The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.
© 2017 AFPTrump, spokesman slam U.S. media over inauguration crowd coverage
WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.
© 2017 AFP
72 Comments
Login to comment
SuperLib
So there's that.
as_the_crow_flies
“These attempts to lessen the enthusiasm of the inauguration are shameful and wrong".
...And expect shortly to have your doors kicked down at 4am as you are rendered to a re-education camp for reprogramming.
Strangerland
Trump once again forgets that everything is on the internet. Here's the comparison of Obama's inauguration and Trump's: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C2oW1tcXUAAW3b1.jpg
This is some scary stuff. He's talking about retaliation, based on reporting the truth. I don't care what side of the political spectrum you're on, this should be concerning.
I wonder how Trump supporters are going to deal with this. They just spent a few weeks entirely condemning the CIA and talking about how they needed to be dismantled and removed. Now Trump is suddenly trying to work with them. Do his supporters back off on the rhetoric they've been speaking and support their boss, or do they stand up for what they said was right (who knows if they were actually thinking it) and continue the anti-CIA stance? Either way produces a dilemma - admit they were wrong, or go against their leader.
Pukey2
Yeah, the background picture Trump used on Twitter showed there were so many people there. Oh wait, that picture was replaced after it was discovered to be a photo taken during Obama's inauguration ceremony.
Anyway, I'm sure there was also the one token black guy, Asian woman, one guy in a wheelchair, one lesbian, a Hispanic and throw in someone who wore a turban.
False news = news you don't like.
Jimizo
Didn't Trump also see thousands of Muslims dancing on 7/11?
The circus is underway....
FizzBit
Here we go. The MSM trying to set the narrative. Just like Spicer said, shouldn't we be reading about the 4 minute standing ovation at Langley and Trump promising them that he has "their back"? Nope...GO NEGATIVE!
Really AFP?! Is that all you got?
Disgusting corporate MSM and all the fools who follow their horseshit dumbing down the people.
Raw Beer
US MSM is quickly becoming irrelevant.
Simon Foston
Raw BeerJAN. 22, 2017 - 01:50PM JST
I don't really see how that can be, because if you're implying that they're pro-liberal and anti-Trump... well, that does kind of reflect how people voted in the Presidential Election, doesn't it?
FizzBit
What, you mean the "white areas" that were covered so people wouldn't walk on the protected grass? Fail
Because it probably IS fake news as proven by the fake reporting of crowds when the Mall was covered with protective sheets. Fail
It's a dumbed down effect that many fall for this crap, including plasticmonkey.
elephant200
Trump loves FOX channel only.
PTownsend
To you? Which media outlets would you consider relevant? I consider Rupert Murdoch's global empire to be cornerstone to corporate media. Do you think his electronic and print publications are also irrelevant? How about Putin's global media empire? In Russia, do you consider it mainstream? Or perhaps the only stream?
FizzBit
Here we go. The MSM trying to set the narrative. Just like Spicer said, shouldn't we be reading about the 4 minute standing ovation at Langley and Trump promising them that he has "their back"?
Nope...GO NEGATIVE!
The "white areas" in the photo were covered so people wouldn't walk on the protected grass. But that didn't stop the establishment corporate MSM from trying make "fake news" by trying to say that Trump's crowds were less than Obama's.
CrazyJoe
People who constantly lie usually do have a problem with the media.
FizzBit
@Jizmo
I could accept your criticism of Trump if you had a balanced objective opinion, but you don't. You can try to criticize Trump for lies in the future, while letting your warmongering ex-president go free because the MSM won't talk about the death and destruction he's inflicted upon many. You see, some will never follow the MSM, so we know what an evil person Obama is. But according to CNN, and you, he's an angel.
SuperLib
sigh
Where do these people come from?
