‘Beyond parody’: Trump has a totally normal reaction to his latest polls

Just days after the US president heaped praise on CNN analyst Harry Enten for being “willing to show that Donald J. Trump is six times more popular than Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, or any other President”, Donald Trump is once again talking about public opinion of his presidency and opinion polls.

Taking to Truth Social on Sunday, the convicted felon fumed in his trademark all-caps: “The fake polls used by our crooked media are out of control, and something must be done about it. FCC [Federal Communications Commission] to the rescue!”

While a particular poll isn’t referenced by Trump in the post, a follow-up Truth by the Republican – in which he singled out Meet the Press host Kristen Welker and said she would be “reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment” – saw him claim the “new weapon” of the “Radical Left News” is to report that his “99% SUCCESS Rate on Endorsements, 100% on Senatorial Endorsements … is either a mixed result, or not very good”.

Trump’s latest complaint about polling has since been ridiculed online, with Republicans Against Trump branding it “beyond parody”:

Sonny Bunch, culture editor at The Bulwark, tweeted: “Semi-regular reminder that Donald Trump is an enemy of free speech and would happily use the power of the state to silence his critics”:

“So now we’re going to make polling illegal because this president is so disliked?,” commented one account:

Former CNN journalist Jim Acosta asked: “Are you tired of the whining?”:

And Jeremiah Johnson, of the Center for New Liberalism, said: “Every supposed Free Speech Warrior who justified voting for Trump should be mocked relentlessly, and everything they say in the future should be disregarded”:

It’s not the first time that the Trump administration has threatened broadcasters with FCC action, as back in September, the Republican told reporters on Air Force One that if news networks are “97 per cent against [me] … I would think, maybe their licence should be taken away”.

Then, in March, FCC chairman Brendan Carr tweeted that broadcasters “must operate in the public interest” and will “lose their license if they do not”.

“Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions - also known as fake news - have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up," he wrote.

Why not read…?

• People think Trump actually believes his latest AI slop
• Tucker Carlson calls for Donald Trump’s immediate removal from office

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