Obviously the problem isn't the scrutiny, that's a good thing. It's the total lack of proportion between the scrutiny over his debate performance and the (total lack) of scrutiny over the fact that Trump is setting himself up to be a dictator on day one and SCOTUS just handed him the keys to do it!
But even if the NYT really wants a king and all they care about is that it's a king that is mentally sharp...
Shouldn't trump falling asleep at trial, thinking he's running against Obama, and frequently can't complete coherent sentences.. be at least as concerning
(We know why it's not)
The best example of time as a flat circle is CNN and NYT realizing their Trump-addled reporting helped bring him to power; reaping what they sewed when he painted them as “enemies of the people”; and then spotlighting the maniac again because of how much engagement pieces about him generate.