ABC Mocks Trump’s Tulsa Rally for ‘Noticeably Empty Seats’ #Political
While NBC’s Sunday Today host Willie Geist did poke fun at the “smaller than advertised” crowd, ABC acted more as an opposition press that was gleefully pouncing on an embarrassing moment.
“It was President Trump's first time back in front of his supporters in more than 100 days. He promised there would not be a single empty seat in the arena behind me. His campaign bragged that they received more than a million ticket requests. But campaign sources tell us they oversold it,” ABC correspondent Rachel Scott told Harris.
As the video portion of her report began, Scott joked that Trump’s rebooted campaign was “getting off to a bumpy start.”
Adding: “The Trump campaign said they received more than a million ticket requests. Days ago, the President promised it would be a packed house. (…) But inside the arena, empty seats. Outside, the overflow area torn down. A last-minute decision scrapping plans for the President to also address a crowd outdoors.”
She also scoffed at the Trump campaign’s explanation that anti-Trump protests inhibited his supporter’s ability to exercise their First Amendment rights. But she would later admit: “Overnight, tense moments between supporters and protesters. Officers firing pepper balls to clear this area as some protesters took their disapproval of the President to the streets.”
ABC even had their glee bleed into their reports on the coronavirus. “While the crowd was smaller than anticipated, there was a lot of people at the rally. Many of them not wearing masks,” reported correspondent Marcus Moore. “And that has been a concern for health officials all along. And so, now they'll watch to see how the numbers change in the coming days.”
Co-anchor Whit Johnson also brought up the crowd size while speaking with a doctor of the virus (click “expand”:
WHIT JOHNSON: And for more on the coronavirus concerns let's bring in our infectious disease expert and ABC News medical contributor Dr. Todd Ellerin. Dr. Ellerin, good morning. Thanks so much for joining us. First, I want to ask about the President's rally in Tulsa. The crowd wasn't as large as advertised, but you still have thousands of people indoors, shoulder to shoulder, many not wearing masks. From a public health standpoint, what is your biggest concern now that the rally is over and people start heading home?
Later on, ABC took to reveling in how angry the President supposedly was over the empty seats. Harris turned to chief White House correspondent and anti-Trump book author Jon Karl to hear what anonymous sources were telling him.
“I am told the President is livid. I asked one of his campaign advisers on a scale of one to ten how mad is the President. The answer I got back, a 15. So, he is furious about this,” Karl boasted. Harris responded with what he probably thought was a witty quip. “Yeah, I didn't know they had 15 on the scale,” he said.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s Good Morning America
June 21, 2020
8:02:21 a.m. EasternDAN HARRIS: The other big headline overnight, President Trump holding that campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, his first since the pandemic hit. Noticeably empty seats in the arena that he promised would be packed. Masks were optional even as six members of Trump's team tested positive for the virus, including two Secret Service agents. ABC’s Rachel Scott, right there in Tulsa covering it all. Rachel, good morning to you.
RACHEL SCOTT: Dan, good morning. It was President Trump's first time back in front of his supporters in more than 100 days. He promised there would not be a single empty seat in the arena behind me. His campaign bragged that they received more than a million ticket requests. But campaign sources tell us they oversold it.
[Cuts to video]
Overnight, President Trump's return to the campaign trail --
(…)
SCOTT: -- getting off to a bumpy start. The Trump campaign said they received more than a million ticket requests. Days ago, the President promised it would be a packed house.
(…)
SCOTT: But inside the arena, empty seats. Outside, the overflow area torn down. A last-minute decision scrapping plans for the President to also address a crowd outdoors. The campaign blamed the lower than expected turn out on protests in the area saying it “interfered with supports even blocking access to the metal detectors which prevented people from entering the rally.”
(…)
SCOTT: Overnight, tense moments between supporters and protesters. Officers firing pepper balls to clear this area as some protesters took their disapproval of the President to the streets.
(…)
MARCUS MOORE: Eva, good morning. While the crowd was smaller than anticipated, there was a lot of people at the rally. Many of them not wearing masks. And that has been a concern for health officials all along. And so, now they'll watch to see how the numbers change in the coming days.
(…)
WHIT JOHNSON: And for more on the coronavirus concerns let's bring in our infectious disease expert and ABC News medical contributor Dr. Todd Ellerin. Dr. Ellerin, good morning. Thanks so much for joining us. First, I want to ask about the President's rally in Tulsa. The crowd wasn't as large as advertised, but you still have thousands of people indoors, shoulder to shoulder, many not wearing masks. From a public health standpoint, what is your biggest concern now that the rally is over and people start heading home?
(…)
8:13:50 a.m. Eastern
HARRIS: So Jon, let’s get right to the news this morning. First, you cover the White House. You have done so for years. What are you hearing about how the President is responding to the smaller than expected crowd in Tulsa overnight?
JON KARL: Well Dan, first you have to consider they were saying there were a million people who requested tickets. And you heard in Rachel's piece the President saying there wouldn't be an empty seat in the house. I am told the President is livid. I asked one of his campaign advisers on a scale of one to ten how mad is the President. The answer I got back, a 15. So, he is furious about this. This was a reboot for his campaign. They hyped the energy. You saw the outside arena was – was – had to be shut down and all those empty seats inside.
HARRIS: Yeah, I didn't know they had 15 on the scale.
(…)
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