The New York Times has found itself at odds with the White House over its coverage of President Biden’s approval ratings and concerns about his age. In an interview with the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, AG Sulzberger, the publisher of the New York Times, admitted that the White House is “extremely upset” with the paper’s reporting on these issues.
President Biden, at 81 years old, is the oldest person to ever hold office. His approval ratings have been consistently low, making him a historically unpopular incumbent. The New York Times has extensively reported on these realities, which has drawn criticism from the White House. However, Sulzberger has vowed that his paper will continue to report fully and fairly, despite the backlash it has received from Biden’s staff.
The controversy surrounding Biden’s age and mental acuity has been further fueled by a scathing report from special counsel Robert Hur on the president’s handling of classified White House documents. The report revealed that Biden struggled with memory recall during his interview with Hur. He could not remember when he was vice president or when his term began and ended. Biden also showed hazy memory when discussing important events, such as his son Beau’s death and the Afghanistan debate.
The New York Times faced criticism for its coverage of Hur’s report, with a White House spokesman accusing the paper of misrepresenting the conclusions. The spokesman argued that journalists were focusing too much on Biden’s cognitive decline rather than the substance of the report. However, the New York Times defended its reporting, stating that both the issues of Biden’s approval ratings and his memory problems are true and important for the public to know.
President Biden himself has dismissed concerns about his memory, insisting that it is fine. However, shortly after this statement, he confused the president of Egypt with the president of Mexico during a fiery exchange with reporters. This incident further highlighted the concerns about his mental acuity.
The clash between the New York Times and the White House over the coverage of Biden’s age and polling performance reflects the ongoing debate surrounding the president’s fitness for office. As the oldest president in American history, Biden’s health and cognitive abilities are under scrutiny. The New York Times, as a prominent news outlet, has taken the responsibility to report on these issues, despite facing backlash from the White House. The public deserves to be fully informed about the realities of their president’s performance and capabilities.
