Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secretary, delivered a pointed counterattack at a high-profile summit when questioned about President Donald Trump’s health.
As reported by the Daily Mail, during an interview at the New York Times' DealBook Summit at Lincoln Center in Manhattan on Wednesday, Bessent accused anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin of glaring hypocrisy on the issue.
Bessent unloaded with precision, highlighting a glaring blind spot in media coverage. "You had what was one of the greatest scandals of all time—the cover-up of the Biden administration, Joe Biden's diminished capacity," he said.
His words cut straight to the bone, questioning why outlets like the New York Times stayed silent on Biden’s apparent struggles. If cabinet meetings were absent for ten months under Biden, as Bessent claims, where was the outcry then?
He painted a stark contrast with Trump’s current engagement, noting a three-hour cabinet meeting just the day before. Colleagues at the Treasury Building, he added, see Trump more in a single day than his predecessor saw Biden in six months.
Sorkin pushed back, claiming questions about Trump are fair given past criticisms of Biden’s age and visibility. Yet, when the shoe was on the other foot, the silence from certain corners of the press was deafening.
Speculation about Trump’s condition flared after an MRI last month, though the White House released findings showing "excellent health." The scan, focused on heart and abdomen, revealed no abnormalities, per the president’s physician, Captain Sean Barbabella.
Barbella emphasized the preventive nature of the exam at Walter Reed on October 10, standard for someone Trump’s age. "This level of detailed assessment… confirms that he remains in excellent overall health," the doctor stated.
Even a July diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency, a benign circulatory issue tied to age, was spun into whispers of frailty. The White House clarified it’s common and manageable, yet the rumor mill churns on.
A New York Times piece last week suggested Trump’s schedule has lightened compared to his first term, with a 39 percent drop in official White House appearances. Critics pounced, alleging fatigue, while ignoring grueling trips like a 12-hour flight to Israel for Gaza cease-fire talks.
Trump, at 79, fired back at the portrayal, slamming the reporting as unfair and personal. His packed weeks of public events and lengthy press conferences hardly scream "slowing down."
The narrative of decline seems to cherry-pick facts while glossing over Biden-era lapses that went unchallenged. If energy is the yardstick, let’s measure both sides with the same ruler.
Bessent’s defense at the summit wasn’t just a rebuttal; it was a call for consistency in how we judge leadership capacity. When media fixates on one man’s health while excusing another’s absence, trust erodes fast.
Trump’s team, from Bessent to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, stands firm that his vigor and engagement outpace the prior administration’s record. If cabinet meetings and public stamina are proof of fitness, the current president’s logbook speaks volumes.
Scrutiny is part of the job, no question, but it must cut both ways without agenda or selective amnesia. Let’s debate policy and performance, not amplify whispers that crumble under the weight of evidence.
