Updated
Updated · The Daily Beast · Jun 30
Trump’s State Fair Draws Sparse Crowds on Day 2 as Fox and Allies Insist It’s Packed
Updated
Updated · The Daily Beast · Jun 30

Trump’s State Fair Draws Sparse Crowds on Day 2 as Fox and Allies Insist It’s Packed

3 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · Jun 30

Summary

  • Monday footage from the National Mall showed near-empty lines, lightly attended exhibits and long open stretches at Trump’s free Great American State Fair despite improved weather.
  • The weak turnout followed earlier disruptions including artist cancellations, electrical outages and extreme weather that had already forced a postponement and hurt momentum.
  • At 1 p.m., Jim Acosta filmed what he called “shoddy displays and tiny crowds,” including a fossil-fuel panel with only a few listeners and food tents with almost no lines.
  • Fox News, Dr. Mehmet Oz and actor Dean Cain still described the event as energetic or crowded, even as live shots and TMZ video showed sparse attendance behind them.
  • Trump had claimed at 6:27 a.m. that the fair was “packed with happy people,” but local reporting and attendee interviews later undercut that portrayal, with one visitor calling the mini-arch “plastic.”

Insights

Amidst logistical issues and sparse crowds, how will the success of the two-week Great American State Fair ultimately be measured?
Why is a proposed national monument facing near-unanimous public opposition and legal challenges from veterans and historians?
A new report claims fossil fuels have a $12 trillion hidden cost. What message did the fair's industry panel promote?