HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday that The New York Times published a “hit piece” about his stamina.

He wrote in a social media post that “Radical Left Lunatics” at the newspaper were “PURPOSELY NEGATIVE” about his energy. The paper reported on Tuesday that it was becoming more difficult for Trump to portray himself as a spry president, but he pointed to his work on the economy and international diplomacy as evidence to the contrary.

“To do this requires a lot of Work and Energy, and I have never worked so hard in my life. Yet despite all of this the Radical Left Lunatics in the soon to fold New York Times did a hit piece on me that I am perhaps losing my Energy, despite facts that show the exact opposite,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They know this is wrong, as is almost every thing that they write about me, including election results, ALL PURPOSELY NEGATIVE.”

Charlie Stadtlander, The New York Times’s executive director of media relations and communications, said in a statement to The National News Desk (TNND) that the article was accurate and based on facts.

The paper reported that Trump has fewer public events on his schedule, which is shorter than his first term’s, and is traveling domestically much less than he did at this point in 2017. The president called The New York Times an “ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE” and a “cheap ‘RAG’” before personally criticizing the journalist who wrote the article.

“The writer of the story, Katie Rogers, who is assigned to write only bad things about me, is a third rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out,” Trump said. “Despite all of this, I have my highest Poll Numbers, ever, and with record setting investment being made in America, they should only go up.”

Stadtlander told TNND that personal insults and name-calling won’t change The New York Times’s reporting, “nor will our journalists hesitate to cover this administration in the face of intimidation tactics like this.”

“Expert and thorough reporters like Katie Rogers exemplify how an independent and free press helps the American people better understand their government and its leaders,” Stadtlander said.

Polling generally shows Trump’s approval ratings are low. Gallup found in October that 41% of Americans had a positive opinion of the president, a smaller share than the 47% who approved of him in January. That share is the largest of Trump’s second term. The smallest was reported in July, when 37% of respondents expressed support for him.

Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.