Donald Trump is so furious about reports of empty seats at his rallies that he wants the media outlets reporting them arrested.
Yes, the president actually said that.
Trump took to Truth Social Monday to attack The New York Times and other news organizations over their coverage of his weekend rally in Ohio, insisting the venue was completely packed despite reports and photographs showing empty sections.
“The Ohio Arena was already full to the brim — And yet these people were still trying to get in,” Trump wrote.
Trump was referring to people shown waiting outside the venue. He argued that their presence proved thousands of supporters had been turned away because the arena was already full.
Then he went after The New York Times and other media outlets, and called for their arrests.
“The New York Times said, ‘There were empty seats’ when, in fact, there were none, and thousands of people had to be turned away,” Trump wrote.
“The New York Times, and many other Artificial Media Outlets, should be arrested for their dishonesty and disservice to our Country,” Trump declared.
There it is.
Report on empty seats at Trump’s rally, and Trump says you should be arrested.
Trump wasn’t finished.
In a second post, he offered his explanation for the empty sections that had been reported from the Ohio event: Migration.
According to Trump, people in the upper sections of his rallies routinely “migrate” toward the main floor once he starts speaking.
“What does happen at all of my SOLD OUT Rallies, is that the people in the upper sections tend to migrate down to the Main Floor — The ‘migration’ process always happens!” Trump wrote.
He then insisted the Ohio venue was “totally MAXED OUT, including all upper sections.”
He also said thousands of people were unable to get inside.
But photographs and reporting from the event showed empty seats in upper sections as Trump finished his speech. The New York Times reported that several areas of the upper deck had emptied out.
Trump, naturally, has another explanation for that, too.
He says he’s now having cinematographers film his rallies because he believes the media deliberately misrepresent his crowds.
“The Times knows this, and so does everyone else,” Trump wrote. “I never have empty seats — Never have, and never will!”
He went on to claim that his events for Republican candidates are “probably more crowded than ever,” that there are “no empty seats” and that his rallies are “HOTTER” than ever.
Trump also complained that networks refuse to show his crowds, arguing that viewers can hear the “thunderous applause” and therefore know that thousands of people are there.
He continued his tirade hours later writing: “MY RALLIES ARE SAVING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AGAIN!!!”
So apparently the new rule is this: If you see empty seats, you’re looking at the wrong thing. If Trump says the arena is packed, the arena is packed. And if you report otherwise, Trump says you should be arrested.
Read Trump’s posts below:
