Trump is ranting about crowd size coverage again

Trump at a 2016 campaign rally in Ohio.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

It wouldn't be a signature Trump speech without a reference to crowd size, right?

President Trump lashed out at The New York Times for estimating that his speech in Tennessee drew a crowd of "about 1,000."

Trump said that the paper was trying to "demean and disparage" him when it published an article that said he "worked his audience of about 1,000 into a frenzy." The president has regularly focused on crowd size as an indicator of his popularity, previously complaining that media reports had underestimated the size of the crowd at his inauguration.

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At his rally-style speech, Trump exclaimed, "this is a big crowd of people. This is a lot of people," in addition to bragging about his Electoral College win back in 2016. It's unclear exactly how many people attended the event, which was to boost Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), but photos indicate that the auditorium, with a capacity of 9,700, was not filled.

To the Times, Trump's speech was "raucous," "brash," and "richly embellished." To Trump, it was simply a "rockin'" good time, and claims otherwise must be another wave of "alternative facts."

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.