Trump Demands NYT Apology, Slams Reporter as ‘Third-Rate Writer’

Donald Trump launched a late-night tirade against The New York Times on Tuesday, demanding an apology from the newspaper for its recent coverage of him. The former president took aim at reporter Maggie Haberman, whose name he misspelled in multiple ways, in a post on Truth Social.

“Will the failing New York Times apologize to its readers for getting years of ‘Trump’ coverage so wrong?” Trump wrote. “They write such phony ‘junk,’ knowing full well how incorrect it is, only meaning to demean. Magot Hagerman, a third-rate writer and fourth-rate intellect, writes story after story, always terrible, and yet I almost never speak to her. They do no fact-checking because facts don’t matter to them.”

Trump’s post followed a report by Haberman and colleague Jonathan Swan detailing letters sent to Trump by Natalie Harp, a 33-year-old aide. According to the report, Harp wrote a series of fervent letters last year, referring to Trump as her “Guardian and Protector in this Life” and stating, “You are all that matters to me.” These letters reportedly caught the attention of Trump’s inner circle as she continued to shadow him during his campaign.

Trump dismissed the coverage as biased and inaccurate, continuing his criticism of the publication: “I don’t believe I’ve had a legitimately good story in the NYT for years,” he wrote. “AND YET I WON, IN RECORD FASHION, THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN DECADES. WHERE IS THE APOLOGY?”

Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesperson, defended Harp, calling her a “trusted and valued” aide. He praised her “work ethic and dedication,” claiming her efforts significantly contributed to Trump’s re-election campaign.

Haberman, who also appeared on CNN Monday night, discussed the implications of Trump’s ongoing legal troubles, including a motion by special counsel Jack Smith to drop the Jan. 6 case. “There are so many unanswered questions, Kaitlan,” Haberman told anchor Kaitlan Collins. “But if the idea is that there’s lots of people around Trump and the White House who are gonna try to prevent him from doing this, I think people are sorely mistaken.”

Trump’s criticism of The New York Times and Haberman comes as his campaign continues to fend off negative media scrutiny and legal challenges, with his relationship with his close aides and his potential plans for his next term remaining in the spotlight.