White House defends Trump’s ‘pig’ comment as ‘honest’
The White House defended President Donald Trump as “straightforward and honest” after calling a reporter a “pig.”
President Donald Trump is refraining from asking questions about his age or physical fitness following a New York Times report about his energy level.
“Trump has always used his physical strength and energy as political power, but that image is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain,” the article said, reporting on the president’s dwindling days in office and recent signs of fatigue.
Trump, 79, responded to the applause in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“The lunatics at the New York Times wrote a hit article saying that I’m probably losing my energy, even though they show the exact opposite,” he posted on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
“There will come a day when you run out of energy. It happens to everyone, but it’s definitely not now because I just recently took a complete physical exam and a comprehensive cognitive ability test (“I passed that one”)! God, bless America and make America great again!!”
The New York Times on Wednesday pushed back against President Trump’s attacks.
“The Times’ reporting is accurate and based on first-hand reporting of the facts. Name-calling and personal insults will not change that, and our journalists will not shy away from covering this administration in the face of such intimidation tactics,” Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said in a statement emailed to USA TODAY.
Donald Trump turns 80 in June
Earlier this month, a Washington Post analysis of multiple video feeds found that President Trump spent about 20 minutes struggling not to open his eyes during a recent Oval Office press conference.
During the event, an attendee collapsed as speakers discussed a deal to reduce the cost of weight loss drugs.
President Trump’s actions and comments come in the wake of his frequent “Sleepy Joe” comments in public about former President Joe Biden, who was 82 years old when he left office.
Trump will turn 80 in June.
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund
