Khaberni - President Donald Trump sharply criticized the media agencies that raised questions about his health condition, describing their reports as "inciting, and possibly involving treason," which prompted a quick reaction on Wednesday from one of those prominent agencies.
Trump, who is the oldest among the presidents elected in the United States, made strong criticisms in an extensive post on his social media platform "Truth Social," responding to reports by "The New York Times" and others stating that his performance has begun to slow down at the age of 79.
In Trump’s post, which is about 500 words long: "There has never been a president who worked as hard as I do! My working hours are the longest, and my results are among the best."
He added: "I truly believe that what (The New York Times) and others do is inciting, and might even involve treason to the nation by persistently publishing misleading reports with the intent of defaming and harming the President of the United States."
He noted that he underwent "extensive, comprehensive, and very tedious" medical exams, and managed to "excel" in cognitive tests that he said other presidents had not taken.
He mentioned that "the best thing that can happen to this country is for The New York Times to stop publishing because it is a terrible, biased, and untruthful information source."
The New York Times's response: Lies and incitement will not deter us
A report published by "The New York Times" in November had irked Trump, stating that the president significantly reduced public events, domestic travels, and working hours compared to his first term.
In response to Trump’s accusations, Nicole Taylor, the spokesperson for the newspaper, told Agence France-Presse: "Americans deserve in-depth reporting and regular updates on the health of the leaders they elect."
She added, clarifying: "Trump welcomed our coverage of the age and fitness of his predecessors, and we apply the same level of journalistic scrutiny to his vitality."
The newspaper confirmed that their reports are based on many sources and rely on interviews with individuals close to the president and medical experts, concluding with: "Lying and inciting language will not deter us from upholding the role of the free press."
