Trump dishes out criticism but can't take it himself

Donald Trump is the oldest man to have ever been US president. The fact that he occupies a high-pressure position while being so old may explain why he keeps having temper tantrums. One case in point is:

Trump responds to a detailed report about his waning energy and propensity to sleep through on-camera events by calling the New York Times’s Katie Rogers ugly pic.twitter.com/DReu5zVmOX

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 26, 2025

It could — on the other hand — just be his rancid personality.

Old man Trump

His history of childish outbursts fits into a broader pattern of reactivity to any ounce of criticism or challenge. The latest incident seems to be more of the same.

Either way, Trump really doesn’t like people suggesting he’s old and tired. Here’s what Katie Rogers wrote about Trump earlier this week, prompting his recent meltdown:

nearly a year into his second term, Americans see Mr. Trump less than they used to, according to a New York Times analysis of his schedule. Mr. Trump has fewer public events on his schedule and is traveling domestically much less than he did by this point during his first year in office, in 2017, although he is taking more foreign trips.

He also keeps a shorter public schedule than he used to. Most of his public appearances fall between noon and 5 p.m., on average.

And when he is in public, occasionally, his battery shows signs of wear. During an Oval Office event that began around noon on Nov. 6, Mr. Trump sat behind his desk for about 20 minutes as executives standing around him talked about weight-loss drugs.

At one point, Mr. Trump’s eyelids drooped until his eyes were almost closed, and he appeared to doze on and off for several seconds. At another point, he opened his eyes and looked toward a line of journalists watching him. He stood up only after a guest who was standing near him fainted and collapsed.

To add insult to injury, the piece included a close up video of Trump falling asleep in the Oval Office. It also drew attention to his health:

Many of the facts that concerned critics about Mr. Trump’s physical health during his first term are present now. He does not get regular exercise, in part because he has a long-held theory that people are born with a finite amount of energy and that vigorous activity can deplete that reserve, like a battery. He enjoys red meat and is known to eat McDonald’s by the sackful.

Notably, this is a lot more polite than much of the online speculation about what’s going on with Trump:

Don’t let discourse about a dead Nazi distract you from the fact that Donald Trump shows visible signs of having had a stroke, explaining his recent disappearance from public view and corresponding visits to the hospital, and is using an AI filter in official videos to hide it pic.twitter.com/DqZSxWoMEM

— James | Meta Comics (FREE PALESTINE, FREE CONGO) (@ComicsMeta) September 11, 2025

Trump wasn’t even able to salute with his right arm at the Veteran’s Day Celebration and it’s obvious that he has some extreme and serious health conditions that this Country hasn’t been told about! He’s had a stroke and most likely has Alzheimers too! Watch how his mouth droops. pic.twitter.com/ID8kflXlu9

— Suzie rizzio (@Suzierizzo1) November 13, 2025

What the hell is wrong with Trump? Did he have a stroke or some other type of medical condition??? Notice the way he’s dragging his legs! He can barely keep his balance!🤔 pic.twitter.com/Bc4utfyBuk

— Damaan, AKA ‘Philly’s Finest!’ (@Damaan4u33) November 24, 2025

We should note that Rogers wasn’t the only author of this piece, but is the only female journalist attached to it. As such, people have labelled it as another example of the president’s sexism:

The president calls a New York Times reporter “ugly,” the third insult toward a female reporter in recent weeks. https://t.co/5bayXE5oKZ

— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 26, 2025

While we can’t conclusively blame Trump’s outbursts on his age, the US could avoid the speculation entirely by implementing a mandatory retirement age for politicians.

Featured image via the Times