Trump says 'thousands' gather outside his rally; pics don't back it up

Updated on September 22, 2017 at 10:21 PM Posted on September 22, 2017 at 8:20 PM



About 100-200 people were milling around outside the Von Braun Center Propst Arena in Huntsville, Ala. during Donald Trump's speech Friday night. (Anna Claire Vollers | avollers@AL.com)

By Anna Claire Vollers, avollers@al.com

President Donald Trump talks a lot about fake news. Tonight, during a stump speech in Huntsville for Senate candidate Luther Strange, he said thousands were gathered outside the Von Braun Center's Propst Arena who hadn't been able to get in and were watching the speech on a screen.

Trump says there are "thousands, thousands" of people stuck outside who can't get into the rally. Can anyone on scene vouch/non-vouch?

Link to tweet

There was a large screen outside, and there were people gathered to watch. That's about where the truth of his statement ends.

In fact there were, at most, a couple hundred people milling around outside the arena. Some were watching Trump on the large screen.



Around 75-100 people gathered to watch Trump on a screen outside the Von Braun Center arena. Trump said there were 'thousands.' (Anna Claire Vollers | avollers@AL.com) (Anna Claire Vollers | avollers@al.com)

About 300 protesters were marching through Big Spring Park across from the arena, holding signs and chanting "Love Trumps hate" and "This is what democracy looks like."