Democratic Party presidential candidate Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz held a rally in Glendale, Arizona outside of Phoenix at the Desert Diamond Arena Friday night that was only partially filled, with large sections blocked off. But that didn’t stop Harris from lying that her rally was “the largest in Arizona political campaign history.”
The Desert Diamond Arena has a capacity of 20,000. The Harris campaign dubiously told reporters attendance was 15,000 when videos show about one-third of the arena’s seating was blocked off in the upper deck and two club level sections.
While 12,000, or even the claimed 15,000 would be a good crowd, it is not the record and not even close to capacity.
In 2016, then candidate Donald Trump held a rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona that drew 20,000 supporters according to police.
Photos and video posted by reporters and the Harris-Walz campaign show massive black curtains blocking thousands of empty seats almost completely around the upper deck of the arena along with empty club level sections.
Video posted by Jessica Swarner with the Copper Courier taken from the only open to seating upper deck section shows that three upper deck sections were either curtained off or left empty:
The view from the 200 level of Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale at the Harris Walz rally. @CopperCourier pic.twitter.com/IDJsvaMpFg
— Jessica Swarner (@jessica_swarner) August 9, 2024
Harris: “About last night: Some are calling our rally the largest in Arizona political campaign history.”
About last night: Some are calling our rally the largest in Arizona political campaign history. pic.twitter.com/f1jlv498mw
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 10, 2024
Walz boasted about the size of the crowd during his speech:
Walz: You know, it’s not as if anybody cares about crowd sizes or anything. pic.twitter.com/ML1XXGfRqY
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 10, 2024
The campaign told reporters attendance was 15,000:
Governor Walz takes the stage. The Harris campaign estimates the crowd at 15,000.
“It’s not like anyone cares about crowd size or anything,” Walz laughs pic.twitter.com/yQwvGBQ6wv
— Natalie Brand (@NatalieABrand) August 10, 2024
Excerpt from the Associated Press, October 6, 2016:
Police estimate turnout for Trump event in Arizona at 20,000
Prescott Valley police estimate as many as 20,000 people showed up for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign rally in an arena in the Yavapai County community on Tuesday.
Approximately 7,500 people were allowed inside the Event Center and police Sgt. Jason Kaufman says that left an estimated 13,000 people left outside.
Video posted by a Harris-Walz campaign staffer shows the upper decks of the arena blocked off by massive black curtains:
The largest crowd of the campaign to date out here in Arizona, letting @KamalaHarris know they’re with her.
But as @Tim_Walz said, who cares about crowd size? pic.twitter.com/OTPXFEoCzc
— Daniel Wessel (@da_wessel) August 10, 2024
Video posted by ASU journalism student Emily Holshouser shows the upper deck and club section of the arena blocked off.
I’m at the Kamala Harris rally in Glendale, Arizona today, where I’ve been talking to young voters (and experiencing my first presidential campaign event). Chappell Roan blasting on the speakers, with people doing the Hot to Go dance in the audience. Very high energy. pic.twitter.com/OQF9Cg4rry
— Emily Holshouser (@emilyytayylor) August 9, 2024
A 360 degree view posted by the campaign shows the blocked off sections:
Arizona is fired up for @KamalaHarris and @Tim_Walz pic.twitter.com/aPTgSFcZ7q
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 9, 2024
News outlets like The Guardian falsely reported the arena was “packed”:
Harris and Walz whip up crowd at packed Phoenix rally – but ‘we are the underdog’ https://t.co/cLAnVz5eVC
— Guardian US (@GuardianUS) August 10, 2024
And the Harris campaign posted a phony comparison photo from Trump’s rally in Billings, Montana taken well before the crowd filled that arena to capacity with no sections blocked off.
Meanwhile at @realdonaldtrump’s rally… https://t.co/uZ73w1de7D pic.twitter.com/lhCZvG4KxF
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 10, 2024
The Republican Party’s RNC Research noted the rally was by invitation only (did they get 6,000 rejects?) and that ID was required to enter:
IT’S ALL FAKE: Crazy Kamala’s rally in Arizona tonight is “invitation only.”
Why wouldn’t they want an event open to the public? Unless… pic.twitter.com/soajXLLE9K
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 10, 2024
The post Kamala Harris Lies About Size of Arizona Rally Crowd; Massive Black Curtains Used to Hide Thousands of Empty Seats appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.