President Donald Trump pushed back Monday against reporting about attendance at his recent rally in Ohio, insisting the venue was “totally MAXED OUT” and claiming thousands of supporters were unable to get inside. Trump made the claim in a lengthy Truth Social post after coverage of his Saturday rally at Butler High School in Vandalia, Ohio, and his Friday rally at the Mitchell Center at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, highlighted empty seating in the upper bleachers. The president said supporters routinely move from upper sections toward the main floor at his sold-out events, describing the process as “migration.” He also said he has begun having cinematographers record his rallies to counter what he described as inaccurate media coverage.
The dispute is the latest in a long-running series of controversies over Trump's claims about the size of crowds at his political events. On Monday, Trump attacked The New York Times as "Fake News," accusing them of reporting that his October 3 Ohio rally "was not full" with some upper sections "almost completely empty." “In actuality, thousands of people were unable to get in. The Arena was totally MAXED OUT, including all upper sections,” Trump wrote, adding that people seated in upper sections routinely move closer to the stage once the event begins.
Ted Lieu also mocked the president for boasting about filling such a small venue. But The Times report Trump quoted did not refer to the Ohio rally. The wording he cited — that “the place was not full” and that “some upper sections were almost completely empty” — came from a New York Times article about Trump's October 2 rally in Mobile, Alabama.
Photos from that event showed rows of empty seats as Trump talked. Trump held the Ohio rally the following day. Trump held the rally at the Butler-Vandalia Student Activity Center, part of Vandalia-Butler High School in Vandalia, near Dayton, Ohio on Saturday.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association lists the Student Activity Center's capacity at 4,500. The facility is primarily known as a basketball venue and regularly hosts postseason tournaments. The Trump campaign's official event listing also identified the venue as the Butler-Vandalia Student Activity Center at 600 S.
Local reporting showed substantial interest before the event. Supporters had begun gathering hours before Trump's arrival, while a local reporter described thousands lining up outside the 4,500-seat venue. Photographs and video from the rally show a large crowd inside the gymnasium, particularly on the main floor, but they also show unoccupied areas in the upper seating sections.
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