Former President Donald Trump has long been known for his emphatic claims about the size and enthusiasm of the crowds at his rallies. His recent political rally in the Bronx on Thursday was no exception.
Trump repeatedly boasted about the large turnout, suggesting that the event was a significant success. However, an investigative report by ABC7’s Jim Dolan painted a different picture, raising questions about the actual size of the crowd and the origins of the attendees.
In his report, Dolan provided a critical and detailed analysis of the rally, which diverged sharply from the typical partisan narratives often seen in cable news coverage. He began by capturing the sentiments of local Bronx residents who had come to protest Trump’s presence.
One protester did not mince words, stating, “First of all, he’s a big fat bigot and he just doesn’t have any love in his heart for anyone, anyone of color, anyone who’s in the LGBTQ plus community.” Another protester added, “He’s a crook, a liar, and a cheat. And he tries to make money off people. And that’s what he’s doing right now.”
Dolan’s segment included b-roll footage that starkly contrasted with Trump’s claims of a massive crowd. The overhead shots shown to viewers during the report, which aired at 11:09 PM local time, revealed a far less impressive gathering than Trump had described. This visual evidence called into question the veracity of Trump’s statements regarding the turnout.
Moreover, Dolan investigated the origins of the rally attendees. With the assistance of an unnamed professor, he discovered that many of the pro-Trump supporters were not locals. The professor remarked, “They’re all from out of state.
Go out there. Look at all them. Call that a pocket check out of where they came from. Tennessee. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas.” This insight was supported by Dolan’s own observations and interviews. He found only one pro-Trump attendee from New York City, and even he was from Queens, not the Bronx.
Dolan’s report suggested that the Trump campaign had exercised strict control over who could attend the rally, ensuring that only supporters were present. This practice raises questions about the authenticity of the event as a genuine reflection of local support. By bringing in supporters from out of state, the campaign created an image of widespread enthusiasm that did not necessarily reflect the sentiments of the Bronx community.
“Donald Trump can now say he held a rally in the South Bronx, home to immigrants and minority communities, and that it was well attended,” Dolan concluded. “It’s just not clear that the people who attended were from the Bronx. The campaign controlled who got in, and the campaign, of course, picked only supporters.”
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This critical examination by Dolan underscores the importance of scrutinizing political claims and looking beyond surface-level appearances. While Trump can claim to have held a rally in the Bronx, the reality of who attended and how the event was orchestrated tells a more nuanced story. The discrepancy between Trump’s boasts and the actual turnout highlighted by Dolan’s report serves as a reminder of the need for rigorous and impartial journalism in the political arena.