White House private logs show Trump’s 12‑hour days, countering NYT ‘fatigue’ claims
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has been logging up to 12-hour workdays, according to private White House records released on Monday, December 1.
The move comes as a direct refutation of a recent New York Times report that suggested the 79-year-old commander-in-chief was showing "signs of fatigue."
White House releases documents to counter slowdown claims
The previously unpublished "private narrative" documents cover ten weekdays between November 12 and 25.
They revealed that Trump worked roughly 50-hour weeks, a figure that excluded any official duties performed over the weekends.
The administration took the rare step of sharing these non-public files to counter claims that the president was slowing down.
Instead, the logs depict him overseeing major overhauls in trade and immigration while attempting to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Private logs reveal grueling schedule behind closed doors
The records offer a detailed look at the president's itinerary that public schedules often omit.
On November 12, the day Congress voted to end the 43-day government shutdown, aides logged 32 meetings and calls.
The president began with a 10.30 am staff meeting and concluded his day with a corporate executive meeting that started at 10.40 pm.
The following day involved 17 engagements over eight-and-a-half hours, including intelligence briefings, a sit-down with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and a speechwriter "pre-brief."
By November 14, Trump was active as early as 8.21 am, placing calls to foreign heads of state to reportedly de-escalate border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand.
White House slams 'half-baked data' in The New York Times report
The release contradicts The New York Times article titled 'Shorter Days, Signs of Fatigue', which claimed Trump's official events started at around 12.08 pm on average.
The report enraged the president, who reportedly lashed out at reporter Katie Rogers, calling her "ugly, both inside and out."
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the newspaper's findings as "half-baked data" intended to push a false narrative.
"The truth is President Trump never stops working," Leavitt told the press, contrasting Trump's sharpness with the alleged cognitive decline of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
She noted that the Times analyzed only public events, ignoring the "private schedule, Truth Social posts, and around-the-clock engagement."
Aides claim president's energy accelerates with workload
Chief of Staff Susie Wiles defended the president's work ethic, stating she has seen "nothing like it" in her career.
"It seems to accelerate as we go through the term. He draws energy from people," Wiles said.
The logs also do not account for unsolicited late-night calls or social media activity.
The report further noted Trump's rigorous travel schedule, including a recent five-day trip across Qatar, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea.
Upon emerging from a 23-hour flight in Malaysia, the president was seen dancing with native performers, a point his team used to highlight his stamina.
The New York Times stands by reporting despite pushback
In response to the administration's criticism, The New York Times maintained that its reporting was accurate and based on first-hand facts.
A spokesperson for the publication stated that journalists would not hesitate to cover the administration "in the face of intimidation tactics."
The paper noted that while Trump was taking more foreign trips, he was traveling domestically much less than he did during the first year of his first term in 2017.
