Donald Trump was busy telling everyone that crowds were already lining up to see him. But the footage from the event has people looking at the scene a little differently.
The footage tells its own story, highlighting one detail the president often leaves out in his rants about crowd size.
Now, the moment is prompting a closer look at who attended his rally in Youngstown, Ohio, Monday night.
Trump’s convinced he still has the reality-TV buzz that made him a must-see boss on 11 seasons of “The Apprentice.” More than ever, he believes his prominence will save his party.
Ego may be clouding his judgment, and plenty of people are happy to open his eyes to the truth.
Trump’s Ego Takes a Brutal Beating When a Cameraman Exposes His ‘Packed Arena’ Brag on Live Video
A Daily Beast/Punch Up investigation suggests Trump’s crowds are shrinking, paling in comparison to his 2016 presidential campaign.
Of course, the president doesn’t see things that way.
“My Rallies, legendary they have already become, have made a tremendous difference with the enthusiasm of the Republican Party. They have been waiting for them to happen, even though I never thought I’d have to be doing Rallies again,” he wrote in an Oct. 11 Truth Social post.
The bragging session was posted the day after rallies in Clarksville, Tennessee, and Syracuse, New York.
“The good news is, I love them, the music, and the incredible enthusiasm, and will always be in favor of what’s good for America — and that means the Republican Party,” continued Trump.
And he’s not letting up on his scheduled appearances with weeks left to sway voters to elect Republicans into office.
The post concluded, “Next stop, tomorrow, Youngstown, Ohio, for our Great Senator Jon Husted, and my friend, Vivek Ramaswamy for Governor, where the Crowds are already waiting in line — and then Alaska, for the Re-Election of one of the Greatest Senators in America, Dan S. Sullivan, and Congressman Nick Begich, who has a Big Future in Alaska. See you there!”
But there’s one thing Trump probably didn’t predict: more empty seats.
Trump rallied supporters for Husted and Ramaswamy earlier this month in Vandalia, Ohio, at the Butler High School gymnasium. The space only has a 5,000-person capacity. Yet the multi-use room still had empty seats.
Hecklers expect the dwindling turnout to persist as Trump gears up for more rallies.
The Washington Post wrote that “Rallies still serve as an escape for President Trump as he faces his lowest approval ratings in office.”
After bragging people were waiting in line, Trump returned to the Buckeye State for another rally in Youngstown on Oct. 12. The Ohio crowd at the Covelli Center seemed rowdy on one end and empty on the other.
Then cameras captured the one thing he thought nobody would see.
Sections were tapped off with black plastic and rows of bleacher seats looked bare.
An X user snarked, “So many empty seats where Trump is speaking in Ohio. There must be millions outside who can’t find their way in.” Another said, “That is not a packed house.”
A third person commented, “Trump has failed to fill every place he has rallied at so far maga is dying. Deal with it.”
“The place has a capacity of [over] 6,000. He can’t even fill it. His influence is over,” noted a fourth individual.
Trump’s team has been accused of staging crowds at his events to look larger and more enthusiastic. Accusations go as far as using carefully managed seating arrangements and camera angles.
Staffers also reportedly screened border agents based on their appearance, favoring men with “tight jawlines” and a tough look. The claims paint a picture of presidential appearances where optics mattered as much as attendance.
Trump has pushed the blame on people like late-night comic Jimmy Kimmel. Kimmel often heckles him over the low rally turnout, calling them simply “crooked people” and losers.
The president has been losing popular voter support, and chances at winning awards. For a second year in a row, he was passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Despite bragging that he ended eight wars and “Made America Great Again,” he may never seem to win over the prize committee.
There are entirely empty sections in the arena where Trump is currently hosting a rally in Youngstown, Ohio. Both parties see this area as key to winning the races for Senate and governor. These photos were taken as Trump walked on stage. https://t.co/T9J6tipawv
— Emily Davies (@ELaserDavies) October 12, 2026
