Harris was right about people streaming out of Trump rallies long before he is done speaking.

[lees1975]

I have a relative who works near the Ronstadt Music Theater at the Tucson Community Center where Trump held his rally earlier this week. They'd already moved it from the arena there, which holds 6,000, to the theater, capacity around 2,100, because of the smaller anticipated crowd (on the same day Kamala was speaking to over 25,000 people in North Carolina). She said that when she went to lunch, around 1:00, there was a small line outside the entrance to the theater, not any noticeable increase in traffic. She thought the rally was over when she was leaving work, because of the cars coming out of the parking garage, and people walking across the plaza carrying banners and signs. When she got home, and turned on the news, she found out he was still speaking.

[flying_wahini]

1. I have seen in several of TSF rally destinations that there are ads on Craigslist paying folks $20 to come for an hour.

I saw it myself about a year ago

[live love laugh]

14. And during the debate he accused Harris of buying rally participants.

[DeeDeeNY]

18. He specializes in projection

Without fail, everything he does he will accuse his 'rivals' of.

[pandr32]

35. Yes, his mental library is limited.

He never learned to think so he recycles what he is familiar with.

[Dave Bowman]

42. "He specializes in projection"

So he'll have a job as a projectionist while doing time.

[NH Ethylene]

51. Which is a sure sign that that's ewhat HE is doing. n/t

[LiberalArkie]

64. Maybe, but the attendees like what they hear and stay there.

I would imagine that it is all a paid attendee could stand just to not be throwing up listening to DonOld.

[Jarqui]

15. I posted links to some of those ads on X

They tried to delete them.
Then they tried to tie them to a Democrat's twitter handle.
I took screen shots and caught them.
Even his followers lie.

[robleb]

26. Could you...

post them here at DU?

[Jarqui]

44. Not so easy

https://scranton.craigslist.org/for/d/wilkes-barre-attendees-needed-for-rally/7776083291.html

https://scranton.craigslist.org/tlg/d/wilkes-barre-attendees-needed-for-rally/7776083770.html

One flagged for removal
the other deleted

I took screen shots

https://ibb.co/2vh5WmK
https://ibb.co/56m5R53

I may have more. But I am leaving for a couple of weeks in 2 hrs.
Out of time

[ailsagirl]

81. I see what you mean-- kind of creepy. n/t

[Jarqui]

82. It was alleged that some of the reason

for the people walking out of Trump rallies is they were only paid for the first hour
After they got the attendance photos, they could leave

On the above, I caught them in a series of screen shots.
Some claimed they were by a Democrat supporter
But the page edits/deletions defied that

then we saw folks walk out of Wilkes-Barre after an hour ...

Trump supporters walk out on MAGA rally before it ends

"Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took the stage in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, and was greeted by a roaring crowd. Then something unusual happened, Trump didn’t retain the crowd he started with."

Trump supporters walk out on MAGA rally before it ends
https://san.com/cc/trump-supporters-walk-out-on-maga-rally-before-it-ends/

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took the stage in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, and was greeted by a roaring crowd. Then something unusual happened, Trump didn’t retain the crowd he started with.

As is typical with his rallies, it began with a packed house of supporters holding signs and wearing Trump gear. By the end of his one hour and 45-minute speech, many had already left. Photos appeared to show entire sections of the 8,000 seat arena nearly empty, something unheard of for a MAGA event in 2020 and 2016.

Some didn't like what he was saying.

Not beyond reasonable doubt but it smelled bad

[Susan Calvin]

83. If the campaign hasn't figured out some way to pay them only on completion

Then they are as stupid as the candidate is.

[Iwasthere]

29. Please post them!

[Demobrat]

41. A friend of mine in Indiana saw one of his ads

on Craigslist. She sent it to me. It advertised “paid positions”, which I thought was funny. But the job description was pretty clear. Spend four hours at the rally and carry a sign for $100. I thought if I was out of work and $100 would pay a bill I would probably do it. No doubt a lot of the attendees are in that situation.

[MMBeilis]

43. Now this is really interesting. Kamala should ask him about it at the next debate.

[rurallib]

59. hope they make sure they get the money up front

[Demobrat]

60. Yeah I don't know how that works.

Although I suspect if people were getting ripped off like that someone would squeal.

[smb]

65. Not Necessarily

I suspect if people were getting ripped off like that someone would squeal.

"Snitches get stitches..."

[Demobrat]

71. Good point.

They would probably be afraid.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

61. I think I posted a screen

Shot of craiglists trump rally ad page you are talking about. Then on tv awhile ago we had the guy with the your fired sign raising it at the wrong moments to a leftward hilarious effect. You know he was hired.

