The Jersey Shore town where Donald Trump held his raucous rally says reports of crowds of up to 80,000 attendees were actually just the number of people who visited that day.
The former president’s campaign claimed 80,000 supporters attended the waterfront event in Wildwood, one of the most famous landmarks on the Garden State coast.
Trump’s children and Donald himself even boasted that he was drawing larger crowds than Jersey legend Bruce Springsteen could ever manage. Fox News has suggested it was closer to 30,000.
However, a city spokesperson now disputes the numbers Trump boasts about and uses in official reporting by outlets such as the Associated Press.
Lisa Fagan told NJInsider that the 80,000 to even 100,000 figures being circulated were simply the number of people “in our city” that day.
The Jersey Shore town where Donald Trump held his raucous rally says reports of crowds of up to 80,000 were actually just the number of people who visited that weekend.
Wildwood is a famous destination for tourists, especially when the weather warms up, and Fagan says he’s been watching both the rally and several other events in the area.
“We referred the exact count at the beach to the Trump campaign,” adds Fagan.
Mayor Ernie Troiano, Republican who helped secure the location for Trumpfurther clarified the published figures in a statement.
“As a tourist city, we talk about tourist numbers,” he wrote. “When we see that volume of people attending a beach event, we know there are over 80,000 people in our city.”
He said the nearly two-mile boardwalk and five-mile island town receive about 250,000 visitors each weekend during the summer.
“We know what that volume is like,” he added. ‘They were watching and listening from the beach and the promenade, in bars and restaurants, in hotels and second homes. People even lined the streets parade style. “We trust the Trump campaign for the accurate count on the beach.”
Trump opened the rally by saying he planned to compete not only in New Jersey – a traditionally Democratic state – but also in Minnesota and Virginia.
“I don’t know if it could be all of them,” Trump predicted of the states he would win in the November elections. “This guy is so bad it could be all of them.”
The former president’s campaign claimed 80,000 supporters attended the waterfront event in Wildwood, one of the most famous waterfront landmarks in the Garden State.
Trump’s children and Donald himself even boasted that he was drawing larger crowds than Jersey legend Bruce Springsteen could at one point, although Fox News has suggested it was closer to 30,000.
The presumptive Republican nominee peppered his speech with references to the Jersey Shore, while speaking in front of a large Ferris wheel and other amusement park attractions.
‘Let’s talk about hot dogs. In fact, I just had one,” Trump declared. “I just ate a hot dog, it was very good.”
He went on to tell a story about how Frank Sinatra told him not to eat before a performance, but he didn’t follow that advice because he was a “politician,” while his other friend, Italian opera singer Pavarotti, didn’t give him that advice.
Trump then got back to the heart of the message: that hot dogs, hamburgers, gas and everything else are too expensive under President Joe Biden.
“That’s why I don’t eat bacon anymore, it’s too expensive,” Trump offered.
At another point, Trump mentioned the state’s former governor, Chris Christie.
‘Does anyone like Chris Christie?’ he asked the huge crowd.
The no’s sounded everywhere.
However, a city spokesperson now disputes the numbers Trump boasted about that are used in official reports. Lisa Fagan said the 80,000 to 100,000 figures being circulated were simply the number of people “in our town” that day.
The presumptive Republican nominee peppered his speech with references to the Jersey Shore, while speaking in front of a large Ferris wheel and other amusement park attractions.
Christie ran against Trump in the Republican primary earlier this year, as the most prominent anti-Trump Republican.
The former president also highlighted his business ties to Jersey, having previously owned three Atlantic City casinos on the city’s coastal strip.
“I know the coast better than most people here,” Trump boasted several minutes into his speech.
Trump’s most devoted supporters began camping out on Jersey Beach on Thursday night, 48 hours before the former president was scheduled to speak. Fans who arrived early battled wind, some rain and temperatures in the mid-50s, unusually cold for mid-May.
On the nearby boardwalk, stores were packed with MAGA merchandise — hats, T-shirts, shorts and even gold ankle boots — that looked like Trump’s $400 Sneaker Con sneakers.
In the hours before Trump’s speech, several speakers from the MAGA movement took the stage, including North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who said he had flown to New Jersey on the former president’s plane.
Burgum’s inclusion is notable as he is reportedly among the candidates Trump is considering as a vice presidential candidate.
Trump teased that possibility during his speech.
Plumes of fake smoke billowed from the stage as former President Donald Trump entered the site of his Jersey Shore rally Saturday night.
Supporters of former President Donald Trump applaud during the playing of the national anthem before his appearance Saturday in Wildwood.
“Get ready for something, get ready,” said the presumptive Republican candidate.
The rally was held on the oceanfront, between two amusement parks on the boardwalk, and many Trump supporters lay on the sand as they waited for hours for the former president to speak.
An Emerson College end of march survey showed the Democratic president with a five-point lead over Trump in the Garden State, with third-party candidates including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West and Jill Stein.
In a two-person race, Biden beat Trump by six.