Trump claimed they were hanging off the rafters at CPAC for his speech, but a reporter on the scene said the ballroom was about 85% full.
Tom LoBianco of Yahoo News tweeted this picture as Trump took the stage:
Trump soundtrack playing and Trump taking the stage at #cpac pic.twitter.com/yPwCGxS4dt
— Tom LoBianco (@tomlobianco) March 4, 2023
LoBianco reported that the ballroom was 85% full as Trump took the stage:
Ballroom about 85 pct filled for Trump speech at #cpac
— Tom LoBianco (@tomlobianco) March 4, 2023
Most of the other speakers at CPAC drew crowds that were half full or less, so 85% is easily the biggest crowd of the conference. The problem is that CPAC has basically been described as a Trump event. It is full of his supporters. Trump won the presidential straw poll 60%-20% over Ron DeSantis, so this is a heavy, heavy Trump crowd, and he still could not fill up a ballroom, even though they failed former president claimed that “thousands and thousands” of people were there.
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If Trump can’t fill up CPAC, that is an ominous sign for his general election ability. Trump’s supporters have been described as cult-like. His support remains intense and probably large enough to win the Republican presidential primary.
The energy in the room has been described as lower than in previous Trump CPAC appearances. If Trump was a movie franchise, he would be close to his direct-to-video phase.
Trump might be running on fumes, but he still appears to be stronger than any of the other GOP presidential candidates.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association