Axios Reporter accuses media of covering up Biden's health at White House reporters' supper
Journalist Alex Thompson called on the press to fail to properly report former President Joe Biden's health decline at Saturday's White House reporter dinner.
Axios reporter Thompson accepted the Aldo Beckman award from the White House Press Association, which is White House coverage. His report carefully documented Biden's disastrous debate performance against President Donald Trump, which led to the incident, and Biden's final decision to withdraw from the game. Thompson admitted in his acceptance speech that the media covered the story of Biden’s decline.
“Being a truth teller also means telling your truth. I myself, including myself, missed a lot of this story.”
He added: “President Biden’s decline and the cover-up of those around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of political party, has deception.”
WHCA President Opens Dinner, Emphasizing Trump's Absent and the “Extremely Hard” Year in the Press
Last year, President Biden's disastrous debate performance led him to withdraw from the game. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) | (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP by Getty Images) | Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images))
After Biden quit the game, several journalists admitted that they did not have enough scrutiny of the president's health. After Biden's debate performance, people caught the attention when the audience noticed his long answers and the voice of raspy.
Biden's team has always hidden his health: WH Press SEC
Thompson said the media failed to conduct more aggressive investigations and reports on Biden's situation, which led to public distrust of the journalism industry.
“Some people don’t trust us because of this,” he said. “We take some responsibility for our confidence in the media. I say that because admitting mistakes builds trust and defending them against further erosion of it.”
He ended with a clear admission: “We should do better.”
Gallup's polls from October 2024 reflect the erosion of trust among American institutions, including the press. Only 31% of Americans report having “a lot of” or “a considerable confidence” in the media to accurately report news.
Click here for more media and cultural reports
Thompson’s comment is a broader conversation about media accountability. Earlier this year, NPR CEO Katherine Maher testified before Congress, acknowledging the organization’s inappropriate reporting of Hunter Biden’s laptop story during the 2020 election.
“I do want to say that NPR admits that we mistook the story of Biden's laptop more aggressively,” Maher told lawmakers, who later described the lack of coverage as a “mistake.”
Click here to get the Fox News app
