President Donald Trump lashed out at members of the media Thursday night for highlighting empty seats at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, insisting that the two-day gathering drew an overflow crowd and accusing journalists of deliberately searching the arena for vacant spots to photograph and report on.

The dispute over attendance became an unexpected theme of Trump’s closing appearance at the American Airlines Center, after several news organizations reported that substantial portions of the arena — particularly its upper levels — remained unoccupied during portions of the convention. The Wall Street Journal reported that the upper deck was nearly empty on Wednesday and that there were no large lines outside the arena. Other reporters at the event also documented blocks of vacant seats.

Trump disputed those accounts from the stage Thursday.

“No empty seats!” Trump announced to the crowd in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday. “The fake news, they searched the arena. There are thousands of people outside. They searched the arena for a seat. That’s why last night I said, ‘Please, don’t get up to go to the bathroom! Just sit.’”

The President then sharply criticized the journalists who had focused on the attendance issue, while making an exception for some members of the press.

“They’re fake people,” Trump said of reporters covering the matter. “They’re fake, horrible, horrible human beings. Not all. Not all. You have some fine journalists. Not too many — to be honest with you.”

The disagreement began during Wednesday’s opening night, when Trump repeatedly characterized the American Airlines Center as packed and said additional supporters were waiting outside. Journalists present at the venue reported a different picture, with visibly empty sections remaining during the program.

“We were packed last night,” the president reiterated. “We had thousands of people outside.”

No official attendance figure for the convention has been released by the Republican National Committee, making it difficult to independently establish precisely how many people attended either night. Photographs and reports from inside the arena, however, showed that portions of the seating remained vacant at various points.

The RNC had opened ticket applications to the public ahead of the event. According to reports from the convention, ticket requests were still being accepted and approved after the gathering had already begun Wednesday. Organizers were also observed encouraging people inside the building to move into available seats closer to the convention floor.

On Thursday, Trump sought to make his case visually, directing the crowd’s attention toward the arena’s seating areas and pointing to boxes that he said were full.

But while surveying the building himself, the President spotted an area that was not filled.

“I’ve got to do a little bit better in the back right there. I don’t like that little bit of skin that’s showing. I’m not happy with it. That’s not good. I shouldn’t have looked up there! No, but look at this arena. This is a big arena.”

The attendance controversy followed similar remarks Trump made before even arriving at the convention. Asked Wednesday about Republican candidates in competitive races who were not attending the gathering, Trump insisted that demand for the event was extremely strong and predicted that it would be sold out.

The American Airlines Center, home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and NHL’s Dallas Stars, can accommodate roughly 20,000 spectators depending on its configuration. The Republican gathering was an unusual two-night midterm convention rather than the traditional presidential nominating convention held by the party every four years.

The event was designed to generate enthusiasm among Republican voters ahead of the Nov. 3 elections, with Trump urging his supporters during Wednesday’s lengthy keynote address to approach the midterms as though his own name were on the ballot.

The President returned Thursday for shorter closing remarks following Vice President JD Vance’s keynote address. The convention also featured Republican candidates, administration officials and other prominent conservative figures, while marking the first anniversary of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Questions about the convention’s reach extended beyond the number of people physically inside the arena.

Television viewership for Wednesday night was relatively modest compared with some of Fox News’ regular programming. Fox News, the only one of the three major cable-news networks to carry Trump’s full address during the period in question, averaged approximately 2.5 million viewers between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern, according to Nielsen figures cited in reports.

For comparison, Fox News said its late-night program “Gutfeld!” averaged approximately 2.5 million viewers during August.

Trump, however, remained focused Thursday on the in-person audience and his contention that the convention had attracted far more people than media coverage suggested.

The back-and-forth provided an unusual subplot to a convention intended primarily to focus attention on the approaching congressional elections, with Trump using part of his final appearance to wage a familiar battle with the press — this time over exactly how many people had come to see him.

{Matzav.com}