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BumRushDaShow

(170,663 posts)
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 10:51 AM 10 hrs ago

Trump greeted by empty seats at Arizona rally leaving supporters 'totally shocked': report

Source: Raw Story

April 18, 2026 7:36AM ET


Donald Trump's ability to pack arenas is evaporating.The president who once filled sports venues across the country couldn't even come close to filling a 4,500-seat Arizona church on Friday night, exposing the dramatic erosion of his political momentum.

According to the Washington Post, Trump was the featured speaker at a Turning Point USA rally in Phoenix at Dream City Church. Despite his boast earlier in the day on Truth Social about addressing a "BIG CROWD," the turnout was sparse and underwhelming.

The attendance numbers tell the story. A Turning Point USA spokeperson claimed only about 3,000 people attended — meaning the church was roughly two-thirds full at best. For a president who once commanded arena-sized audiences, the half-empty megachurch represents a stunning reversal.

The demographic breakdown was equally telling, reports the Post. The megachurch was supposed to be a venue for Trump to drum up support among young voters. Instead, he found an audience whose members skewed older and were focused on divisions within their own party. Even longtime supporters were shocked by the sparse crowd. One Trump voter, Diane Niemann, a retired dental hygienist, told the Post she was "was not planning to come to the Friday event until she saw there was hardly a line to get in." "I'm totally shocked," Niemann said.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-rally-flop/

54 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Trump greeted by empty seats at Arizona rally leaving supporters 'totally shocked': report (Original Post) BumRushDaShow 10 hrs ago OP
Yes,.. totally shocked that everyone is sick of listening to this fabricating prevaricating liar. magicarpet 10 hrs ago #1
Well yes, but also ... they're no longer PAYING people to attend the MAGA rallies FakeNoose 7 hrs ago #42
THANK YOU Skittles 4 hrs ago #50
Totally shocked because she lives in a psychotic fantasy bubble. Irish_Dem 10 hrs ago #2
But the camera didn't capture a crowd of 30,000 waiting outside dalton99a 10 hrs ago #3
The dumbfucks needed 10 years to see what was obvious to us in 2016 Ponietz 10 hrs ago #4
There are SOME rightwing-supporting young people in AZ, but it was Friday night Attilatheblond 10 hrs ago #5
Or maybe they can no longer afford to put gas in the tanks. llmart 10 hrs ago #7
Some might be working on developing bone spurs too. Attilatheblond 9 hrs ago #14
Nice. K&R. ck4829 10 hrs ago #6
Good. electric_blue68 10 hrs ago #8
Wait..... SergeStorms 10 hrs ago #9
That shocked me as well Bayard 9 hrs ago #10
We can report them to the IRS I suppose. But Trump controls that. travelingthrulife 7 hrs ago #37
Was The Widow Erica What's-Her-Name there . . . AverageOldGuy 9 hrs ago #11
She is disgusting! enigmania 9 hrs ago #13
She ran off stage after announcing Trump Amethyst Ring 8 hrs ago #26
Thank Darwin the megachurch in my town lies in a very progressive county in a blue state. An Orange Julius Caesar generalbetrayus 9 hrs ago #12
If they said 3000, it's probably 1000. Scrivener7 9 hrs ago #15
A photo or two would be nice. TheRickles 9 hrs ago #18
google "##### supporters show up for red wall event in Phoenix" niyad 8 hrs ago #22
Thanks. Creepy outside, but no good indoor views to see how big the crowd actually is. TheRickles 8 hrs ago #32
That was my guess. niyad 7 hrs ago #38
Sunno, church looks pretty full to me. 3Hotdogs 2 hrs ago #52
Or a video like the one at the TP event that was litterly empty last week Bengus81 8 hrs ago #25
Yes, I saw that one. Which is why I was surprised/pleased to see that Trump drew a similar crowd. TheRickles 8 hrs ago #31
If you look at that jd video, there is no way there were 2,000 people there. niyad 7 hrs ago #39
This message was self-deleted by its author ShazzieB 4 min ago #54
More like 300. niyad 8 hrs ago #21
This actually makes me smile more than most odins folly 9 hrs ago #16
Firts "4500 seat" churches scare the fuck out of me. 2nd, she didn't attend "because there was hardly a line" Cheezoholic 9 hrs ago #17
I think you misread. The woman quoted wasn't planning on going, until niyad 8 hrs ago #23
That Olsteen church in Houston seats over 16,000. Bengus81 8 hrs ago #27
It's the tribe of stupid. paleotn 7 hrs ago #41
Awww...boo, hoo, hoo, hoo..... electric_blue68 9 hrs ago #19
It's not like he was gonna say anything they never heard before Walleye 8 hrs ago #20
They acted like they were in 2024,walking out on his rallies early Bengus81 8 hrs ago #28
For one, he had to compete against the Phoenix Suns SouthBayDem 8 hrs ago #24
If it was, indeed, 3,000 people, that's still 3,000 people when it should be no more than 30 at this point MIButterfly 8 hrs ago #29
Oh! Oh! I haz a sad! Grim Chieftain 8 hrs ago #30
Let me broad brush this. BidenRocks 8 hrs ago #33
That MAGAt is a special kind of stupid. RockRaven 8 hrs ago #34
Biden's Fault. twodogsbarking 7 hrs ago #35
How does this not violate their tax free status? travelingthrulife 7 hrs ago #36
exactly! niyad 7 hrs ago #40
They were all at Four Seasons Landscaping, with Rudy and Kash. A drunken bash. twodogsbarking 6 hrs ago #43
Seriously? Totally shocked? ananda 5 hrs ago #44
You made a typo. it should be "the half-empty magachurch". Wonder Why 5 hrs ago #45
With BumRushDaShow 5 hrs ago #46
"Church" my Democratic Cha 5 hrs ago #47
Imagine deliberately showing up, in person, to a "rally" headlined by a child rapist* like flvegan 5 hrs ago #48
3000 in attendance, huh? Wednesdays 4 hrs ago #49
I hate seeing young people there. IcyPeas 4 hrs ago #51
I thought about moving to AZ RainCaster 22 min ago #53

