Numbers at President Donald Trump’s much-hyped Great American State Fair appeared underwhelming just moments before the president took the stage on Wednesday night.
Reporting live from the event was CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, who spoke to Anderson Cooper from Washington D.C.’s National Mall. As O’Sullivan spoke to Cooper following Alexis Wilkins’ performance of the national anthem, a relatively sparse crowd could be seen in the background, with significant empty space directly behind O’Sullivan with slightly over twenty minutes to go before the president took the stage.
Describing the events of the evening thus far, O’Sullivan mentioned that Wilkins’ performance of the Star-Spangled Banner “seemed to go down pretty well here,” and also noted that B-52 planes had been flying overhead “all night.”
“Just to give a sense of what this Great American State Fair feels like, this is a lot of the set-up,” O’Sullivan explained, gesturing to what he described as “fake pillars and fake gold American eagles” where state pavilions are being erected, as well as a miniature version of the president’s proposed “Arc de Trump.”
Having been transformed for the event, the National Mall now hosts a giant Ferris wheel in addition to the stage, pavilions, and plywood replica of Trump’s arch.
With an hour to go before the president spoke, the Associated Press noted that the grassy area on the National Mall was about half full, reporting later that crowds increased closer to the president’s expected start time.
Empty chairs could also be seen, both in the background of O’Sullivan’s report and in a post shared by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who participated in the proceedings.
“I had the honor of kicking off the Great American State Fair alongside my friend @SecretaryBurgum as we welcomed Americans from all 50 states to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday,” Rollins wrote on X, sharing a photo of herself and one of the crowd in which empty chairs were visible during her address.
Reporting from The Bulwark also suggested that the crowd began to thin before Trump had finished speaking, with the outlet posting a video of people leaving the State Fair on X and noting, “Crowds flock towards the exit in the middle of Trump’s speech.”
The Bulwark’s Jared Poland also posted a photo of the grassy section of the National Mall shortly before Trump had finished speaking, pointing out that, “The crowd has really thinned out since Trump began speaking around 8:50pm.”
A video posted to Trump’s Truth Social account of the U.S. Army Band’s performance shows the crowd as seen from the perspective of the stage, with the pavilions visible in the background.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment on crowd size figures.
Trump highlighted upcoming State Fair events during his speech, including a fireworks display, the Patriot Games, and his “Tribute to America” rally on July 4.
“Your favorite president will be speaking, so please show up,“ Trump said of the July 4 rally. ”Because if we have two empty seats, you know what’s gonna happen? The fake news is gonna say, he didn’t fill out the arena."
Wednesday served as the opening ceremony for the Great American State Fair, a 16-day-long event designed to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary but which has faced multiple obstacles.
Trump himself stepped in after multiple artists who were booked to perform at the event pulled out due to his ties to the event, announcing Wednesday’s event, complete with himself as a special guest, and describing it as “the rally to end all rallies.”
The 80-year-old also bragged about the performers he was able to convince to attend: Lee Greenwood, who sang “God Bless the U.S.A.” and Christopher Macchio, as well as the U.S. Army Band and the Armed Forces Choir.
“We don’t want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we’ve told them all to stay home,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “All we want is you, me, a few speakers, and the Greatest Music ever played, the same Music you have listened to for years!”
The president has also begun blaming Democrats for his failed renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Initially wanting to paint the pool ‘American Flag Blue’ ahead of the 250th anniversary celebrations, the project has instead been marred by a series of problems, including algae, protestors, and dead ducks.
