Trump’s ‘Pretty Empty’ Detroit Rally Goes Viral as Critics Pounce on Low Turnout
A video clip featuring a CNN reporter discussing former President Donald Trump’s sparsely attended rally in Detroit has rapidly gained traction online.
With the 2024 election less than three weeks away, both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have been rigorously campaigning across key swing states, including Michigan, to secure last-minute support.
However, a notable moment from Trump’s rally on Friday night sparked widespread attention and criticism.
CNN reporter Alayna Treene appeared on Erin Burnett OutFront from the rally venue roughly 40 minutes before Trump took the stage. Speaking from Detroit, Treene described the scene as less than impressive, noting the underwhelming turnout.
“We’re in this pretty large venue. You can’t really tell, Erin, from where you are. Right behind me, you can see the crowd. But behind the camera where I’m speaking toward, it’s actually pretty empty. They have not been able to fill this,” Treene reported, highlighting the discrepancy between the expected turnout and the reality of the event.
This comment was quickly picked up and shared on social media, causing a firestorm of reactions.
On X (formerly Twitter), a senior digital editor from the liberal news site MeidasTouch, known as Acyn, shared the clip, which garnered over 841,100 views by Saturday morning.
The official MeidasTouch account echoed the sentiment, posting, “CNN reports Trump is UNABLE to fill his Detroit rally.”
This observation set off a wave of criticism and mockery from Trump’s political opponents.
Former Illinois congressman Adam Kinzinger, a Republican who has frequently criticized Trump, chimed in with a post on X, writing, “Haha…times a million infinities.”
Other critics were quick to join the fray. YouTuber and political commentator Harry Sisson, a Democrat, tweeted, “This is BRUTAL for Trump. A CNN reporter at Trump’s rally in Detroit just confirmed that the venue is EMPTY.”
Similarly, an account supporting Harris, called Kamala’s Wins, posted, “CNN just released stunning new reporting that Donald Trump’s rally is empty tonight. Holy cow.”
As crowd sizes have become a consistent talking point during the election, this apparent lack of attendance at Trump’s rally has fueled a public relations battle between the two campaigns.
Harris’ team has often mocked Trump for his rally crowd sizes while proudly pointing to the high turnout at the vice president’s events.
On the other hand, Trump has continuously maintained that he draws larger crowds than Harris, going as far as accusing her of using artificial intelligence (AI) to fabricate images of her supporters.
Earlier this year, Trump accused Harris of doctoring a photograph to inflate the size of the crowd at a rally.
Referring to an image taken at the rally, Trump claimed on social media, “Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she ‘A.I.’d’ it, and showed a massive ‘crowd’ of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN’T EXIST!”
He further criticized Harris, calling the rally turnout “fake” and alleging that she should be disqualified from the election for engaging in “election interference.”
Trump doubled down on the accusation, claiming that the Harris campaign had artificially boosted her support.
“She should be disqualified because the creation of a fake image is ELECTION INTERFERENCE. Anyone who does that will cheat at ANYTHING!” he wrote.
In response to these allegations, a Harris campaign official told Newsweek that the photo in question was authentic.
“I can confirm that the photo was taken by Harris campaign staff and not modified by AI in any way,” the official stated, dismissing Trump’s accusations as baseless.
While both sides continue to clash over crowd sizes and campaign strategies, the viral nature of the Detroit rally video serves as a reminder of how central optics have become in the fight for the White House.
As Election Day draws closer, each campaign will be working to project strength and momentum, with every event scrutinized for signs of either candidate’s popularity or decline.
