Trump spreads false conspiracy theory about Harris’ Detroit crowd size

Donald Trump falsely claimed in a series of social media posts Sunday that “nobody” attended Vice President Kamala Harris’ Michigan rally last week — and said his Democratic rival should be “disqualified” over a “fake crowd picture.”

Donald Trump falsely claimed in a series of social media posts Sunday that “nobody” attended Vice President Kamala Harris’ Michigan rally last week — and said his Democratic rival should be “disqualified” over a “fake crowd picture.” The former president appeared to have fallen for a far-right conspiracy theory — one easily disproven by photos and videos captured by attendees and media showing thousands of supporters at the event at an airport hangar near Detroit. The false claims about attendance at Harris’ event come as Trump navigates the contours of a changed presidential race, with the vice president riding a wave of new Democratic enthusiasm after replacing President Joe Biden atop the ticket. The GOP nominee, who regularly draws large crowds of his own, has long been fixated on audience size, with his speeches often filled with exaggerated boasts about the turnout. Trump, on his social media website Truth Social, made the fabricated claim that Harris had been “turned in” by an airport maintenance worker who “noticed the fake crowd picture.” He then said Harris should be “disqualified” from the 2024 election “because the creation of a fake image is ELECTION INTERFERENCE. Anyone who does that will cheat at ANYTHING!” However, photos and videos of the event — including videos captured with CNN’s cameras — reflect a sizable audience for Harris’ Wednesday event. The crowd filled a large hangar and spilled onto the sprawling tarmac where Air Force Two had stopped. Two large risers and many rows of chairs were outside, as well as several giant screens for the outdoor crowd that couldn’t see the rally stage.