Laguna
Stranger, just like Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia, the three fictional superstates in Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four which go through a perpetual dance of being allies and enemies requiring a continuous whitewash of history, they won't: Whether things happened or not is immaterial; all that matters is Trump's current mindset. Whatever Trump says they take as gospel even if it contradicts what he said yesterday (or even their own senses).
goldorak
I was surprised at DT and Spicer vehement reactions. Perso I don't read too much into crowds, far too many imponderables. Poor weather clearly didn't help. It's also fair to say that DT's supporters are more 'rural' than say Obama's and going to DC may not be as easy for many/most (from what I have read B. Clinton in 1993 also drew big numbers: demos are more urban than reps, may help explain some numbers perhaps?).
Also think that Obama's inauguration, especially 2009, was such a milestone in US history that it will be extremely difficult for anyone to come close.
In any case I think DT should have taken it on the chin (fake news or not) and moved on instead of trying to fight a lost (and irrelevant) battle he was never going to win anyway. Everyone will have forgotten these numbers if he gets the results he has promised during the campaign so why bother really?
donkusai
I think, in many ways, the Trump administration has a point. The numbers are down? So what. Is that really a big issue? More important than what Trump said at his inauguration?
Of course, in true Trump style, the high ground was immediately forfeited by a lie of their own: '“This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period!” Spicer said'. If you're going to berate the media for not sticking to the facts (and they should be berated if they focus on trivialities instead of the important issues), but follow it up with a statement that is also clearly false, it really undermines any credibility you're trying to create. But I guess, generally speaking, credibility is in short supply these days...
nishikat
But they were. Just use your eyes and check. There really are no people at those big white spaces (but could there be????? keep reading). Trump followers think there was a real crowd just like they think his orange hair is real. By the way- they also think that Obama was born in Kenya. But it seems now that Trump followers believe in invisible people. Perhaps if enough invisible people attended the event then you might be able to compare Trump's numbers to Obama's. Could that be it? Lots of invisible people at Trump's inauguration? What would Sean Spicer say?
globalwatcher
As I wrote as listed above, Trump has just signed tons of papers today. Please read very carefully what the Republicans and Trump want to accomplish. They are trying to pull America out of United Nations. This is a bad idea. Please share this and stop this nonsense. We are in big trouble.
nishikat
When questioned about low turnout why didn't Sean Spicer just say we need to address other issues now and I'm not here to address that. He made the Trump WH look really stupid (and it makes people believe that invisible people really do exist). What a bunch of whiny babies.
Laguna
By itself, no. Two points make it somewhat important.
First is the yuuuge number of women and men who turned out across America to protest GOP policies. This demonstrates that American liberalism, while down, is far from out - and is recovering quickly. Trump will receive no honeymoon; he and his Congressional cohorts will be fought from day one, all the way to 2018 - and that will give GOP congressmen pause.
Second is the pettiness and lies. Trump could have ignored this but instead lashed out himself and clearly instructed his press secretary (who is probably realizing now he has the worst of this job type since Baghdad Bob - loved how he segued from emphasizing no data is available to claiming it was the most heavily-watched inauguration ever) to directly castigate the press. Spicer's conference wasn't for the American people; it was a warning to free media. Fawn over Trump and you'll have access; point out his lies and he'll make your life difficult.
His first weekend, and already Nixonian.
Raw Beer
I agree that the MSM was still relevant during the election, and it's the only reason Clinton managed to get so many votes. But people are quickly realizing how biased and dishonest the MSM is, and therefore quickly becoming irrelevant.
But this is nothing new. Seriously, has the MSM ever been right about anything? I am sure that everyone who trusted the MSM actually expected WMDs to be found in Iraq...
PTownsend
Is this a serious question? Anyone with a modicum of intelligence knows that what's reported by corporate media, or any media for that matter, needs to be questioned. But the only reason I can see someone would ask your question is to try to totally undermine media to those unable to reason for themselves, which it appears right wingers worldwide, including Russians, want to do.
