Newsweek is under fire (again) over a story that implied President Trump might be suffering from erectile dysfunction because he takes the hair regrowth drug Propecia, which contains the active ingredient finasteride.
“So glad Newsweek doesn’t really exist anymore,” wrote one online commentator.
“I wish the people who are supposed to be holding Trump accountable would stop babbling about nonsense,” said another.
In her story, Newsweek journalist Kastalia Medrano wrote, “President Trump’s heavily scrutinized recent health exam revealed that he’s continued to take the hair-loss drug finasteride, even after a succession of new studies showed that it is linked to side effects including chronic erectile dysfunction and depression.”
Trump's hair loss drug was recently linked to irreversible erectile dysfunction and depression https://t.co/yp7GHOMrX6 pic.twitter.com/zNgM4BWS0m
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) January 18, 2018
“The drug is a hormone blocker, and works by preventing testosterone from being converted to its active form, 5 alpha dihydrotestosterone,” she added helpfully.
The downsides of Propecia are widely known, so it’s quite unclear why Newsweek felt the need to raise the issue. A spokesperson for the media outlet did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
It’s not the first time Newsweek has come under scrutiny for its editorial judgement. Last month, the outlet posted a misleading article about Melania Trump ordering the removal of a 200 year old tree from the White House. The tree was diseased and had become a danger to the public.
And in October, Newsweek retracted a full story about the companion of Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock.
The takes on Twitter over the latest outrage were not kind.
So glad Newsweek doesn’t really exist anymore. https://t.co/ELLkZqKvAt
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) January 18, 2018
I should write a story…"Newsweek: Death of an Institution"
Also Finasteride has always had these side effects…nothing recent here. https://t.co/EAKPQpoVKJ
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) January 18, 2018
Me: I wish the people who are supposed to be holding Trump accountable would stop babbling about nonsense like how much he weighs and call out the real problems with this administration.
Newsweek: I got u fam pic.twitter.com/Whx4JiNc0R
— Caitlin Johnstone (@caitoz) January 18, 2018
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/953834750724268032
Smoking has been linked to erectile dysfunction. Did Newsweek link this to Obama? https://t.co/OKweU0AnPl
— SETH WEATHERS (@sethweathers) January 18, 2018
https://twitter.com/brandonbaker17/status/953972902008967169
This is why no one reads Newsweek any longer.
— Lorri DC (@LdicassioLorri) January 18, 2018