US President Donald Trump sharply criticized media outlets that questioned his health, describing their reports as "incendiary and possibly even treasonous," which prompted a reaction on Wednesday from one of the leading publications. In an extended post published overnight on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump, the oldest elected US president, leveled sharp criticism at reports by The New York Times and others, suggesting his performance had begun to slow at age 79. In his approximately 500-word post, Trump wrote, "There has never been a president who worked as hard as I do! My work hours are the longest, and my results are among the best." He added, "I truly believe what The New York Times and others are doing is incendiary, and perhaps even treasonous (to the nation) by persistently in publishing misleading reports with the intent to smear and harm the President of the United States." Trump also stated he underwent "long, comprehensive, and very boring" medical exams and was able to "ace" cognitive tests he said other presidents had not taken. He noted that "the best thing that could happen to this country is for The New York Times to stop publishing because it is a terrible, biased, and untrustworthy source of information." A report published by The New York Times in November angered Trump and the White House, as it claimed the president had significantly cut back on public events, domestic travel, and work hours compared to his first term. Trump's health has come under scrutiny after he appeared to struggle to stay awake during a series of events, not to mention undergoing an MRI as part of additional medical tests in October. Nicole Taylor, a spokeswoman for The New York Times, said in a statement to France Press, "Americans deserve in-depth reporting and regular updates on the health of the leaders they elect." She added, "Trump welcomed our coverage of the age and fitness of his predecessors, and we are applying the same level of journalistic scrutiny to his health." The newspaper clarified that its reports are based on multiple sources and interviews with people close to the president and medical experts. Taylor continued, "We will not be deterred by the language of lies and incitement that distorts the role of a free press."
