Donald Trump tried to save his crumbling presidency by riling up the MAGA mob at a rally in Minnesota on Thursday night, but he was greeted by rows of empty seats.
According to KMSP-TV/FOX 9 political reporter Theo Keith, the president’s campaign manager even took to the stage minutes before the rally’s start time to claim that there were only empty seats because so many people were getting food at concession stands.
But the picture shared on Keith’s Twitter account shows rows and rows of empty seats in the upper level, making the concession stand explanation laughable.
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale just got on the mic to urge people at concession stands to take their seats because the president is in the building.
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There are many empty seats in sections of the upper level behind the podium, though the rest of the arena is quite full. pic.twitter.com/CpRIGaNhTV
— Theo Keith (@TheoKeith) October 11, 2019
When Trump took to the podium, he claimed that the crowd “just set a record,” but Vox journalist Aaron Rupar pointed out that “the upper level of the arena isn’t full.”
Trump starts by claiming “we have 20,000-plus people inside. We just set a new record.” The upper level of the arena isn’t full. pic.twitter.com/XVrj8TWprC
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 11, 2019
‘Thousands’ of protesters turned out
To make matters worse for the sinking president, there appeared to be a large number of demonstrators who turned out in the rain to protest him.
Video footage and pictures from one Twitter user shows that “thousands” gathered to tell Trump that he wasn’t welcome in Minneapolis.
A look at just a small section of the crowd.
I’d guess a few thousand made it out on this rainy evening to protest Trump. #TrumpMinneapolis pic.twitter.com/UNy1HLLp6r
— Paul Gottinger (@PaulGottinger) October 11, 2019
Here in Minneapolis thousands have gathered to protest Trump’s rally, chanting “leave our state” and “immigrants welcome” pic.twitter.com/XUnTozenyU
— Paul Gottinger (@PaulGottinger) October 10, 2019
With his presidency at risk of collapsing under the weight of its own corruption and incompetence, it’s clear that Donald Trump saw this rally as a chance to show that he can still pack an arena to the rafters.
In Minnesota on Thursday night, he failed to do that.
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Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.