If what you call MSM can never be 'right about anything', which media outlets do you read or listen to? Do you 'seriously' think TASS is objective and tells the truth?
donkusai
This comment is hilarious. For it to be even remotely true, the moon landing must never have happened (it was reported in the MSM), nor any world wars. Clear ISIS isn't a real thing, nor Christmas, the weather, and obviously all sport doesn't exist and is a MSM lie. I think we've found here what is irrelevant, and it isn't the MSM...
peterl
In Obama's 2013 second inauguration, floor coverings were used as well, but that didn't stop Spicer from lying that this was the first time floor coverings were used.
Another thing from his tirade is that Spicer implied that the Trump administration would from here on out only deal with press that show Trump in a favorable and positive way. I guess Trump and his cronies will start producing "fake news" in order to accomplish this feat.
TumbleDry
I wouldn't worry less about the turnout than actually having already on the 2nd the WH press secretary call the press, scolding them on top of stating wrong info.
plasticmonkey
Who specifically is "they"?
Madverts
Heh. First weekend on the job seems pretty much what we were expecting. So much for the "ratings machine" more like a ranting machine.
It's gotta hurt the egotistical man-baby pretty bad this kind of news. No wonder he's in meltdown. Barry's gone but he's still laughing.
And to think poor little Trump was denied his North Korean style military parade with missiles and tanks. The Republican party is insane.
Strangerland
Wait, I heard Trump was president from the MSM. Do you mean he isn't actually president?
Please let that be true.
1glenn
The Chump is a fan of reality TV, but not a fan of actual reality.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/20/us/politics/trump-inauguration-crowd.html?action=click&contentCollection=Politics&module=Trending&version=Full%C2%AEion=Marginalia&pgtype=article
Laptop_Warrior
Trump's delusions are pathological, and, equally worrisome, contagious. Mr. Pence might be taking charge of the government before the start of the baseball season.
Miyam_Musashi
Granted arguably that Obama had a larger crowd, what with lax security, the absence of loonies and thugs hampering public transportation and all, how many of the enthusiastic masses, including republicans and independents, who hailed the false "messiah" d'ya think had buyers' remorse?
President Trump has a yyyuuge job before him. Let's give him the benefit of a doubt, as given graciously to Mr. Obama.
lostrune2
Why is this so important to him? There's other work to do! He wasted his very first press conference for this?
Obama's inauguration is an once-in-a-lifetime event as well as for other reasons - of course it'd have a bigger crowd (it's the first time a colored person became US President and there can only be one first-time, Obama had more votes than either Hillary or Trump, Trump's nearly 31M TV ratings came 7M short of Obama's 2009 inauguration and almost 11M fewer viewers than Reagan's in 1981, etc)
WH press secretary Spicer should've stayed though and provided his own numbers - ya don't just say it and people would just believe ya just because ya said it. Provide some numbers and where ya got it
hokkaidoguy
@strangerland
If I'm not mistaken, that picture (which is in heavy rotation on Japanese TV) was taken about an hour before the event.
CNN has a zoomable gigapixel image on their site here: http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2017/01/politics/trump-inauguration-gigapixel/
You can clearly see that the crowds extend all the way to the white building at the bottom of the photo you posted.
nath
Media is not subservient to any Presidents any where on the world sir, it just covers ad reports; if Mr Trump has doubts, replay videos and count how many were there on the day of his lozy inauguration on 20th; yea media just could have boycotted the inauguration he could not force media to cover him as Media too enjoys as much freedom he enjoys.sorry Mr Trump, world will o't take your call and accusation sir. sorry.
presto345
Everything which does not turn out the way the trump wants or sees it is blamed on the media or other 'liars'. He is trying so hard to become recognized and popular but failing miserably. The only one who is permitted to bend the truth is, you guessed it, is the new leader of a great nation.
albaleo
I have to agree with hokkaidoguy. Assuming the CNN picture wasn't doctored, it shows far more people than in the one being shown on the BBC, which I think is the same one that hokkaidoguy is referring to. One difference between the inaugurations are the large tents on a piece of ground this year that was occupied by spectators at the Obama inauguration.
Strangerland
All sorts of excuses by the right about why Donald couldn't rustle up many supporters.
None of said excuses recognizing that over half the country disapproves of him, and that he only got the vote from just over 25% of the people.
