Trump melts down after the New York Times reports GOP voters are ready to leave him behind

On Tuesday, The New York Timesreported that the same pollster who yesterday showed about 3 in 4 Democrats were interested in nominating a replacement for President Joe Biden also found poor signs for former President Donald Trump among GOP voters.

While Trump is still considerably ahead of any other GOP challenger, according to the poll, he now only commands a plurality of the party, with just below 50 percent — and particularly poor numbers among younger and college-educated Republicans.

But Trump appears to have read the news, and — according to a new statement issued this morning — he is not happy about it.

"The failing New York Times is down 40% year-to-date because they are Fake News," said Trump's statement. "Their reporters are dishonest, and their front page has become a work of total fiction, not news. They hate our Country, and they hate reporting the truth, which is why America is not respected and has never been weaker." He then attacked them for "obsessing" over the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

IN OTHER NEWS: Trump cancels rally — will instead spend day testifying under oath: report

Of note, while the Times sponsored the poll, it was done by Siena College, not the Times itself — a common arrangement among polls commissioned by media outlets.

This comes amid speculation that Trump wanted to announce his 2024 presidential run early to pre-empt news from the January 6 Committee hearings — something experts warn would be damaging for him.