Trump Freaks Out — Sues Poll for Showing Americans Don’t Like Him
Trump has escalated his long-running war against unfavorable media coverage by announcing he is expanding an existing defamation lawsuit against The New York Times to specifically target the newspaper’s polling operation — the widely respected Times/Siena poll, after recent surveys showed his approval ratings sinking and a majority of voters disapproving of his performance one year into his second term.
In a Truth Social post Thursday, Trump wrote: “The Times Siena Poll, which is always tremendously negative to me, especially just before the Election of 2024, where I won in a Landslide, will be added to my lawsuit against The Failing New York Times. Fake Polls on the Economy, on the Border, on just about everything, are ridiculous and dangerous. The REAL Polls have been GREAT, but they refuse to print them.”
The move comes as multiple recent polls including the latest Times/Siena survey — have shown Trump’s approval rating underwater, with 56 percent of voters disapproving of his job performance. A majority say he is focused on the wrong issues, and his handling of the economy, immigration enforcement, and foreign policy has drawn broad criticism.
Trump first sued the Times in September 2025 for $15 million, claiming the paper attempted to sabotage his campaign and smear him as a businessman. A federal judge in Florida dismissed that suit just four days later, calling it “improper and impermissible.”
Trump’s legal team refiled a narrower version a month later, stripping out some of the more extravagant claims about his 2024 victory.
Now, he is directly targeting the polling methodology and results themselves — a rare step even for a president with a history of attacking unfavorable surveys.
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The Polls Trump Is Targeting
The Times/Siena poll has long been one of the most accurate and methodologically rigorous in the industry. During the 2024 campaign, it consistently showed a close race between Trump and Kamala Harris, with both candidates tied at 48 percent in the final stretch — despite debates, assassination attempts, and hundreds of millions in advertising.
Trump ultimately won all seven battleground states, powered largely by working-class voters responding to his promises on immigration and cost-of-living issues.
The latest Times/Siena survey, however, has been far less favorable. It shows 56 percent disapproval of Trump’s performance, with most respondents saying he is focused on the wrong priorities.
The poll aligns with other recent surveys showing declining approval among independents, Latinos, and young voters — the very groups that helped deliver his 2024 victory.
Trump has dismissed these numbers as “fake” and “dangerous,” insisting the economy is the “strongest in history” and that his policies on the border and inflation are succeeding. He has also selectively cited flattering polls and anecdotal praise, claiming two unnamed pollsters told him at the World Economic Forum: “Sir, George Washington & Abraham Lincoln, if they came back and ran as president and Vice President, they couldn’t beat you.”
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Looking At Trump’s Long History of Legal Attacks on Media
The expanded lawsuit against the Times is just the latest chapter in Trump’s aggressive legal campaign against news organizations and polling firms that produce unfavorable coverage.
Trump has filed or threatened suits against The Wall Street Journal (over a story about a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein), The Des Moines Register and pollster Ann Selzer (after an Iowa poll showed him underwater), CNN, The Washington Post, and the BBC.
Also, in 2024, he sued CBS over alleged editing of a 60 Minutes interview, eventually settling for $16 million. He has repeatedly called for “retribution” against media outlets he perceives as biased, including suggesting they should lose their licenses or face regulatory action.
Legal experts have widely dismissed most of these suits as meritless attempts at intimidation, noting that public figures face a high bar under New York Times v. Sullivan (1964) to prove “actual malice” in defamation cases. Judges have repeatedly thrown out or narrowed Trump’s claims.
The timing of Trump’s latest legal salvo is notable. With 2026 midterms less than ten months away, Republicans hold narrow majorities in both chambers.
Recent polling shows Democratic momentum in key House races and a competitive Senate landscape. Trump’s approval ratings underwater with independents by 29 points and down 30 points with Latinos and young voters — have raised alarm among GOP strategists.
The administration has faced mounting backlash over: The handling of Epstein file releases, economic dissatisfaction despite claims of historic strength, controversial immigration enforcement tactics, including the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis and perceived overreach in foreign policy (Venezuela, Greenland).
Critics argue Trump’s focus on suing polls and media outlets reflects frustration with declining popularity rather than substantive policy success. Democrats have seized on the move as evidence of insecurity and authoritarian tendencies, using it in fundraising appeals and midterm messaging.
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The expanded lawsuit against The New York Times — now including its polling operation is almost certain to face the same fate as previous efforts: early dismissal or significant narrowing. Legal analysts say the president’s claims of “fake polls” are protected opinion and do not meet the defamation standard.
In the meantime, the episode has become another flashpoint in the ongoing battle between Trump and the media — a conflict that has defined much of his political career. Whether it ultimately damages his standing with voters or energizes his base remains to be seen.
For now, one thing is clear: when polls show the president losing popularity, his response is not to change course — it’s to sue the poll. And with midterms looming, that strategy may prove more revealing than any survey number ever could.
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