Donald didn't have so many people show up, because the people just don't really like him.
albaleo
I take it that number is based on those eligible to vote. I don't have that figure, but if based on the total US population in the respective election years, Obama got 21% in 2012 and Trump got 19.5% in 2016. Neither number looks very flattering in those terms.
Trump won more states than Clinton, even if he had fewer votes. He also won more electoral college members. That's how the system works, and I don't really see anything fundamentally wrong with it. If you are going to have a federation of states, it's probably not advisable to allow some states' views to become irrelevant.
lostrune2
The Washington DC Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) official twitter:
https://mobile.twitter.com/wmata/status/822482330346487810
(That's their official tweet, straight from them)
Time lapse movie of the Mall at inauguration day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdantUf5tXg
Things can have different perspectives from different angles. When you're close to the ground, perspective can look like a constant carpet of people all the way to the horizon. But when ya look from above, perspective can see the gaps that ya can't see while on the ground.
Even taking Trump at his word --at his CIA speech, he stated "it looked like a million, a million and a half people"-- even taking the high point he mentioned of 1.5 million, his own number still wouldn't be enough - there was 1.8 million at Obama's 2009 inauguration.
BTW, something suspicious:
"The Interior Department reactivated its official Twitter accounts early Saturday after an abrupt shutdown following shares of two tweets during the inauguration the agency considered unsympathetic to President Trump."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/01/20/interior-department-banned-from-twitter-after-retweet-of-smaller-than-usual-trump-inauguration-crowd/
Then ask this: why does he care so much that he wasted his very first press conference of his presidency on this?
If working middle class families who are too busy on a Friday morning to take 4 hours off to attend a political inauguration are what matters to him, then why is this so important to him?
Answers, please.
Apparently people who matters so much to Trump
Serrano
"the coverage of the inauguration, which many outlets said fell well short of Obama’s 2009 inaugural in terms of crowd size. A comparison of aerial photos taken on January 20, 2009 and Friday appear to bear that out."
Yeah, a lot of people are busy looking for work.
Oh my...
THANKS JUDGE! TRUMP IS WELL ON HIS WAY TO BECOMING THE BEST PRESIDENT WE HAVE HAD!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBAJQ-SD62w
Serrano
" commenting on the size of crowds is not really in the job description"
It's OK for the press, though, lol, in any case, during the campaign, Trump consistently drew WAY bigger crowds than Hillary, and that may have something to do with his winning the election. Hee hee!
gcbel
Nobody cares what the crowd size was; biggest turnout or lowest. The story really is the asinine response from the White House. Is this the bush league WH house what we can expect for the 2-4 years?
u_s__reamer
Poor old, misunderstood Trumpkin also had to compete with the great DC marijuana give-away. Thousands stayed away lining up for a free toke instead of attending the kitschy circus at the Capitol, so boring that even the President-elect's mind appeared to wander off at times. Or is Trump just another aging president with an attention deficit disorder? Luckily for him, he will have Javanka in the Oval Office to tell him what the time is.
TumbleDry
That's a bit early, no?
He hasn't done much yet to tell anything...
Pukey2
Yeah! Sent by god himself! Amen!
lostrune2
Yet Hillary still ended up with more people voting for her, so the silent majority still voted for her. So what does that say about big crowds - probably nothing. Trump got more votes though on the battleground states, so he won.
That's just it - I don't care; even Burning Bush doesn't care; so why does Trump care? There's one level, and there's a whole 'nother level that he wasted the very first press conference of his presidency just on this. People wouldn't have cared about this - except Trump made everyone care.
It's because he over-promised. In the days leading to the inauguration, he mentioned it'll be a record crowd that nobody has seen before. Nobody really cares if it's a record crowd or not, but he made himself care. He over-promised and under-delivered. Compare that to the Women's March the next day who under-promised but over-delivered, so they're getting compliments on the turnout. Trump ran smack into the rule of expectations - under-promise so ya can over-deliver.
toshiko
Could be largest. Entrance fee weas lonely fifty dollars to with top artisd in nation media guys reported.
