Overview

• Alex Thompson, an Axios reporter, used his WHCA Aldo Beckman Award acceptance speech to critique the press for insufficiently covering President Biden’s health decline.
• Thompson acknowledged that the media’s failure to report aggressively on Biden’s condition contributed to eroding public trust in journalism, with Gallup polling showing only 31% of Americans have confidence in the press.
• He emphasized that Biden’s decline, particularly evident during his June 2024 debate performance, was obscured by those around him, demonstrating how White Houses can conceal critical information.
• Thompson argued that acknowledging media shortcomings is essential to rebuilding trust, stating, 'We should have done better.'
• His remarks have reignited conversations about media responsibility and transparency in political reporting, particularly within the White House press corps.