The New York Times published a high-profile piece last month suggesting President Donald Trump’s days in the public eye are getting shorter and that signs of fatigue are beginning to show. The article, headlined “Shorter Days, Signs of Fatigue: Trump Faces Realities of Aging in Office,” parsed public schedules and highlighted a handful of moments to paint a picture of decline that many conservatives rightly view as politically motivated.
On Fox News’ The Story, former Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway and ex-Rep. Patrick Murphy ripped into the Times’ narrative, calling out lazy reporting and predictable bias. Conway didn’t mince words, accusing the media of being “lazy, overpaid, rigid, radical left-wing ideologues” whose only mission is to tear down the president rather than report facts.
The White House answered the attacks by calling the Times’ piece “unequivocally false,” releasing internal logs and other context showing that the president’s private work hours tell a very different story. The administration pointed to detailed Oval Office records and a flurry of meetings and phone calls that belie the caricature of a president dozing his way through the day, and the White House rightly demanded the Times explain its selective use of evidence.
Let’s be blunt: this was not journalism, it was performance art intended to weaken public confidence in a president whose policies are restoring America. The Times cherry-picked a moment or two—an eyelid droop here, a lighter public schedule there—while ignoring the steady, often unseen work that keeps our country running. Conservative readers see through the spectacle; real voters care about border security, strong courts, booming factories, and jobs that pay.
Republicans and even some former donors say the gray lady has lost whatever claim it had to neutrality, with critics like Scott Bessent openly declaring the paper no longer deserving of the “paper of record” mantle. That frank assessment isn’t about blind loyalty to a politician; it’s about defending truth and fairness in a media environment where narratives are weaponized and selective leaks drive the story.
If conservatives want to win the argument for the country’s future, we must refuse to be gaslit by elite outlets that prioritize partisan outcomes over sober reporting. Push back loudly when journalists manufacture crisis out of a few awkward seconds on camera, and demand that reporters show the full context before declaring a president unfit. Our nation deserves accountability from the press just as much as it deserves leadership from its elected officials.
Hardworking Americans aren’t fooled by the Times’ desperate hit pieces, and they don’t have time for manufactured drama when real threats loom at the border and our factories need support. Stand with officials and commentators who expose the lies, insist on evidence, and keep the country focused on prosperity and security. The battle for truth in American media is part of the larger fight to preserve freedom and common sense, and conservatives must keep fighting until fair journalism is restored.
