Karoline Leavitt has openly criticized New York Times journalist Katie Rogers for a recent article that suggested Donald Trump exhibited “signs of fatigue” during his second term.

During a White House briefing on Monday, Leavitt, the press secretary, highlighted Rogers’ article, which focused on the 79-year-old Trump’s reduced public engagements.

“Before I conclude, I want to address a misleading story from The New York Times over the weekend,” Leavitt stated. “The article took a portion of the president’s daily schedule and claimed he is doing less than in his first term, questioning his fitness for the role.”

She firmly dismissed the claims, saying, “This is completely untrue and regrettable, especially coming from the same outlet and reporter who once reported, ‘Biden is doing 100% fine after tripping while boarding Air Force One.’”

Leavitt was specifically referring to Rogers’ 2021 article, which had been published shortly after President Biden stumbled while boarding Air Force One.

‘Oh, same outlet, same reporter who wrote that President Trump is not fit for the job. Are you kidding me? You all see him almost every single day. He is the most accessible president in history. He is taking meetings around the clock,’ said Leavitt. 

Leavitt singled out Rogers’ piece as part of a new ‘Media Offenders’ portal of the White House website meant to shame what the White House considers the worst of the ‘fake news’ media.  

‘I think it goes to our original promise on day one to hold the media accountable because, unfortunately, and we deal with this all day, every day around here, there are so many fake stories that are unfortunately written, that have inaccurate characterizations of meetings that took place,’ Leavitt said. 

Karoline Leavitt slammed New York Times reporter Katie Rogers over a shocking piece she wrote last week that claimed Donald Trump was showing ‘signs of fatigue’ in his second term

Leavitt singled out Rogers’ piece as part of a new ‘Media Offenders’ portal of the White House website meant to shame what the White House considers the worst of the ‘fake news’ media

When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the Times continued to defend the story. 

‘The Times’s White House team, including Katie Rogers, the same reporter Ms. Leavitt singled out today, have reported without fear or favor across multiple administrations from both parties. Katie’s reporting on President Biden was just as unflinching as it has been on President Trump, despite cherry-picked headlines attempting to prove something that simply isn’t true.’ 

Trump himself eviscerated the piece when it was published last week.  

‘The Creeps at the Failing New York Times are at it again,’ Trump told his followers on Truth Social on Wednesday morning. ‘Radical Left Lunatics in the soon to fold New York Times did a hit piece on me that I am perhaps losing my Energy, despite facts that show the exact opposite.

‘They know this is wrong, as is almost every thing that they write about me, including election results, ALL PURPOSELY NEGATIVE. This cheap ‘RAG’ is truly an ‘ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.

‘The writer of the story, Katie Rogers, who is assigned to write only bad things about me, is a third rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out.’

Trump concluded his post by admitting that one day he will be ‘low on energy’ from old age – but that day is not today. 

‘There will be a day when I run low on Energy, it happens to everyone, but with a PERFECT PHYSICAL EXAM AND A COMPREHENSIVE COGNITIVE TEST (‘That was aced’) JUST RECENTLY TAKEN, it certainly is not now! GOD BLESS AMERICA & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!’

The press secretary made an example of Rogers’ piece about the 79-year-old Trump’s scaled back public appearances during Monday’s White House briefing

The New York Times piece written by Rogers and Dylan Freedman claimed that Trump on average would start scheduled events at 10.31am during his first tenure, in 2017.

However, this year, the President started attending events later in the afternoon, on average at 12.08pm. 

The article claimed that the President’s attempts to project ’round-the-clock energy, virility and physical stamina’ were becoming difficult for him to maintain as he ages.

His packed schedule has included flying more than 12 hours nonstop to Israel to broker a Gaza cease-fire in October, attending dozens of public events each week and holding lengthy, energetic press conferences.

The overall number of Trump’s official appearances at White House events has declined by 39 percent compared to his first term, according to the New York Times’s analysis. 

Throughout Biden’s time in the White House, Trump and his Republican allies slammed the Democratic leader over his old age, lack of public appearances, and cognitive ability. 

Earlier this year, pictures emerged from the Oval Office showing Trump with bruising on his hand, which was sometimes covered up by makeup. The White House claimed the bruising originates from the president shaking too many hands. 

Trump asked a journalist on Thursday whether she was ‘a stupid person’

After photos showed him with swollen legs and ankles, the White House revealed in July that he had been diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency – a condition where leg veins can’t send blood back to the heart efficiently.

Trump was also accused of closing his eyes during an Oval Office event about cutting the price of weight-loss drugs earlier this month. 

A White House spokesman said in response to the reports: ‘The president was not sleeping; in fact, he spoke throughout and took many questions from the press.’

Trump has certainly kept up his back-and-forth with the liberal-leaning press at the same rate in his second term.  

Last week, Trump sparked outrage when he called another female Bloomberg reporter a ‘piggy’ while aboard Air Force One after she pressed the president on his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Reporter Catherine Lucey appeared to ask Trump a question relating to Epstein before the President began waving a finger in her face.

‘Quiet, quiet piggy!’ Trump snapped at the journalist while she stood off camera. 

The insult sparked backlash from Democratic political operatives and media pundits. 

Earlier this month, Trump snapped at a journalist after being asked about the Epstein files on Air Force One

Leavitt said in response: ‘He calls out fake news when he sees it and gets frustrated with reporters who spread false information.’

Trump, who has long gone after journalists for questioning the state of his health, is set to become the oldest living president by the end of his second term. 

On Sunday, the president delivered a brutal insult to a reporter who probed the president over his recent MRI scan. 

As he and Melania returned to the White House on Air Force One, Trump addressed last month’s MRI in a press briefing after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz demanded the results be released publicly.

During the exchange with journalists, he was asked for his response to Walz’s cries for transparency.

‘They were perfect like my phone call where I got impeached. Absolutely perfect. If you want to have it released, I’ll release it,’ Trump said. 

The president was referring to the phone call he had with Ukraine President Zelensky that led to his first impeachment attempt in 2019.  

Trump was then questioned by CBS News’ Weija Jiang what part of the body the MRI was looking at when he took a shot at her. 

‘I have no idea. It was just an MRI. It wasn’t the brain because I took a cognitive test and aced it. I got a perfect mark which you would be incapable of doing,’ he said, pointing straight at Jiang.

He then said ‘goodbye everybody’ to the media scrum before pointing at a second female reporter and saying ‘you too.’