magicarpet

(18,864 posts)
1. Yes,.. totally shocked that everyone is sick of listening to this fabricating prevaricating liar.
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 11:00 AM
10 hrs ago

Except the hardcore MAGA Meatheads.

FakeNoose

(41,936 posts)
42. Well yes, but also ... they're no longer PAYING people to attend the MAGA rallies
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 02:37 PM
7 hrs ago

It's just a guess, but doesn't it look like THAT was the reason for all the people coming before his election?
They showed up to get paid, and then they left. Now they aren't even showing up.

And people are surprised?

Skittles

(172,159 posts)
50. THANK YOU
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 04:55 PM
4 hrs ago

JFC, why would anyone have to GO ANYWHERE to see and hear him, he's in our face EVERY FUCKING DAY

Attilatheblond

(9,026 posts)
5. There are SOME rightwing-supporting young people in AZ, but it was Friday night
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 11:19 AM
10 hrs ago

Whoever planned this shindig didn't think several things thru.

Also, there was a recall of a lot of F150 pickup trucks, so some of those baby boyz might have been without wheels.

SergeStorms

(20,684 posts)
9. Wait.....
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 11:35 AM
10 hrs ago

A 4,500 seat freaking church! And they're hosting a partisan political rally? WTF!

It's past the point where these "christian" nationalists should have their tax-exempt status revoked.

This is freaking sickening!

Bayard

(29,928 posts)
10. That shocked me as well
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 11:48 AM
9 hrs ago

That's a stadium--not a church. No way they should be tax-exempt. Wonder what they charged to get into this event? Maybe the crowd thought he would show up as Jesus.

travelingthrulife

(5,325 posts)
37. We can report them to the IRS I suppose. But Trump controls that.
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 01:52 PM
7 hrs ago

We need to expand the IRS again so they can go after these religious violations of their tax status.

AverageOldGuy

(3,993 posts)
11. Was The Widow Erica What's-Her-Name there . . .
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 11:52 AM
9 hrs ago

. . . in her skin-tight widow's leather pants, stiletto heels, and see-through blouse?

generalbetrayus

(1,911 posts)
12. Thank Darwin the megachurch in my town lies in a very progressive county in a blue state. An Orange Julius Caesar
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 11:54 AM
9 hrs ago

appearance at our megachurch would have 50 times the number of people outside hurling epithets than the number of people inside praising their Lord and Savior Donald Trump.

niyad

(133,080 posts)
22. google "##### supporters show up for red wall event in Phoenix"
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 01:01 PM
8 hrs ago

on the AZ central web page. 24 images. creeeeepy.

TheRickles

(3,435 posts)
32. Thanks. Creepy outside, but no good indoor views to see how big the crowd actually is.
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 01:32 PM
8 hrs ago

Which I suppose suggests that it was a small crowd, too embarrassing to show.