ClippetyClop
A bunch of infants have seized the crown and are insisting that they are really popular and cooler than the previous fellow. He probably has more girlfriends and a better car too. The conclusion is that there were more people there than for Obama's bash. But just in case there weren't it was because they were all working. Except Obama put them all out of work. And something about the grass being visible. Two days in, already a shambles.
Serrano
"He hasn't done much yet to tell anything..."
Carrier? Ford? The stock market?
We took America back at noon on Jan.20.
Lizz
If I'm not mistaken, that picture (which is in heavy rotation on Japanese TV) was taken about an hour before the event.
That is what I heard as well. People were late arriving due to the protests but once it got underway the grounds were pretty much full.
mukashiyokatta
Slam all you like ... this is only the beginning! Down with fascism!
gkamburoff
Can we crowd-fund a billboard somewhere he is likely to see it with those two photos side-by-side?
Lizz
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/01/21/definitive-cnn-gigapixel-image-of-crowd-during-trump-inauguration-speech-confirms-sean-spicer-correct/
sf2k
hahahahahahaha. Trump and the USA is a complete joke and can't even understand a photo. Or the empty stands they themselves walked past not even to the sound of crickets.
The human eye can only gauge up to a certain distance. While Trump's proximity was full, it petered out considerably and doesn't hold a candle to photo evidence of Obama's inauguration.
The world is laughing at the superior intellect. Might as well add a laugh track to every Trump troll post and televised briefing
ThePBot
Maybe they mistook the protesters for his audience........
Suzu1
It is stupid for the Trump spokesman to get bogged down in a argument over crowd size. Sean Spicer is not going to last long in that position. However, the mass media's treatment of the inauguration was hysterical and, yes, divisive. The false report that Trump had removed the bust of MLK Jr. from the Oval Office was irresponsible and inflammatory. Then there was the widely carried story of all references to climate change being removed from the White House website - leaving out the fact that everything had been taken down from the website as the new webmasters took over. The media spun Trump's speech as gloomy and "dystopian" when, in fact, his description of the current state of the nation was very similar to that laid out by Obama in his 2008 inauguration speech. The most hysterical reaction to Trump's speech came from the CNN reporter who somehow found it "anti-Semitic" despite the fact that it followed the first invocation prayer by an orthodox Jewish rabbi and the presence on the stage of Trump's own Jewish daughter and her Jewish husband. Finally, the crowd size argument left out that violent protestors in DC had shut down entrance points for the inauguration crowd and CNN had run stories predicting mass violence. No wonder people would think twice of attending. The real irony is that the streets of DC had black clad violent extremists breaking windows and attacking people because of their political affiliation in the name of fighting "fascism". They really need to look in the mirror.
sf2k
Trump also lied 32 times on his first day. His lies have lies he lies so much.
The fight will continue as long as Trump and his sycophants continue to exist and forge a new nation.
With any luck the world of Bernie Sanders is a lot closer now, but also unfortunately the darkest before the dawn
President Warren will be something
Lizz
They really need to look in the mirror.
But at least no one is talking about the women today, right ?
toshiko
Stage shows entertained we who watched long hours. Medias guessed blue c Dress but was elegant yellow European themed American..
dcog9065
It's very progressive of Trump to hire a press secretary who is mentally handicapped, good on him! However Trump's bizarre and infantiel fight with the media is a fatal and incompetent mistake that will come back to haunt him in the future
kurisupisu
A triviality.......
Serrano
sf2k: "Trump and the USA is a complete joke"
Wrong.
Simon Foston
SerranoJAN. 22, 2017 - 10:46PM JST
During the election campaign, you mean? I suppose you must, as Hillary wasn't doing a whole lot afterwards.
Which he hadn't actually won while he was drawing these crowds. Did you put very much thought into that comment?
wtfjapan
have a federation of states, it's probably not advisable to allow some states' views to become irrelevant. by doing so it is discriminating against urban voters, undemocratic and unconstitutional in many experts eyes.