Trump was reportedly unable to fill the ballroom at CPAC

Trump claimed they would be hanging from the rafters for his speech at CPAC, but a reporter at the scene said the ballroom was about 85% full.

Yahoo News’ Tom LoBianco tweeted this image as Trump took the stage:

Trump soundtrack plays and Trump takes the stage at #cpac pic.twitter.com/yPwCGxS4dt

— Tom LoBianco (@tomlobianco) March 4, 2023

LoBianco reported that the ballroom was 85% full when Trump took the stage:

Ballroom about 85 percent full for Trump’s speech at #cpac

— Tom LoBianco (@tomlobianco) March 4, 2023

Most of the other speakers at CPAC drew crowds that were half full or less, making 85% the largest crowd at the conference by far. The problem is that CPAC was basically described as a Trump event. It’s full of its followers. Trump won the Presidential straw poll 60%-20% over Ron DeSantis, so this is a big, heavy Trump crowd, and he still hasn’t been able to fill a ballroom, despite the former president’s claims of “thousands and thousands” of people failed there.

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If Trump fails to fill CPAC, it’s an ominous sign of his overall voting prowess. Trump’s supporters have been described as sectarian. His support remains intense and likely large enough to win the Republican presidential primary.

The energy in the room was described as lower than previous Trump CPAC appearances. If Trump were a movie franchise, he’d be nearing his direct-to-video stage.

Trump may be running on steam, but he still seems stronger than any of the other GOP presidential contenders.

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House press pool and congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His thesis focused on public policy with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and professional memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association