The son of former US President Donald Trump’s controversial tour of Australia is on the brink of collapse after confirmation that 70 per cent of tickets purchased for the event have been refunded.
Donald Trump Jr, the eldest son of the presidential candidate and twice-impeached 45th US president, was due to address thousands of people in Brisbane, Victoria and NSW as part of his high-profile ‘Down Under’ tour.
But the planned speaking events have been continuously delayed since they were first announced last year – first from July to September, then again to December and again to an unknown date in the future.
Sir. Trump Jr. claimed the first cancellation was due to a delay in getting a visa from the federal government, even keeping in touch with Home Secretary Clare O’Neil over X, formerly Twitter, after she called him a ‘sore loser’.
Donald Trump Jr, the eldest son of the presidential candidate and twice-impeached 45th US president, was due to address thousands of people in Brisbane, Victoria and NSW as part of his high-profile ‘Down Under’ tour
A new date for the speaking events has not been set and some ticket holders are complaining they have experienced problems getting refunds amid silence from tour operator Turning Point Australia (TPA).
This has led to a furious ticket holder proposing legal action against Donald Trump Jr. and the TPA because of the ongoing postponements, arguing that people who had lost money on the tour deserved some form of compensation.
Of the 8,000 tickets purchased for Mr Trump Jr’s tour, 70 per cent have been refunded in March.
“We became aware of an issue with refunds late last year and have been actively working to resolve it,” TPA founder Joel Jammal told NCA NewsWire.
Jammal said the problem was related to one of the credit card processors used with Ticketbud, an event management and ticketing company based in the United States.
“(It’s) not an uncommon problem when it comes to conservative events,” he said.
The current page for Donald Trump Jr’s Australian tour now displays this message
Ticketek confirmed it was responsible for processing refunds for the Sydney show, while NCA NewsWire understands US-based Ticketbud sold tickets for the scheduled shows in Queensland and Victoria.
Jammal said responsibility for the refunds depended on the venue, the ticket company and the “merchant facilities they use”.
Asked if Trump Jr still planned to visit Australia despite the ongoing delays to the tour, he replied: ‘Don Jr is actively campaigning with his father in the run-up to the 2024 US election and is extremely busy.
‘He wants to return to Australia in the very near future as he said on Twitter/X last year.
“The tickets are directly linked to the venues, and since the venue cannot be held indefinitely without a fixed date, the tickets must be refunded.
‘We are confident these tickets will sell again if/when Don Jr confirms his attendance.’
A Ticketek spokesman said refunds for the Sydney show had been completed.
Around 30 tickets are still outstanding, which the spokesman said related to customers “for whom we need to administer EFT refunds”.
Ticketbud and the Trump Organization were both contacted for comment.
Mr. Trump Jr’s planned tour has been met with outcry, with a Change.org petition calling on the government to deny him a visa gaining 22,806 signatures.
Another petition, with only 12 signatures, calls for legal action against Mr. Trump Jr and TPA due to the delayed tour.
Its organizer, Tyrone S. Murray, claims that no valid reason has been given for the tour’s postponement.
Of the 8,000 tickets purchased for Mr Trump Jr’s tour, 70 per cent have been refunded in March
“Even his so-called special guests have not posted anything or talked about the trip,” reads the petition’s description.
And Trump Jr. has not acknowledged his reprieve or even spoken about it. The only thing Trump Jr. has been ranting about, Hunter Biden is almost every week on his socials.
‘We need to take some legal action to cover all the expenses ticket holders have lost trying to attend Trump Jr’s tour.
“Whether its airfare, hotel expenses, transportation, bookings and even your ticket to the Trump Jr Live Tour.”
Initially, Mr. Trump Jr’s trip rescheduled due to what he claimed was a delay in securing a visa. But Home Secretary Clare O’Neil dismissed this, saying Trump Jr got a visa ‘like everyone else’ and had tried to blame the government for his ‘poor ticket sales’.
Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage and Liberal senator Alex Antic were listed as special guests at Mr. Trump Jr’s tour – originally billed as a ‘landmark’ event
General tickets for the event were priced from $59 for students or concession holders to $89 for general admission.
A private dinner event – with a whopping price tag of $2,500 – includes a pre-show dinner with Mr. Trump Jr, champagne reception and front row seating.
Trump Jr’s planned tour has been met with outcry, with a Change.org petition calling on the government to deny him a visa reaching 22,806 signatures
Initially, Mr. Trump Jr’s trip rescheduled due to what he claimed was a delay in securing a visa.
But Home Secretary Clare O’Neil dismissed this, saying Trump Jr got a visa ‘like everyone else’ and had tried to blame the government for his ‘poor ticket sales’.
In a series of now-deleted tweets, she called Trump Jr a ‘sore loser’ and a ‘big baby who isn’t very popular’.
He returned fire by calling the minister a ‘coward’.
The tour was delayed again in September and an email was sent to ticket holders informing them of ‘last minute scheduling conflicts’.
‘We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,’ the email states.
‘Your existing tickets will automatically be valid for the rescheduled event, so there is no need to do anything if you wish to attend on the new dates.’