, Watters’s criticism of Mr Biden focused on masculinity and the correct age for eating ice cream.

“This ice cream – you know my rule about men eating soup in public. I don’t think it’s manly to go like that with the soup, and you’re blowing on it, it’s just not a good look," said Watters, mimicking the act of spooning up soup. "I think the same thing for ice cream. You should save that for vacation."

"A grown man – especially the president – should not be licking ice cream in public," he added.

Watters also lashed out at Mr Biden for wearing black sunglasses during his appearance on the show. Mr Biden pulled out his sunglasses and wore them in a bid to mock a right-wing conspiracy theory after Mayers asked him about "Dark Brandon" meme.

The “Dark Brandon” is a cartoon meme of Mr Biden with red lasers coming out of his eyes.

He drew laughter from the studio crowd as he put on the black sunglasses and said: "No, I resent the hell out of it”.

During his show, Watters asked “Why are people clapping for sunglasses? What so funny about a grown man putting on sunglasses?”

Watters was in turn mocked on social media for his criticism of Mr Biden with many users sharing images of former president Donald Trump eating ice cream. Some also pointed to reports of the former president enjoying an ice cream in Mar-a-Lago when he was informed about Iranian general Qassem Suleimani’s assassination.

Justin Baragona, a reporter with DailyBeast, responded with a picture of Watters eating an ice cream cone.

The Biden administration has been criticised for its support to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his actions in Gaza to wipe out Hamas. Last week, the US was criticised for vetoing a UNSC resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. US, instead, proposed its own resolution for a temporary ceasefire “as soon as practicable”.

Washington has started calling for a ceasefire more recently after Mr Biden’s policy was followed by protests in the country in support of Palestinian people dying in Gaza.

“I hope by… the end of the weekend,” Mr Biden said at the prospect of a creasefire. “My national security advisor tells me we’re close. We’re close. It’s not done yet. My hope is by next Monday, we’ll have a ceasefire,” he added.