White House ‘extremely upset’ with coverage of Biden’s age and unpopularity, New York Times publisher reveals
New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger revealed on Monday that the White House has been "extremely upset" about their coverage of President Biden.
The White House has been "extremely upset" about the New York Times’ coverage of President Biden’s age, according to the paper’s publisher, A.G. Sulzberger.
During a Monday interview with The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Sulzberger said The Times and other media outlets run the risk of leaning towards two different extremes of coverage when it comes to the 2024 election.
"We are going to continue to report fully and fairly, not just on Donald Trump but also on President Joe Biden," Sulzberger said. "He is a historically unpopular incumbent and the oldest man to ever hold this office. We’ve reported on both of those realities extensively, and the White House has been extremely upset about it."
Sulzberger stressed that is not to say concerns about Biden’s age are the same or "even" when compared to Trump’s legal troubles.
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"They are different. But they are both true, and the public needs to know both those things. And if you are hyping up one side or downplaying the other, no side has a reason to trust you in the long run," he said.
The White House did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Sulzberger noted that, in some cases, it is "fair" to criticize the media as "too euphemistic" and "too instinctively even-handed" in their coverage of different political candidates.
On the other hand, Sulzberger said the media risks acting as "the opposition" to certain candidates. By becoming emotionally invested, journalists could quickly find themselves undermining politicians rather than helping the public understand their policies, potential concerns, and ways they defy long-standing norms.
Last week, Times columnist Ezra Klein called on Biden to end his reelection bid.
"I think Biden, as painful as this is, should find his way to stepping down as a hero," he said on his podcast, "The Ezra Klein Show."
"The people whom Biden listens to — Barack Obama, Chuck Schumer, Mike Donilon, Ron Klain, Nancy Pelosi, Anita Dunn — they need to get him to see this," Klein added. "Biden may come to see it himself."
Klein is not the first person from The Times who has called on Biden to step aside; opinion columnist Ross Douthat also did so last week.
Sulzberger, when asked about the importance of having an opinion section in 2024, said there is "value" in hearing a full and carefully considered argument from "someone who doesn’t think like you."
"Having a place where you are finding arguments that challenge your view is one of the rarest things in society right now," he continued. "A place where people are being heard at length and in-depth. So, a great opinion section absolutely advances our core journalistic mission of helping people understand the world, and it does it with the same commitment to independence."
The paper has recently had issues from far-left staffers complaining about the paper's coverage of controversial topics.