[Jack Valentino]

79. I saw that one! He was an AA male, and obviously having a pretty good time---

it was my impression that he was suppressing a big smile,
after every instance that he raised that "YOU'RE FIRED!" sign at Vance's right-rear flank....lol
(to the left of Vance from viewer's perspective)

wish I could find the video, but my search failed

[Jack Valentino]

76. $20 would not pay the transportation costs for many....

that is pretty lame! but Trump is short of cash this year....

[Omnipresent]

2. Maybe he should try locking the doors or busing people to rallies in remote places..

So they have to wait to leave.

[TwilightZone]

3. Local officials will not agree to locking the doors.

The potential liability would be too great even for the MAGA diehards.

[DBoon]

10. just hold a raffle at the end

MAGAts might stick around for a chance to win a Trump covfefe mug

[erronis]

19. Or a piece of that shroud that he wears thinking it's good looking baggy clothes.

[smb]

66. The Shroud Of Turd-in nt

[Wednesdays]

39. Offer free beer. They'll stay for that. nt

[AZ8theist]

57. That's a great idea but...

It would cost the deadbeat money.
He can't have that!!!!

[Ocelot II]

5. Locking the doors would violate fire codes (not that TFG cares about laws),

and busing people would cost money. He's going to be stuck with smaller venues because he can neither fill nor afford the large ones.

[smb]

67. Also, Word Has Gotten Around About His Habit Of Stiffing The Venue

The larger ones almost certainly have someone on staff who knows better than to book him (unless he pays cash up front), so he has to use venues where they haven't gotten the memo.

[Omnipresent]

72. I'm just giving ridiculous solutions for a ridiculous manchild named, "Donald Trump".

Because he and his supporters are unhinged and uncaring; I’m sure they might give my suggestions a try in all earnest.

[Jack Valentino]

77. yep, that is probably next!

"you can check out any time you like
but you can never leave"

~ The Eagles, 'Hotel California'

[peggysue2]

4. There's plenty of video . . .

To substantiate Harris's claim. Agent Orange is not drawing the crowds he once was and yes, attendees have been filmed leaving early and/or falling asleep in their seats.

Once again, Trump persists with the lies. Because?

Fragile ego and broken brain syndrome.

[riversedge]

7. I just want the reduced crowd size to translate into REDUCED Trump votes Nov 5!!!

[Oopsie Daisy]

9. Can I get an AMEN up in here?!

Yes, please... I hope you're correct.

[et tu]

12. yes!

[calimary]

32. Amen Most Definitely!!!

[ProudMNDemocrat]

45. AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!!!

[LiberalFighter]

49. I expect it will.

[Jack Valentino]

78. yep, been seeing those videos all year of rally attendees leaving Trump---

but, he's so goddamned long-winded---
anybody would get bored and leave,
even if he made any sense....

[CrispyQ]

6. I realize all our DU stories are anecdotal but there is a VIBE!!

I take nothing for granted but this energy matches 2008, & possibly out does it. We women remember the sting of 2016, winning the popular by +3 million but losing the race. Also, people are sick to death of Donald Trump. Even more so than we were of Bush. I know, right?

[lees1975]

8. I agree.

I don't think many Democrats really take rally attendance seriously. But it bothers him so badly, it's needling him, which is why she brought it up in the debate. When they were in Phoenix several weeks ago, Tim Walz made the statement that they believed their rally was the largest political event in the state's history, and they were correct. Trump showed up in the same arena a few weeks later and they had to push the crowd that showed up into the lower level seats and the floor seats to make it look full. Claimed attendance was 13,000, local police said it was about 8,000, in a 16,000 seat facility.

But, there is a decided difference in the enthusiasm level. It's hard to measure how that translates over into votes, but I think it is one of several signs that can be considered in gauging election turnout and outcome. And when I look at what she's drawn in the rural areas of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia where she's visited, and what he's done, she's got a definite advantage here.

[smb]

68. Kamala Got Under His Skin

I'm sure that every time he happens to glimpse someone leaving (or just getting up to go to the can), those mocking words about his crowds echo through his empty head.

[Trueblue Texan]

11. Maybe TSF could get his fellow monster Greg Abbott...

...to fly in some "illegals" and force them to stay locked in the rally until TSF runs out of gas?

[AZSkiffyGeek]

13. I've seen some comparisons to Dead shows

They travel from rally to rally, watch for a while, hear the same riffs, then go out to the parking lot to party with all their friends. He’s background noise for their MAGA hate party.

[TomSlick]

16. There may be something to this.

Trump is not the draw. The chance to be with other haters is the draw.

