Donald Trump says news organizations should be arrested for dishonesty

Donald Trump called for the arrests of news organizations over their reporting on crowd sizes at his rallies, specifically targeting The New York Times in social media posts published on Monday.

In his posts on Truth Social, Trump accused news organizations and other Artificial Media Outlets of dishonesty regarding attendance numbers at his events. He shared a video showing people waiting in lines to enter his arenas, arguing that the Ohio Arena was filled to capacity and that thousands of individuals were turned away.

Trump Disputes Reports of Empty Seats

Trump specifically disputed reporting about empty seats, writing: The New York Times said, ‘There were empty seats’ when, in fact, there were none, and thousands of people had to be turned away. He further asserted that The New York Times, and many other Artificial Media Outlets, should be arrested for their dishonesty and disservice to our Country.

Addressing potential perceptions of empty upper sections, Trump attributed them to a crowd migration process where attendees move down to the main floor. He stated that he employs his own cinematographers to record the arenas because outlets allegedly report untruths, adding: I never have empty seats — Never have, and never will!

Prior Press Tensions

The latest demands for arrests follow previous conflicts between Trump and the media. Weeks prior to these social media posts, Trump attempted to ban CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the White House, though those organizations temporarily regained access after filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration.

A representative for The New York Times did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the statements.