U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on the media Thursday, saying he will sue The New York Times over an unfavorable opinion poll and suggesting that what he called “fake and fraudulent” surveys should be criminalized after a New York Times/Siena University poll showed his approval rating falling to 40% one year into his second term.
“Fake and Fraudulent Polling should be, virtually, a criminal offense,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, blasting the Times/Siena poll and saying its findings would be added to his lawsuit against what he again called “The Failing New York Times.” The 79-year-old Republican accused the newspaper of spreading “Radical Left lies and wrongdoing.”
The Times/Siena survey – consistent with other polls showing declining confidence in Trump’s handling of the economy and his military-style crackdown on illegal immigration – outlined what the Times described as the unraveling of Trump’s 2024 coalition. Young and non-white voters who backed him against Democrat Kamala Harris have since shifted away, leaving him with his older and predominantly white base.
Trump said the poll reinforced his claims that the Times intentionally damages his reputation. “They will be held fully responsible,” he posted.
The president has filed multiple defamation lawsuits against major media companies, including the BBC, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, CBS and ABC. Several cases resulted in multimillion-dollar settlements. He first sued the Times for $15 billion in September 2025, accusing it of publishing fabricated stories to undermine his 2024 campaign. A federal judge dismissed the case, but Trump refiled it in amended form in October. The Times called the lawsuit “an attempt to stifle independent reporting” and an act of “intimidation.”
Times/Siena is regarded as one of the most accurate political polling operations in the United States, giving added weight to the latest results showing erosion in Trump’s support.
