Trump Tells Pennsylvania Rally ‘We Never Have An Empty Seat’ Despite Arena Being Nowhere Near Full

AP Photo/Jared Wickerham

Former President Donald Trump has long liked to boast of his crowd sizes and make hyperbolic claims about his popularity. While some may argue that Trump’s rhetoric is not meant to be taken literally, on Wednesday night he claimed “we never have an empty seat” at his rallies and urged observers to “look at it.”

Well, many on social media and at the rally did just that and were quick to point out the many empty seats in the arena in Reading, Pennsylvania. “We do a lot of these beautiful rallies, and it’s so great. We never have an empty seat, never have. Look at it,” Trump said at one point in his remarks.

Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank posted a lengthy thread on X, writing, “Lot of empty seats at Trump rally in Reading, Pa. Arena has 7,200 seats.” While the big chunk of empty seats at the back of the arena have an obstructed view and were likely not meant to be occupied, there are many other noticeably empty seats throughout the arena.

NBC News political reporter Jake Taylor noted, “Though most of the arena is full here, a few sections in the back are not (and are not just sectioned off for press either). Notable and unusual for a Trump rally.”

Trump’s rallies became a major talking point during the election as Vice President Kamala Harris derided them during the presidential debate in September. “He talks about fictional characters, like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about how windmills cause cancer. What you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom,” Harris said, sparking Trump’s ire.

Trump’s campaign posted images online that appeared to show the rally entirely full.

Below are some more reactions to Trump’s rally in Reading:

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