[appalachiablue]

38. ++

[Demobrat]

46. That, and the carnival atmosphere.

From what I hear, there are people who follow the campaign selling swag, and food and drink for sale. It’s all bootleg, so this all takes place outside.

[Attilatheblond]

54. Yep. The narrow minded, bigotted, willfully ignorant work hard

to avoid being exposed to new people with new ideas, and new evidence. They cannot tolerate anything that challenges their chosen delusions. Have noticed this since back in the 90s when The Newt got his panties in a twist because Clinton made him ride in the regular seats of AF1 while Clinton worked on the eulogy he was to deliver in Israel.

The Newt declared war on Clinton's America and the bobble headed haters have just grown more out of touch with reality ever since.

[Deminpenn]

22. When Trump had his beach rally in NJ

earlier this summer, I read a story where several of the rally goers were interviewed. Two of them said they'd gone to multiple Trump rallies, iirc, this was the 6th for one and 3rd or 4th for the other.

[Random Boomer]

27. That's exactly it

I recently read an article written by a journalist who followed the Trump rally circuit for awhile. They described the pre-speech events and the carnival atmosphere. It's like a huge tribal gathering.

[slightlv]

58. Mini-Woodstocks for Magas! n/t

[smb]

70. "Woodstock"? More Like Blockheadstock nt

[Seinan Sensei]

73. Or Burning Man

[Picaro]

17. Rally attendance is a poor predictor of election outcome

In 2020 Trump was totally confused by great rally attendance versus the election outcome.

At the time I commented that rallies, at best, are tens of thousands—to win an election requires millions.

Trump’s rally attendance could be a leading indicator, but with all the voter suppression and other dirty tricks we are fighting uphill.

We need numbers. Big numbers. And more than anything we need new voter registrations (very hard to count). And then we need to get these new voters to the polls.

I know I’m preaching to the choir, but I just wanted to put in my 2 cents.

[lees1975]

20. Trump's rally attendance in 2020 was not great.

His largest, held in a 16,000 seat arena in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during COVID, drew a little over 5,000. Most of them, at airport hangars and high school gyms, were relatively small crowds. Even many of his supporters wouldn't risk COVID. In Butler, Pennsylvania, he left about 1,000 rally attendees in the cold because the bus company they hadn't paid wouldn't come and pick them up.

Rallies get local news media attention, that's about it. But they also motivate local people to volunteer. I've heard that the Harris campaign has more volunteers on the ground, knocking doors, canvassing, calling registered voters and getting their people registered in Arizona than either party has ever had there ever. That's what makes the difference. And Trump's rallies aren't generating that kind of turnout any more.

[Picaro]

25. Agreed

A lot better numbers in comparison to 2020.

I did semi-confidently predict Biden’s victory. But it wasn’t just due to his lack of rally attendance.

His message(s) started darkening later in the campaign.

This go around he started dark. Now, he is actually threatening the people of America.

Sounds like a spoiled little boy—but what he’s threatening is violence and chaos. He would burn it all down and take us all with it.

[Attilatheblond]

55. Re your remark about Harris volunteers in AZ: Us AZ DEMS are damned serious and have been since 2018

when we worked hard to register voters, especially the young people. It has been paying off in color changes from RED to meh-red, then red violet... purple.... blue violet and recently: OH NO YOU DON'T try to sue to overturn our votes in elections where DEMs have won our top state offices!

The big numbers of retirees who have moved here may make city traffic less than fun, but by golly, we have LOTS of people with LOTS of time and not all of them are well off jerks on golf courses.

[pat_k]

23. Yep

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=19332727

[barbtries]

24. the point about this

is not whether he gets more or we get more. clearly Kamala, Tim, and Doug are making it rain!

it's that it's what he hangs his maga hat on. it's his idea of success. he cannot get over that. to him, his popularity is measured by the crowds of sycophants and worshipers he gets to come listen to him rant. The man continued doing these rallies even while president. It's his lifeblood. You can see how much denial is required on his part at the moment to keep catapulting the propaganda that he gets the biggest crowds.


this is a good thing. his ongoing dissembling and dementia, lies and denials, is on display. for him, it gets harder and harder to deny reality.

having said all that, it is a sign of enthusiasm among the electorate and right now, the difference is so stark that i personally cannot help but be heartened by this.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

40. At least the Phoenix Harris/Walz rally was all about getting volunteers

It was all about “sign up for this meet-up, can you phone bank or canvass?”
The massive Harris rallies are building a field operation.
Does TSF do the same thing? I somehow doubt it.

[barbtries]

50. i don't watch all of their speeches all the time,

but at least on the Democratic side, it always winds up saying let's get out the vote, let's talk to our neighbors, let's do our part to win this race. this is a group effort.

i cannot watch TCFSF's speeches, but I see clips. Like, "Christians, vote for me. After you vote for me you won't have to vote any more." or "I don't care about you I just want your vote." he said these things.

