White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a scathing rebuke of The New York Times and reporter Katie Rogers Monday, accusing the outlet of hypocrisy regarding its coverage of President Donald Trump’s cognitive health compared to its past defense of former President Joe Biden.
The confrontation stemmed from a story published Tuesday by Rogers and Dylan Freedman titled, “Signs of Fatigue: Trump Faces Realities Of Aging in Office.”
The article suggested the 79-year-old president has been visibly tired, is holding fewer public events than during his first term, and allegedly appeared to doze off during a November 6 meeting on weight loss drugs.
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Leavitt categorically denied the claims during a press briefing, characterizing the report as “fake news” and arguing that the outlet utilized a fraction of the president’s actual schedule to construct a false narrative. She then turned the focus directly onto Rogers’ reporting history to challenge the outlet’s credibility.
“I will point out one fake news story over the weekend before I let you all go from The New York Times… that said he’s doing less than he did in his first term or he might not be fit for the job,” Leavitt told the press corps. “That is unequivocally false and it’s deeply unfortunate that this story was written by the same outlet and the same reporter who wrote this: ‘Biden is doing 100 percent fine after tripping while boarding Air Force One.’”
Leavitt was referencing a March 2021 article under Rogers’ byline following an incident where then-President Biden stumbled multiple times on the stairs of Air Force One. That report cited Karine Jean-Pierre, the principal deputy press secretary at the time, attributing the fall to strong winds.
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“It’s pretty windy outside,” Jean-Pierre was quoted saying in the 2021 piece. “It’s very windy. I almost fell coming up the steps myself. He is doing 100 percent fine.”
Leavitt argued that the Times lost the standing to question presidential health after publishing that headline.
“Oh, same outlet, same reporter who wrote that President Trump is not fit for the job. Are you kidding me?” Leavitt said. “You all see him almost every single day. He is the most accessible president in history.”
While the Times report cited specific instances of alleged fatigue and a lighter schedule, the White House countered with medical data. Leavitt disclosed that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan conducted in October showed Trump to be in excellent health. She further noted that following his annual physical in April, the president’s physician stated he “exhibits cognitive and physical health.”
“I can assure you he absolutely is [fit],” Leavitt concluded. “The president’s position has now given you all three detailed reports on the state of the president’s health.”
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