Trump lies about Harris using AI to fake rally image, focused on crowd size.
Former President Donald Trump has always been fixated on numbers that demonstrate dominance, whether it be his net worth, TV ratings, poll results, or the attendance figures at his political rallies.
Back in 2016, Trump used the large turnout at his campaign events to challenge polls showing Hillary Clinton in the lead right before the election. In 2017, he kicked off his presidency by insisting his inauguration crowd was bigger than former President Barack Obama’s crowd (which, in reality, it wasn’t).
And now, Trump is once again hyper-focused on crowd size. He exaggerates the number of supporters at his rallies while casting doubt on the drawing power of his rivals, such as Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, her running mate.
Trump falsely asserts that Harris used AI to fabricate crowd image
Recently, Trump endorsed a far-fetched conspiracy theory claiming that images of the crowd at a rally for Harris and Walz at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport last week – estimated to be 15,000 people by their campaign – were somehow doctored.
“Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she ‘A.I.’d’ it, and showed a massive ‘crowd’ of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN’T EXIST!” Trump’s post on Truth Social stated.
Despite the rally being attended by credible news organizations like the New York Times and Washington Post who can provide their own estimates, and being broadcast live on C-SPAN, Trump continued to insist that the crowd was fake.
Moreover, he added, “She should be disqualified because the creation of a fake image is ELECTION INTERFERENCE,” followed by posting an image of the crowd he alleged was fake.
The Harris campaign responded swiftly by affirming that the rally indeed drew 15,000 people and questioning Trump’s absence from campaigning in swing states.
Trump seethes about coverage of Harris’s large crowd – and repeats untrue claims about his own
During a press briefing at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump grumbled about the media’s portrayal of Harris’s recent crowd sizes.
“What did she have yesterday, 2,000 people? If I ever had 2,000 people, you’d say my campaign is finished,” Trump remarked, alluding to Harris’s rally in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, which reportedly attracted 12,000 people, according to her campaign.
Exasperated, Trump mentioned his rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he falsely claimed to have had 107,000 attendees. Nevertheless, official estimates debunked this claim, with Fox News host Jesse Watters stating that the actual attendance was closer to 30,000.
Trump asserts that Harris requires ‘entertainers’ to draw large crowds
While Trump’s rallies used to surpass President Biden’s before Biden withdrew from the race, Harris’s crowds have started to rival Trump’s.
During a recent rally in Atlanta, Trump told his supporters that Harris managed to draw a crowd of 10,000 to Georgia State University, the same venue Trump had used earlier, by having entertainers like Megan Thee Stallion perform prior to her appearance.
“I don’t need entertainers,” Trump stated. “I fill the stadium because I’m making America great again.”
Attendances at recent Harris and Trump rallies
Harris/Walz:
– July 30: Georgia State University Convocation Center, Atlanta: 10,000^
– August 6: Liacouras Center, Temple University, Philadelphia: 10,000^
– August 7: Eau Claire Event District, Eau Claire, Wis.: 12,000^
– August 7: Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Detroit: 15,000^
– August 9: Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Ariz.: 15,000^
– August 10: University of Nevada at Las Vegas: 12,000^
^ Estimates by Harris campaign
Trump/Vance:
– August 3: Georgia State University, Atlanta: 10,000*
– August 9: Montana State University, Missoula, Mont.: 10,000#
* Estimate by the New York Times # Estimate by the Cowboy State Daily
“It’s not like anyone cares about crowd sizes or anything,” Walz humorously remarked during the rally in Glendale, Ariz., last Friday.
Trump falsely claims crowd on Jan. 6 paralleled MLK’s
Trump isn’t solely fixated on comparing his rally sizes to Harris’s – he’s also adamant about revising history.
Citing his speech on January 6, 2021, at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., before the Capitol insurrection, Trump contended that the crowd rivaled the one assembled for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.
However, records contradict his claim, with the January 6 House Select Committee approximating the crowd at 53,000, significantly less than the estimated 250,000 at Dr. King’s speech.
