Donald Trump has a knack for hyping up his rally crowds. Recently, while in Reading, Pennsylvania, he claimed, “We never have an empty seat, never have. Look at it!”
However, journalist Dana Milbank from The Washington Post shared footage that contradicted Trump’s claim, showing numerous empty seats in the back of the arena, which holds up to 7,200 people. Milbank noted, “Lot of empty seats at Trump rally in Reading, Pa,” while highlighting the arena’s actual capacity.
NewsNation reporter Libbey Dean echoed Milbank’s observations, stating there were “a lot of open seats” in her own video. NBC’s Jake Traylor also added to the conversation, remarking that while most of the venue was full, some sections notably were not, which he found “notable and unusual” for a Trump gathering.
Empty seats haven’t just become a talking point recently; they have been a recurring theme. Vice President Kamala Harris even mentioned this during a debate, suggesting that attendees often leave early out of boredom. Trump’s response? He continued to assert that his rallies attract huge crowds, claiming that 100,000 people showed up to a recent event in Butler, Pennsylvania, despite local reports indicating the number was closer to 24,000.
Footage from Trump’s event in Scranton revealed that, although supporters lined up early, not everyone could get in, as the venue only accommodates 3,400. Later that evening, Harris’s campaign shared a clip of Trump boasting about never having empty seats, juxtaposed with images of the vacant spots in the venue.
Critics seized the opportunity to mock Trump for the evident discrepancy between his claims and reality. One user exclaimed, “OMG!!! Look at all of the empty seats at Trump’s rally in Reading, Pennsylvania! This is so humiliating for the Trump campaign. Nobody shows up to his rallies anymore!” Another added, “Wow—there were a LOT of empty seats at the start of Trump’s rally… almost half were empty. Sad!!!”
It seems that while Trump sells his rallies as a grand spectacle, the reality may not always match the hype.