Donald Trump talked up his big crowds in the face of falling poll numbers. | AP Photo Trump: 'Why am I not doing better in the polls?'

Donald Trump's standing in the polls has taken a hit in recent weeks, and if his comments Thursday to radio host Mike Gallagher are any indication, he does not have a firm answer as to why.

The presumptive Republican nominee has faced down news coverage of everything from his criticism of a federal judge for being "Mexican" and thus unfit to oversee Trump University litigation because of his stated goal to construct a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border as president to the high-profile firing of campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.


Trump has trailed Hillary Clinton in most every national poll since he effectively clinched the Republican nomination, though Gallagher noted two recent polls that show Trump gaining ground or even leading, despite most other polls showing Clinton with more significant leads. A Fox News poll released Wednesday evening showed Clinton with a 6-point advantage nationwide, widening her advantage from earlier in June.

"The tide is going to turn and people are going to wake up," Gallagher nonetheless predicted.

“Well, you know, I really feel it, Mike. I go to Ohio, we were there two days ago, and Pennsylvania and near Pittsburgh and we — I was in West Virginia, the crowds are massive. And you know, I walked out of one, and I said, ‘I don’t see how I’m not leading,'" Trump said, invoking the size of his crowds.

"We have thousands of people standing outside trying to get in, and they’re great people and they have such spirit for the country and love for the country, and I’m saying, you know, ‘Why am I not doing better in the polls?’ And I’ve noticed the polls are coming up," Trump said. "But you know, you have to understand, your show, no, but many shows it’s just a constant hit from mainstream media, no matter what you do, it’s always a negative.”

In the 11 states included in POLITICO's Battleground States polling average, Clinton leads Trump by nearly 6 percentage points, 44.7 percent to 39.1 percent.