Insert LinkAccording to President Donald Trump, reporting on his small crowd sizes at campaign events ahead of this year’s midterm elections is a criminal act.

Trump took The New York Times to task on Monday in a social media post complaining about the outlet noting empty seats at a recent Trump rally in Ohio.

“The New York Times said, ‘There were empty seats’ when, in fact, there were none, and thousands of people had to be turned away. The New York Times, and many other Artificial Media Outlets, should be arrested for their dishonesty and disservice to our Country,” Trump wrote.

Times reporter Katie Rogers, who has covered several Trump rallies, noted in her story of his Ohio event, “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.”

Rogers also noted that Trump events in Oklahoma and Alabama—both of which Trump easily won in 2024—also had empty seats.

An earlier story from Times reporter Shawn McCreesh on Trump’s rally in Alabama also noted that seats were empty.

Photos and videos back up the reporting. The Daily Beast compiled photos and videos of Trump’s rally in Alabama showing empty seats.

Trump’s decision to blame the lackluster response on the media falls in line with his constant attacks against free speech. He has tried to use the government to squelch dissenting views and has privately sued news outlets that report unflattering news about him.

The reality Trump is trying to avoid is quite simple: He is an unpopular president who is presiding over an unpopular war and unpopular trade policies that have increased costs for millions. Republicans running for office don’t want to be seen with him, and many Republicans who voted for him in 2024 have started to say they regret their votes.

Of course, they don’t want to show up at a rally for such an unpopular figure. And reporting on these facts is not against the law.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos