NEW YORK CITY, New York: Attacked by President Donald Trump for reporting about his physical condition, The New York Times fired back this week, saying it was undeterred by "false and inflammatory language" that distorts the role of a free press.

The president had called the reporting of the Times and other news outlets on his health, "seditious, perhaps even treasonous".

"They are true Enemies of the People, and we should do something about it," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The newspaper has published several stories about Trump's health in recent weeks. A November 25 article titled "Shorter Days, Signs of Fatigue: Trump Faces Realities of Aging in Office" reviewed his public and travel schedules and suggested Americans were seeing less of him than usual.

On December 2, the paper reported — along with a video — that Trump "appeared to be fighting sleep" during a Cabinet meeting.

Columnist Frank Bruni addressed these reports in a December 8 opinion piece, "Trump's Approval Ratings Have Declined. So Has His Vigor," writing that Americans "might want to brace ourselves for some presidential déjà vu," and that Trump was starting to show "President Joe Biden vibes."

In response, Trump said he is the hardest-working president in history and listed his accomplishments. He said he routinely undergoes "long, thorough and very boring" medical exams, including three cognitive tests that he said he "ACED."

He criticized The New York Times and others for suggesting he is "slowing up" or in poor health, calling those claims false.

The health of U.S. presidents has long been a sensitive subject between the White House and the press — from Grover Cleveland's secret tumor surgery to Woodrow Wilson's stroke, FDR's polio, and Dwight Eisenhower's heart attack. Trump has often questioned Biden's cognitive abilities.

Nicole Taylor, a spokeswoman for The New York Times, said the paper's reporting on Trump's health is well-sourced and based on interviews with people close to him and with medical experts.

"Americans deserve in-depth reporting and regular updates about the health of the leaders they elect," Taylor said. "Mr. Trump welcomed our reporting on the age and fitness of his predecessors; we're applying the same journalistic scrutiny to his vitality."

Taylor said that "we won't be deterred by false and inflammatory language that distorts the role of a free press."