Bengus81

(10,238 posts)
25. Or a video like the one at the TP event that was litterly empty last week
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 01:14 PM
8 hrs ago

So empty that grifter Kirk left JD to BS the few people.

TheRickles

(3,435 posts)
31. Yes, I saw that one. Which is why I was surprised/pleased to see that Trump drew a similar crowd.
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 01:29 PM
8 hrs ago

niyad

(133,080 posts)
39. If you look at that jd video, there is no way there were 2,000 people there.
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 02:11 PM
7 hrs ago

Barely 200, more like.

Response to TheRickles (Reply #18)

odins folly

(617 posts)
16. This actually makes me smile more than most
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 12:21 PM
9 hrs ago

We went to see Bruce on Thursday night, downtown Phoenix, venue has a 12k+ seating for concerts, can’t find out how many seats were sold but it looked packed from where we were. Didn’t see or hear any negative voices for his message, so that then the dismal turnout for the hitler youth turning point rally really makes me believe that AZ is actually turning the corner…

😃😅

Cheezoholic

(3,786 posts)
17. Firts "4500 seat" churches scare the fuck out of me. 2nd, she didn't attend "because there was hardly a line"
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 12:24 PM
9 hrs ago

That's all you need to know about these people. Vanity.

niyad

(133,080 posts)
23. I think you misread. The woman quoted wasn't planning on going, until
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 01:04 PM
8 hrs ago

she saw that there was hardly a line, which shocked her.

Walleye

(45,075 posts)
20. It's not like he was gonna say anything they never heard before
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 12:49 PM
8 hrs ago

Do you think they’re actually getting tired of the repetition. That would be nice

Bengus81

(10,238 posts)
28. They acted like they were in 2024,walking out on his rallies early
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 01:18 PM
8 hrs ago

Then...go vote for his orange ass anyway.

SouthBayDem

(33,311 posts)
24. For one, he had to compete against the Phoenix Suns
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 01:06 PM
8 hrs ago

whooping my Golden State Warriors. The Diamondbacks won last night too over Toronto.

MIButterfly

(2,879 posts)
29. If it was, indeed, 3,000 people, that's still 3,000 people when it should be no more than 30 at this point
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 01:19 PM
8 hrs ago

I understand that 3,000 in a room that holds 4,500 is not a large turnout, but 3,000 sounds like way too many that still believe in him.

What will it take for people to wake up? If they haven't by now, they never will. It must be a cult, only usually cult leaders are charismatic. DJT doesn't have a charismatic bone in his body.

Edited to add: I personally can't believe anyone would actually leave their house, get in their car and drive to see him. I don't even want to want to see him on my TV and that's just across the room.

BidenRocks

(3,365 posts)
33. Let me broad brush this.
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 01:34 PM
8 hrs ago

How many (other than white) folk were in attendance.
Go to a rally, get deported!

Where was his private army? ICE had to be there for the chickenshit warhawk!

RockRaven

(19,547 posts)
34. That MAGAt is a special kind of stupid.
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 01:37 PM
8 hrs ago

If you don't understand that people, even MAGAts, are disillusioned then you are beyond reaching.

Cha

(319,539 posts)
47. "Church" my Democratic
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 04:10 PM
5 hrs ago

: donkey: Promoting a PEDO, Homicidal Maniac, Rapist, Treasonous asshole.. what kind of "church" is that?

This is the WaPo? What will Greedy Zombie Bezos think about his Cult god getting racked with real reporting?

flvegan

(66,365 posts)
48. Imagine deliberately showing up, in person, to a "rally" headlined by a child rapist* like
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 04:40 PM
5 hrs ago

"that's my guy, right there, and I'm here for him" type of thing.

What utter shit people. I mean stupid is stupid, and that's unfortunate, but there's a line you have to cross to become an utterly useless, waste of humanity shit person.

*allegedly, of course

Wednesdays

(22,810 posts)
49. 3000 in attendance, huh?
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 04:46 PM
4 hrs ago

I've seen better attendance at junior high school basketball games.

IcyPeas

(25,596 posts)
51. I hate seeing young people there.
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 05:03 PM
4 hrs ago

Ask them why they're there.

Ask them a history question.

Ask them to name all the wars he's stopped.



RainCaster

(13,769 posts)
53. I thought about moving to AZ
Sat Apr 18, 2026, 09:20 PM
22 min ago

But then I visited this spring and saw way too many ugly people, as defined by the bumper stickers on their golf carts. Nope, not for me.

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