Trump spends campaign rally complaining about how he is treated by media amid record-low approval ratings
Por Rachel Dobkin — – World RSS Feed
Trump spends campaign rally complaining about how he is treated by media amid record-low approval ratings
Trump tried to ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over unfavorable coverage, but a judge ordered that their access be restored
Rachel Dobkin in New York Tuesday 06 October 2026 02:57 BST
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President Donald Trump went to Nebraska to drum up support for Republican candidates in the midterm elections. Instead, he spent the rally complaining about how he is treated by the media as he struggles with record-low approval ratings.
During his latest campaign stop in a red state as Republicans compete in tight races that they would normally easily win, Trump railed against outlets such as MS NOW.
“We need a fair media. We have some great people in the media, but we have some really terrible ones too,” Trump told his supporters on the Nebraska State Fairgrounds in Grand Island Monday night. “They’ve tried to smear us, to slander us, to persecute us, and demoralize us.”
Trump has intensified his attacks against the mainstream media during his second term, lashing out at female reporters who ask him questions about the Epstein files and the Iran war and trying to ban outlets from the White House for unfavorable coverage.
Last month, Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from covering his daily activities at the White House, calling them “fake news.”
open image in galleryThe outlets sued to regain access to the White House, arguing the ban violated their First Amendment rights, and a federal judge subsequently ordered the Trump administration to temporarily reinstate the outlets’ press badges.
But these outlets are still reporting issues with gaining access to the president. Most recently, the White House blocked Politico from traveling with the president on Air Force One Monday.
The White House told The Independent that traveling on Air Force One is a “privilege not a right” and defended Trump as “the most accessible President in American history” who “will continue to grant an unprecedented level of access to the press.”
“Our nation is doing better now than it’s ever done before…But the fake news media refuses to talk about our record-setting numbers,” the president said at his rally, specifically mentioning that Americans’ median household income hit the highest level ever recorded last year.
But the new Census Bureau data comes as the cost of living rises.
The cost of food rose 2.7 percent in August from the year before and energy costs rose 16.3 percent, which was largely driven by Trump’s war in Iran, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index.
open image in galleryTrump’s approval rating slipped to a record low as his administration is dogged by a costly and unpopular war and scrutinized over an immigration crackdown that a significant number of Americans find too aggressive.
Just 32 percent of Americans approved of the job Trump was doing, while a whopping 65 percent disapproved, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Later on in his rally speech, Trump coined a different insult for mainstream news, calling them “artificial media.”
Trump, who insists on the U.S. embracing artificial intelligence to beat China in a race to produce the most advanced technology, mentioned that he recently changed the name of artificial intelligence to “super intelligence.”
“I said, ‘The word ‘ artificial ‘ is an ugly word.’ I said, ‘Wait a minute, it pertains to the media. Artificial media.’ So now we have two names: fake news and artificial media,” Trump told the crowd.
Trump used his new insult in a rant about The New York Times, in which he called for journalists with the publication to be “arrested” after it released a report about several areas of empty seats at his recent rallies.
open image in gallery“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 raged on Truth Social earlier Monday.
Trump repeated a familiar plea at his Nebraska rally: “Pretend I’m on the ballot.” While the president’s endorsements might’ve helped his fellow Republicans in the past, GOP candidates are struggling to outpace Democrats in states they typically win in.
Democrat James Talarico is leading Republican Ken Paxton 51 to 45 percent in Texas, according to New York Times/Siena University polls released Monday.
Democrat Mary Peltola is beating Republican Dan Sullivan 50 to 43 percent in Alaska and Democrat Sherrod Brown is beating Republican Jon Husted in Ohio 49 to 46 percent, according to the polls.
Republican Ashley Hinson is leading Josh Turek 48 to 47 percent in Iowa, and Democrat Adam Hamilton and Roger Marshall are tied at 45 percent in Kansas, the polls show.
“The fake news media is trying to demoralize Republican voters with rigged polls, but as you can see here tonight, our movement is the strongest it’s ever been in the history of our country,” Trump said at his rally Monday night.
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