[barbtries]

21. lol

even his most devoted worshipers are exhausted by him.

one wonders how long can this go on.

[yellowcanine]

31. They are going to start announcing fake bomb threats.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

28. While Kamala's message remains the same, she is adding more to her message.

The joy and excitement is increasing. Kamala is focusing on the PEOPLE she is attempting to reach.

While tRump on the other hand, droll and boring as usual. Is it any wonder people are walking out? They hear NOTHING about their needs, their desires, solutions to help make their lives better.

BIG FUCKING DIFFERENCE here!

[yellowcanine]

30. They said, "Sir, we only agreed to stay one hour."

[Seinan Sensei]

74. ... with tears in their eyes

[yellowcanine]

33. To be fair, he gets the best small crowds!

[GoCubsGo]

34. Hal Sparks recorded it happening.

He went to Trump's rally in Las Vegas a few months ago. He stood inside the gate and took video of people leaving. That was yet another of Trump's rallies where he claimed over 10,000 people attended, when it was, according to Hal, only about 2000. Hal also pointed out that the venue didn't even hold anywhere near the numbers Trump claimed.

[rsdsharp]

36. Let me say this up front. I DO NOT BELIEVE CHINESE RESTAURANTS ARE SERVING DOGS OR CATS OR ANYTHING ELSE UNTOWARD.

That said, I was in China in 1991. We walked through a large, outdoor food market in Guangzhou (Canton). One vendor did have cats in cages. Another had pangolins. At a restaurant in Xian we were served water buffalo penis.

Do with that what you will.

[mucifer]

47. There is so much food available it's not

hard to stop eating any animals. Cows and pigs feel pain the same as dogs and cats.

It’s just cultural preferences.

[Demobrat]

48. I was served grilled Guinea pig with the fur

still on in Equador. Somehow I suspect our children’s pet Guineas are safe.

[BlueMTexpat]

80. Guinea pigs are

definitely on the menu in Peru as well, as is the case in many countries in the South American Andes.

When we visited a village in Peru and went inside the traditional huts, guinea pigs were running freely inside, almost like chickens.

I specifically did NOT eat anything that I knew was guinea pig. There were so many other delicious options.

Peruvian cuisine is definitely one of the world's greats and I personally LOVE ceviche.

I also never saw so many different kinds of potatoes in my life!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruvian_cuisine

[I_UndergroundPanther]

62. I would have

Knocked that vendor out cold went over and taken all his cats with me and given almost all of them to this cat organization HSI in China I heard about that helping cats.

https://www.hsi.org/news-resources/saving-dogs-from-chinas-dog-meat-trade/#

1 or 2 of the cats would come to live with me in America. Because if I had enough money to go to China I could afford more cats.

This organization raids trucks full of caged cats gets them vetted and adopted. In China cat is a rich person delicacy and it’s served on certain holidays so I have heard.

May Lady Bast protect the cats over there. May Lady Sekhmet end this sickening practice and change how cats are treated in China.

[rsdsharp]

63. I don't think you would have liked a Chinese jail.

Especially just two years after Tiananmen Square.

[lees1975]

37. Trump rallies have a concept of a crowd.

Couldn't resist and yes, I know.

[SpankMe]

52. There are plenty of videos on X showing people getting bored and leaving Trump's speeches early

They leave while he's still speaking.

[4lbs]

53. There have been lots of video of people doing that many times before the debate.

She knew what she was talking about.

She knew how to get under his skin.

Dumpy's one BIG THING is being an "entertainer". Hit him where he lives, in his own demented brain. Say he is boring, his rallies are too long and too small, and he loses all composure.

[MLF1981]

56. Even his die-hard cultists can't sit through two hours of his insane bullshit.

I never in a million years would have thought that the Qanon crowd would start to wane in their adulation of him, but here we are.

[ailsagirl]

69. Of course she was-- she doesn't make up lies-- she knows exactly what she's doing

She sticks to the truth

[Jack Valentino]

75. YES, this is OLD NEWS---- I've watched videos showing the early leavers

from Trump rallies for many months,, going back into the primary campaign---

but this is the first time I recall it being mentioned
in the biggest media--- and kudos to Kamala for bringing it up---

Not only did it bring it to more widespread attention,
but she TRIGGERED him all to hell when she said it! lmao

'NOBODY leaves, we have the biggest rallies, bigger than anyone has ever seen
in the history of the universe, I have more rallies, blah blah blah'

[LetMyPeopleVote]

84. This makes me smile

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet