Fresh off the embarrassment of a sparse crowd at last week's Great American State Fair rally on the National Mall, Trump has now trained his focus on July Fourth — an event he's hyped as the "most unforgettable birthday party any country has ever seen." But behind closed White House doors, officials are quietly freaking out that nobody will show up.
According to CNN, the lackluster attendance at Trump's previous speech infuriated the president, sparking genuine fears among his staff that Independence Day will be an even more visible flop. Triple-digit heat, tightened security, and a schedule stretching well into Saturday night aren't exactly drawing cards.
"I do not understand why we are doing this so late," one Trump insider told CNN while admitting to an ongoing scramble to fix the timing. "I'm really not sure who thought this was a good idea."
To salvage the optics of a possible repeat from last week at the opening rally, organizers have implemented a ticketing system for the viewing section directly in front of the stage but, CNN is reporting, "... the tickets are free, and another official familiar with the event noted that there is likely to be huge swaths of people who sign up to secure a spot but ultimately don’t show."
Unlike past Independence Day celebrations, attendees won't be allowed to bring coolers onto the mall during what's forecast to be a brutal 100-degree heat wave, the report notes. The massive fireworks display — which organizers are banking will set a new Guinness World Record—won't even begin until nearly midnight.
The president last week implored fans to show up and also lowered expectations, telling rally attendees, "Your favorite president will be speaking. So please show up because if we have two empty seats, you know what's going to happen? The fake news is going to say, 'He didn't fill out the arena.'"