President Donald Trump is continuing his assault on the media, this time directing his anger at their reporting of his rallies. What is the president unhappy about? Here is the latest on the ongoing conflict between the White House and the media.

Trump Bemoans Media Coverage of His Recent Rallies

President Trump is upset at the media regarding their coverage of his recent campaign rallies. The latest issue unfolded over the weekend after The New York Times reported that “several areas of an upper deck were empty” at a rally in Ohio. The October 4 story in the Times included photos showing empty seats and crowd numbers at rallies in both Ohio and Alabama.

Trump responded to the story by posting on Truth Social that his rallies “ARE SAVING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AGAIN!!!”  The president also wrote that the Times "and many other Artificial Media Outlets should be arrested for their dishonesty and disservice to our country.” He defended himself by writing that “In actuality, thousands of people were unable to get in. The Arena was totally MAXED OUT, including all upper section.”

The president used seven posts throughout the day on Monday and Tuesday to criticize the Times for its reporting and to tout his rallies, writing, “There are no empty seats, there haven’t been for years, and there never will be. The Rallies are ‘HOTTER’ than ever." In a different post, Trump noted that the rally “crowds and enthusiasm are unbelievable," noting that “Nobody has ever seen anything like it.”

According to Trump, 50,000 people tried to get into the rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday, October 3. This rally was held at a high school student center with a seating capacity of just 4,500. The president alleges that thousands of his supporters were turned away.

About The New York Times Report

The Times White House reporter Katie Rogers wrote an extensive article on Sunday, analyzing Trump’s rallies and how the gatherings have contributed to his rise to the Oval Office. Rogers' report also looked at how his campaign rallies have changed since he first hit the trail in 2015.

Rogers detailed that "In Alabama, the same state where 30,000 people attended a Trump rally in a 30,000-person stadium in August 2015, there were swaths of empty seats at the 10,000-capacity athletic center where Mr. Trump spoke on Friday." She went on to detail that “In Ohio a day later, several areas of an upper deck were empty by the time Mr. Trump finished speaking at a 4,500-capacity high school student activity center.” The reporter wrote that “It was not the old norm of standing room only."

Also this week, the president complained about the lack of television coverage on his rallies, bemoaning the fact that they were not broadcast in full. “They are all ‘happenings,’ and they never happened before, and will never be duplicated again,” Trump wrote on social media on Monday. “The Networks refuse, however, under any circumstances, to show the Crowds, but you can hear the thunderous applause, and know that it represents thousands and thousands of people," he said.

The president continued his rant on Tuesday, taking aim at Fox News, a network that he has infamously been cozy with over the years. Trump posted that Fox News has “totally lost their way” because it does not “show my record breaking Rallies the morning after.”

Trump Working to Get Out the Vote for the GOP

Although Trump is not on the ballot this election cycle, he is on the campaign trail trying to get out the vote for other Republican candidates ahead of the crucial midterm elections. The November 3 elections could swing control of both chambers of Congress from the Republicans to the Democrats. Most polling predicts the Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives, and could potentially also win back the Senate.  

Despite not being up for election, Trump has told his supporters to “pretend I’m on the ballot," hoping that the approach will encourage them to turn out for the GOP in November. While Trump has historically been a driver of the vote, his record-low approval ratings as of late are putting that influence into question.

The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Monday reported that just 32% of Americans approve of Trump's job performance. Conversely, 65% of those polled said that they disapprove. More notably, Trump's approval rating is sinking in states that desperately need more support for the Republicans on the ballot, including Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, and Nebraska.

When speaking at a rally in Nebraska on Monday evening, the president urged the crowd to "pretend I’m on the ballot, please. We gotta go and win this. We gotta win. Well, they’re all saying we’re in trouble in the midterms.”

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