A fire department official in Manchester, New Hampshire, has confirmed President Donald Trump’s claim to have smashed attendance records at his rally at the SNHU Arena last Thursday, contradicting fake news about “empty seats.”
Trump proclaimed last Friday that his rally, which filled the 11,700-seat arena and left thousands more supporters outside, had broken Elton John’s attendance record for the venue.
But Trump critics circulated screenshots of empty seats behind the president and sent the hashtag “#EmptySeatsMAGATour” trending on Twitter.
#EmptySeatMAGATour trends after footage shows empty seats at Trump rally he claimed broke Elton John’s record attendance https://t.co/BdCKZk7tiU pic.twitter.com/0r8kR4cN3h
— The Hill (@thehill) August 16, 2019
The Daily Mail confirmed with Manchester Deputy Fire Marshal Mitchell Cady that attendance in the arena was about 11,500, with 8,000 people standing outside. Elton John had drawn 11,300.
This reporter covered the rally in person. In addition to vendors setting up shop more than 17 miles away from the rally, there were many Trump supporters who camped out overnight to ensure they could enter the arena. Traffic to the venue was nearly impassable in places, and parking was almost impossible. The arena filled up hours before the speech began, and the Secret Service sealed the doors, preventing further entry. Thousands more gathered outside the arena to watch the speech on a giant screen. – READ MORE