Donald Trump's recent spate of Truth Social posts claiming his poor polling numbers are both inaccurate and "criminal" signal that he recognizes the limits of his ability to control public perception, despite wielding substantial governmental power.
According to MSNBC columnist Kaivan Shroff, Trump has long possessed a "norm-defying" capacity to shape his personal narrative. That ability is now eroding during his second term.
Shroff argues that Trump's unpopular policies have damaged his standing with voters. Unable or unwilling to modify course, Trump has turned to coercion—threatening criminal prosecution and litigation against critics—tactics unlikely to improve his approval ratings.
Shroff wrote, "Trump has spent years attacking unfavorable coverage and threatening litigation against outlets that report stories he doesn't like. But the context has changed for the bruised lame duck president, and that matters."
Trump has also directed criticism at his own communications team, telling reporters, "I mean... maybe you have bad public relations people, but we're not getting it across."
Shroff characterized Trump's situation as reflecting political inevitability: "We are witnessing the political inevitability of a term-limited presidency in decline. Trump has lost his ability to move public opinion, but he still controls the machinery of government—lawyers, agencies and the power to make life difficult for critics."
Shroff concluded, "The president is threatening to sue over his bad polling because he can no longer reliably bend public perception to his will. That's telling. Trump once treated reality as a marketing challenge. Now he treats it as a legal offense. His all-caps social media rants and bogus lawsuits don't show confidence—they show fear that the party's just about over."
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