White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has launched a fierce attack on The New York Times and one of its reporters, branding a recent article on Donald Trump's energy levels as 'fake news' and using it to promote a new initiative targeting the media.
A Blistering Rebuke in the Briefing Room
During Monday's White House press briefing, Leavitt made a pointed example of a story published the previous week by New York Times correspondent Katie Rogers. The article suggested that President Trump, aged 79, was showing potential 'signs of fatigue' in his second term, citing a scaled-back public schedule.
'I will point out one fake news story over the weekend... that took about one-third of the president's daily calendar and his daily schedule and said that he's doing less than he did in his first term, or he might not be fit for the job,' Leavitt stated. She declared this characterisation 'unequivocally false'.
Leavitt then drew a sharp contrast with the same reporter's past coverage. 'It's deeply unfortunate that the story was written by the same outlet and the same reporter who wrote this: 'Biden is doing 100% fine after tripping while boarding Air Force One,'' she continued, referencing a 2021 piece by Rogers.
The 'Media Offenders' Portal and a Defence of Accessibility
The Press Secretary's critique was not an isolated incident. Leavitt confirmed that Rogers' piece had been singled out as part of a newly launched 'Media Offenders' portal on the White House website. This platform is designed to publicly shame what the administration deems the worst examples of 'fake news'.
'I think it goes to our original promise on day one to hold the media accountable,' Leavitt explained, arguing that inaccurate stories about meetings and the President's activities are a daily frustration. She vigorously defended Trump's stamina and accessibility, telling reporters, 'You all see him almost every single day. He is the most accessible president in history. He is taking meetings around the clock.'
Factual Claims and a History of Health Scrutiny
The New York Times article in question, co-written by Rogers and Dylan Freedman, presented a data-driven analysis. It claimed that during Trump's first term in 2017, his scheduled events began on average at 10.31am. In contrast, this year they reportedly started later, at an average of 12.08pm.
Furthermore, the analysis indicated the overall number of Trump's official appearances at White House events had declined by 39 percent compared to his first term. The piece suggested that maintaining a projection of 'round-the-clock energy' was becoming more challenging.
The Times stood by its reporting. A spokesperson said, 'The Times's White House team, including Katie Rogers... have reported without fear or favor across multiple administrations from both parties. Katie's reporting on President Biden was just as unflinching.'
This episode continues a long-running theme. Throughout Joe Biden's presidency, Trump and his allies frequently criticised the Democrat's age, cognitive ability, and limited public appearances. Now, similar scrutiny is being applied to Trump, who is set to become the oldest living president by the end of his potential second term.
Trump's Personal Fury and Broader Press Antagonism
President Trump himself vehemently denounced the article on his Truth Social platform last week. He labelled the 'Creeps at the Failing New York Times' as 'Radical Left Lunatics' and an 'ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE'.
In a deeply personal attack, he called reporter Katie Rogers 'a third rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out'. He did, however, concede that a day would come when he runs 'low on energy', but insisted it was not now, citing a recent 'PERFECT PHYSICAL EXAM AND A COMPREHENSIVE COGNITIVE TEST'.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of Trump's combative relationship with the press. Just last week, he sparked outrage by calling a Bloomberg reporter a 'piggy' after she questioned him about Jeffrey Epstein. Leavitt defended such outbursts, stating, 'He calls out fake news when he sees it and gets frustrated with reporters who spread false information.'
In another recent exchange, when asked by CBS News' Weija Jiang about an MRI scan, Trump retorted, 'It wasn't the brain because I took a cognitive test and aced it... which you would be incapable of doing.' The White House has also addressed public curiosity about Trump's health, attributing bruising on his hand to vigorous handshaking and revealing a diagnosis of Chronic Venous Insufficiency to explain swollen legs.
