Pockets of attendees at Donald Trump’s rally at Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion on Monday began to leave during his speech, as noted by local journalist Greg Bluestein from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Video footage shared on X shows a noticeable number of empty seats early in the event, especially in the upper sections of the 8,600-capacity venue. A follow-up clip about an hour in revealed that the crowd had thinned out further.
Georgia is a crucial swing state, having backed Trump in 2016 but flipping to President Biden in 2020. Current polls suggest a tightly contested race for the upcoming 2024 election, with FiveThirtyEight recently giving Trump a 54% chance of victory compared to 46% for Vice President Harris.
At around the 40-minute mark of Trump’s address, Bluestein tweeted a short video showing large clusters of empty seats, remarking, “Pockets of the crowd at Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion start to leave as Donald Trump’s speech continues.” Approximately 20 minutes later, he posted a longer video highlighting the increasingly sparse audience.
The sight of empty seats led to mockery on social media. Activist Harry Sisson quipped, “YIKES! Trump’s rally in Georgia is practically EMPTY!” adding that the situation didn’t look good just days before the election. Political commentator Peter Henlein also shared a clip, pointing out that the turnout was disappointing for Trump in Atlanta, a state critical to the election.
On a different note, Trump supporter Abigail Needham shared a clip from the rally, saying it was “great” and “electrifying.”
During his speech, Trump labeled Harris as “low-IQ” and a “radical left Marxist,” claiming, “The United States is an occupied country, but it will soon be an occupied country no longer.” He dismissed claims of fascism or Nazi sympathies, declaring, “I’m the opposite of a Nazi.” He further questioned how Harris could lead America if she supposedly hated Americans.
Earlier in the day, Trump spoke to the National Faith Advisory Board in Powder Springs, where he expressed concerns that “religion is under threat” in the U.S. As of October 28, early voting data showed over 3 million votes cast in Georgia with 16 Electoral College votes at stake for the upcoming election.
On Sunday, Trump held a significant rally at Madison Square Garden, again repeating assertions about FEMA funds being misallocated to aid illegal immigrants, a claim the agency has denied. During that event, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe faced backlash for insensitive remarks about Puerto Rico, prompting a statement from Trump’s campaign that distanced itself from the joke.