CRBC News
Culture
Society
Security
Health
Conflict
Science
Technology
Politics
Environment
Lifestyle
Economy

Bessent Calls NYT a 'Fever Swamp' at DealBook Summit, Accuses Paper of '100% Fake' Reporting and a Cover-Up

At the DealBook Summit, former Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sharply criticized The New York Times, calling its coverage a “fever swamp” and predicting the paper will lose its status as the nation’s paper of record. He accused the outlet of publishing “100% fake” stories about President Trump’s mental fitness and of participating in a purported cover-up about President Biden’s health. Bessent pointed to a recent three-hour Cabinet meeting as evidence of an active schedule and questioned reporting standards and the logic of invoking the 25th Amendment if Cabinet members rarely see the president.

03:12 AM, 12/04/2025Politics
Bessent Calls NYT a 'Fever Swamp' at DealBook Summit, Accuses Paper of '100% Fake' Reporting and a Cover-Up

Scott Bessent, who served as Treasury Secretary under President Donald Trump, delivered a blistering critique of The New York Times during a live exchange at the DealBook Summit, accusing the paper of running “100% fake” stories about President Trump’s fitness and of enabling a “cover up” regarding President Joe Biden’s health.

Speaking with DealBook founder Andrew Ross Sorkin, Bessent argued that legacy outlets are losing relevance. “Andrew, there’s no new normal,” he said, adding that he has stopped reading the paper and describing its coverage as “just this fever swamp.” He predicted that “in twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years The New York Times is no longer the paper of record.”

“I read this article ... ‘President Trump is slowing down. President Trump’s mental capacity —’ It is a hundred percent fake,” Bessent said, mocking a detail about how often Mr. Trump had contacted him late at night.

The remarks came after a recent report about the president’s schedule that noted shorter workdays, fewer public events, and several occasions when Mr. Trump appeared to doze off during meetings. The president criticized that coverage as a “hit piece.”

Bessent went further by alleging the paper had played a role in what he called “one of the greatest scandals of all time” through its reporting on the Biden administration’s handling of questions about Mr. Biden’s cognitive fitness. When Sorkin suggested that questions about coverage of one president can justify scrutiny of the other, Bessent maintained his position and pointed to recent events as evidence that reports had overlooked the president’s activity.

“Where was the paper? We just had a three-hour Cabinet meeting yesterday, Andrew!” he said, arguing that publicized meetings and an active schedule undercut claims about diminished capacity. He also questioned how the 25th Amendment could be invoked if Cabinet members seldom meet with the president.

The exchange highlighted deep tensions between conservative officials and major national news organizations and underscored continuing debates over media responsibility when reporting on the health and fitness of elected leaders.

Similar Articles

Trending