White House calls journalism standards a ‘historic low’, compares reports on Trump and Biden

Karoline Leavitt blasted NYT for a ‘historic low’ in journalism as she showed headlines contrasting Trump and Biden, accusing the outlet of bias
Karoline Leavitt blasted The New York Times for bias in Trump vs Biden coverage, calling journalism standards a ‘historic low’ at a press briefing on Monday, December 1 (Fox News, YouTube)
Karoline Leavitt blasted The New York Times for bias in Trump vs Biden coverage, calling journalism standards a ‘historic low’ at a press briefing on Monday, December 1 (Fox News, YouTube)


WASHINGTON, DC: The White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt led a press briefing on Monday, December 1, and criticized the dropping standards in journalism, noting that it had hit a “historic low.”

As she brought out prints of headlines from The New York Times, she drew parallels between how the outlet covered stories related to Donald Trump and Joe Biden. 

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 17: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt displays a headline from the New York Times during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on March 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. Leavitt talked about U.S. airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemin, the deportation of Venezuelans to El Salvador and whether the Trump administration will conform with federal judges' orders. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt displays a headline from the New York Times during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on March 17, 2025, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Karoline Leavitt slams ‘unequivocally false’ reporting

During the press conference, Karoline Leavitt was asked about the White House’s latest initiative, a fake news portal.

The press secretary explained that the Trump administration aimed to hold the media accountable since they had to deal with so many “fake stories” every day.

She added that some of these stories had inaccurate characterizations of meetings based on anonymous sources.

She added that people were able to call a reporter, claim to have heard something, and this would then become a headline the following day.

“And the next thing you know, it’s on the front page of The New York Times,” she added. 

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - MAY 01: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to graduating students at the Coleman Coliseum at the University of Alabama on May 01, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Trump's remarks come the day before commencement ceremonies. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
 President Donald Trump delivers remarks to graduating students at the Coleman Coliseum at the University of Alabama on May 01, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The White House press secretary also said she wanted to point out a "fake news story" that she read from the same publication and the same journalist.

She said the report took "⅓ of Donald Trump’s daily calendar and schedule" and still claimed that he was "doing less than he did in his first term." Leavitt also pointed out a part saying that the president might not be “fit for the job.” 

“That is unequivocally false,” she added.

Karoline Leavitt further pointed out that the same reporter from The New York Times wrote an article about Joe Biden, which talked about him doing “100% fine after tripping while boarding Air Force One.” 

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks after meeting with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall on the ongoing response to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the Oval Office of the White House on September 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. The President has said he plans to travel to North Carolina on Wednesday as authorities face challenges delivering supplies to isolated, flood-ravaged areas in the Southeastern United States as the death toll from Hurricane Helene tops 100. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Joe Biden speaks after meeting with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall on the ongoing response to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the Oval Office of the White House on September 30, 2024, in Washington, DC (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Karoline Leavitt terms Trump the ‘most accessible president’

Karoline Leavitt said that the same reporter who wrote about Joe Biden wrote that Donald Trump was not fit for the job. 

“Are you kidding me?” she asked.

Karoline Leavitt said that Donald Trump was “the most accessible president in history,” noting that the press saw him almost every day, taking meetings around the clock.

The press secretary read out another headline about Biden being healthy and compared how outlets wrote about the former and present presidents.

Former President Donald Trump made several verbal gaffes during the Philadelphia MAGA rally (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Former President Donald Trump made several verbal gaffes during the Philadelphia MAGA rally (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

She said that there were not a lot of headlines like that about Trump and said all these articles were by the same correspondent for The New York Times. Responding to claims that Trump was unfit for office, Leavitt assured the press he “absolutely” was. 

“You all see that with your own eyes on a daily basis,” she added. 

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