President Trump Is Very Insecure About The Size Of His Inauguration Crowd
“Honestly, It Looked Like A Million And A Half People,” He Claims
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmLi0hB9SMw
Speaking at the hallowed ground of the CIA Memorial Wall on Saturday, President Donald Trump used the occasion to deliver what was essentially a vindictive campaign speech.
Addressing about 300 CIA employees, Trump blasted the media for allegedly lying about the crowd size at his inauguration, calling reporters “among the most dishonest human beings on earth.” He went on to claim that as many as 1.5 million people attended the inauguration, while independent estimates put the crowd size at only 250,000.Â
“We had a massive field of people, packed,” Trump said. “I get up this morning, I turn on one of the networks, and they show an empty field. I said wait a minute, I made a speech, I looked out, the field was — it looked like a million, a million and a half people. They showed a field and there was practically no one standing there.
“Honestly, it looked like a million and a half people,” he added. “Whatever it was it was, but it went all the way back to the Washington monument. … [They said] we drew 250,00. Now that’s not bad, but it’s a lie.”Â
The Democratic National Committee responded to Trump’s speech with a blistering statement.Â
“After he finished ranting about crowd sizes on the National Mall, I hope President Trump sat down for an interview with the CIA to help with their investigation into his team’s possible collusion with the Kremlin to win the election,” DNC senior adviser Zac Petkanas said. “Next, he can sit down with the FBI who have sought warrants to monitor his team for the same reason.”Â
More reactions from Twitter below.Â
Highlights from the pool report on Trump’s speech at CIA headquarters pic.twitter.com/UbFK7p2ITj
— Josh Greenman (@joshgreenman) January 21, 2017
He’s off by 400%-600%. This is a readily available fact that the president is choosing to lie about. https://t.co/tmDKEdNdB8
— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) January 21, 2017
Donald Trump is literally lying to the CIA that the inauguration crowd went all the way back to the Washington Monument.
— Benjamin Pauker (@benpauker) January 21, 2017
Trump today: “We had a massive field of people. You saw them. Packed.”
Yesterday: pic.twitter.com/GZEtBn5ydm— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) January 21, 2017
Trump has now spent more time LYING* to the CIA about the purported size of his inauguration crowds than he did about fighting ISIS
*fixed https://t.co/hxwCEA3UDW— Seahawk Sneak (@word_34) January 21, 2017
To be able to stand before that wall, in that place, and feel no humility is truly something. https://t.co/rP70vd8DeL
— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) January 21, 2017
As @jimsciutto notes, this is hallowed ground – literally a memorial to the many unnamed people who have died in the line of duty. https://t.co/Qx7qYFUDom
— Dan Merica (@danmericaCNN) January 21, 2017
Trump seems to be setting up another dishonest media attack to denounce/distract from women’s march coverage he must know is coming…
— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) January 21, 2017
This man is stunningly insecure. And this shtick is not going to work for four years. https://t.co/R3v8F3OHHF
— Gregg Carlstrom (@glcarlstrom) January 21, 2017
And you may not think it’s a big deal. But if you’re lying about something as trivial as your crowd size, what else are you lying about?
— Matt Viser (@mviser) January 21, 2017
Trump talking at CIA prattles on about “dishonest media” & how he’s been on Time magazine cover more than Tom Brady. This is nuts.
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) January 21, 2017
@LouiseMensch Obviously Team Trump is very insecure about his crowd numbers today. And about other things.
— Mark R. Yzaguirre (@markyzaguirre) January 21, 2017
anyone surprised by Trump’s speech at the CIA is willfully ignorant at this juncture. This is who he is. And how he acts
— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) January 21, 2017
This guy is seriously delusional — incapable of accepting anything that hurts his ego. And he controls nukes. https://t.co/yMEHL0mlZf pic.twitter.com/OKGGYKnElu
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) January 21, 2017
This CIA speech is loony tunes even by Trump standards. I… It’s… Nonsense sidecar pepperoni turquoise mittens.
— Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) January 21, 2017

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