President Donald Trump called for criminal penalties against pollsters and news organizations that publish surveys showing him losing ground. He reacted strongly on Thursday after new New York Times/Siena College polling revealed that most voters disapprove of his performance on several key issues one year into his second term.
“Something has to be done about Fake Polls! They are truly OUT OF CONTROL,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, claiming that surveys showing him “in the low 40s” were incorrect.
In another post, he stated that “Fake and Fraudulent Polling should be, virtually, a criminal offense” and accused news organizations of running “knowingly false” polls.
The New York Times/Siena special national survey, released Thursday, showed Trump’s job approval at 40% and disapproval at 56%. The poll found that 32% of respondents believe the country is better off than a year ago, while 49% think it is worse off.
The Siena release also reported that 55% rated Trump’s first year back in office as unsuccessful, while 42% considered it successful. It revealed that majorities disapprove of Trump’s management of key issues like the economy, immigration, international conflicts, and affordability.
Regarding immigration enforcement, the poll found that voters narrowly approve of Trump’s handling of the southern border, with a 50% to 46% split, while they disapprove of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s job performance, 63% to 36%. The survey also indicated that 61% believe ICE tactics have gone too far.
Trump claimed the polling did not reflect his record, stating that the United States has “the Greatest Economy in the History of our Country” and “the Strongest Border in History.”
He also mentioned that he is expanding a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times to include issues concerning the new poll and said his lawyers have asked the paper to preserve its records on how the results were calculated.
The New York Times/Siena poll assessed opinions on various policies and controversies that have marked Trump’s second term, including tariffs, spending, and foreign policy. The Siena release noted that majorities oppose tariffs and Medicaid cuts in the administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” and found voters divided on other priorities.
Trump’s call for legal action against pollsters follows a trend of public attacks on unfavorable surveys during his political career. In his posts on Thursday, he argued that polling has been used to influence public perception and campaign coverage, and he accused media outlets of manipulating samples in ways that favor Democrats.
Polling experts typically point out that reputable surveys disclose their methods, sample sizes, and margins of error, and that normal variations across polls can result from timing, wording of questions, and differences in turnout assumptions. The New York Times/Siena findings were part of an ongoing series of national surveys conducted by the Siena College Research Institute.
The White House did not announce any specific plans on Thursday to pursue criminal cases against pollsters. Trump’s posts did not name any individuals he wants prosecuted, and he did not mention a statute under which pollsters could be charged.
