Days after using the derogatory term "piggy" for a journalist, US President Donald Trump has now called a New York Times reporter "ugly."
Trump, in a Truth Social post, criticised the leading American daily for publishing an article that suggested he was losing energy in his 80th year. He insisted that he had "never worked so hard in his life," highlighting his achievements such as winning the 2024 Presidential election by a large margin, settling eight wars and setting 48 new stock market highs.
The 79-year-old President also named the co-author of the story, saying, "The writer of the story, Katie Rogers, who only writes negative things about me, is a third-rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out."
"They know this is wrong, as is almost everything that they write about me, including election results, ALL PURPOSELY NEGATIVE. This cheap "RAG" is truly an "ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE," he wrote.
He added that he recently passed a physical exam and a cognitive test, proving he still had energy to lead.
In the report, The New York Times compared Trump's schedule this year to his first term in office. It reported that he had a shorter public schedule than before, and there were times he seemed tired or low on energy in public, according to CNN.
"He 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," the story reported.
"There will be a day when I run low on Energy, it happens to everyone, but with a perfect physical exam test and a comprehensive cognitive test ("That was aced") just recently taken, it certainly is not now! God Bless America and Make America Great Again!!!" he wrote.
Earlier, when Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey asked Trump a question about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, he referred to her as "piggy" and told her to be quiet.
"Quiet. Quiet, piggy," Trump said to Lucey on Friday, pointing his finger at her, after she asked him why he would not release material on Epstein "if there's nothing incriminating in the files."
On Tuesday, Trump lashed out at ABC News reporter Mary Bruce during a White House event with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over her questions about his family business, the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Trump angrily said, "ABC fake news. One of the worst in the business." He further criticised Bruce, calling her a "terrible reporter."
"It's not the question that I mind. It's your attitude. I think you are a terrible reporter," he said.
Trump also defended Prince Mohammed, denied any involvement with Epstein, and repeated his claim that the scandal was a "hoax," while telling her that, "your crappy company [ABC News] is one of the perpetrators."
