Night one of Donald Trump and Republicans’ “Trump-a-palooza” was a disaster — their podium literally fell apart, Trump’s speech started with awkward technical difficulties, and the attendance and energy inside the convention center were dismal.
SHOT: Amid historically low poll numbers, skyrocketing prices, and their raging war with Iran, Trump and Republicans claimed the first night of their midterm convention was a packed house event full of “great energy” and “great vibes.”
Donald Trump: “This place is packed.”
JD Vance: “But here’s the thing that I think people may not appreciate just from watching it on TV versus being in the room is the level of excitement and enthusiasm on the ground is absolutely unbelievable.”
Mike Johnson: “Yeah, it’s full. I’m looking around. I think every seat all the way to the rafters is full, and there was a long line of people still trying to wait to get inside. So this is the place to be.”
Karoline Leavitt: “This is a packed house full of energy, great vibes.”
Lee Zeldin: “Packed house tonight at the GOP Convention in Dallas, Texas! 💪”
CHASER: While Trump and Republicans tried to cope by convincing themselves that their flop event was a well-attended success, reality said otherwise. There were thousands of empty seats in the stadium throughout the night — Trump even begged attendees not to go to the bathroom during his speech.
