Scott Bessent Critiques New York Times Coverage of Trump’s Health
Scott Bessent did not hold back during a recent discussion at the New York Times’ Dealbook Summit in New York City. He criticized the publication for what he sees as skewed reporting on President Trump’s health, while saying it fails to adequately cover former President Joe Biden’s declining condition.
During a charged exchange with Times reporter Andrew Ross Sorkin, Bessent expressed concern that the paper was on a path to irrelevance, referring to it as a “swamp of heat.” He declared that he would stop reading the Times altogether.
“You know, in 20, 30, 40, 50 years, the New York Times may no longer hold the title of paper of record,” Bessent remarked.
He referenced a recent article from the Times stating that Trump, age 79, is beginning to show signs of aging. The piece mentioned shorter public hours and later meeting start times, suggesting a tired demeanor at times.
“I saw an article that claimed, ‘President Trump is slowing down. His mental capacity…'” Bessent said, dismissively. “That’s 100 percent fake. In fact, just last week, he only called me at 2 a.m. twice, not three times.” You might wonder about those late-night calls, right?
Despite telling the Times that Trump has increased his international travel, the article suggested he was having fewer public events compared to his first year and traveling less domestically.
The Times also reported moments when Trump’s eyes appeared droopy during a daytime meeting and raised questions about recent medical practices he mentioned without specifics.
In response to the coverage, Bessent claimed the newspaper overlooked the pace of official business, citing the length of cabinet meetings as evidence of Trump’s engagement.
Bessent escalated his criticism, asserting that the Times played a role in facilitating “one of the biggest scandals in history” by downplaying Biden’s underperformance and alleged cover-up.
Sorkin offered a counterpoint, suggesting that if concerns were raised about Biden, then similar questions about Trump’s condition were fair game.
Bessent refuted that point, arguing the newspaper neglected to recognize the frequency of Trump’s engagements. “Where was the New York Times? We just had a three-hour Cabinet meeting yesterday, Andrew!” He pointed out that Biden rarely holds similar meetings and questioned how the 25th Amendment could be invoked if cabinet members weren’t meeting with the president.
According to the Times’ latest quarterly report, the publication boasts over 12 million subscribers, primarily digital. In the most recent quarter, the company added nearly 500,000 digital-only subscribers, experienced nearly 10% revenue growth, and reported double-digit profit growth.
The stock is currently nearing a 52-week high, with analysts projecting its valuation will surpass $10 billion.
The Post has reached out to the Times for a response.
