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CNN Quietly Releases Images Showing Trump Inaugural Crowd Larger Than Obama's

GunsOfFrankEaton

Heisman Winner
Aug 24, 2003
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Inaug-Trump.jpg


Size matters, as does truthful reporting.

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/01/crowd-size-matters-trump-is-right-it-was-huge/
 
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Let me start out my response by saying that this entire thing is just stupid.

But if Sean Spicer decided to raise the issue as the very first thing he raised in his very first press conference and made it an issue. (And Trump himself weighed in and made a claim of 1.5 Million attendees, then it opens the door to looking at the evidence.

So let's proceed. Here's time lapse video, taken from the Washington Monument shot towards the Capitol Building. It starts early in the morning and continues until the crowd breaks up after the ceremony.



And here's a still photo of the crowd for the 2009 inauguration. (Taken from the identical vantage point.)

spectators-fill-the-national-mall-as-seen-from-the-washington-for-picture-id112902075


Can you honestly make an argument that the crowd for the last inauguration is anywhere close in size? Who am I supposed to believe, the Trump people or my own lying eyes?
 
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Exactly. Why anyone cares how many people were at his inauguration, is beyond me. Gloomy weather, Democrat heavy city, not as historical of an event as the Obama inauguration, etc.

Why the white house would repeatedly just flat out lie about it is even more baffling.

BTW the gigapixel is really misleading if you just glance at it, due to being a low angle photo from the front. If you really look at it though you can see that it shows the same empty areas that the from above shot shows.
 
Damn Spicer. He STILL has people talking about it.

Undermining your reputation for honesty, and proving the media is actually right when you are in a fight with them doesn't seem like the best strategy.

I get that it makes liberals and the media look petty for talking about crowd sizes... but just outright lying is a pretty big price to pay just for that.
 
Undermining your reputation for honesty, and proving the media is actually right when you are in a fight with them doesn't seem like the best strategy.

I get that it makes liberals and the media look petty for talking about crowd sizes... but just outright lying is a pretty big price to pay just for that.

How did it undermine whose rep for honesty?
 
How does lying NOT undermine one's credibility?

I'm trying to figure out who specifically you are referring to - Trump? Spicer? Conway? Someone ITT?

A few things.

1. I can tell you that at the time I was watching the inauguration, FOX showed a shot from that angle from at least an hour before the actual oath of office that looks EXACTLY like the comparison photo I started seeing. Which made me then question what time it was taken and if it were an accurate apples to apples comparison in terms of time for starters. In fact I googled 'inauguration size' before it became a thing, and there were dozens of media sourced stories talking about how much smaller Trump's dick... er... crowd was than Obama's.

2. With the human obstacles outside the venue and the fact that it was likely a high percentage out of town crowd, I would expect later arriving numbers than the people who were able to come to Obama's.

3. Many other photos show a massive crowd that *appears* to cover the area in white in the side by side comparison photo. However, as a photographer, I know that isn't apples to apples either because shooting the crowd at that angle may minimize or even hide bare areas. So, inconclusive as regards the OP here.

4. Assuming it was a smaller crowd and assuming Spicer/Conway knew it was smaller - yes they lied about it. My assumption however, would be that they knew the parks service does not keep or publish that data and that there were extenuating circumstances (see 2. above) that may have played a factor. So I have a hard time categorizing that as a malicious intentional lie.

5. As with most things Trump, this is a trivial nothing burger that the media and most progressives have been forced to eat over and over all week while several more newsworthy presidential activities took place. By design? By coincidence? Who knows?

6. It's a dick measuring contest that nobody can let go and I find that hilarious. Especially the indignation about this super important thing and whether people's reputations for honesty have been damaged. C'mon. No. It's a nothing burger that you are still gnawing on.

7. He basically created a nationwide message board thread that nobody can walk away from without looking like a pussy. So, by all means - let's keep litigating the size of the crowd.

8. I think from Trump's point of view - this started out as - like the fake report on the MLK bust being removed, a rather naked attempt to subtly undermine the legitimacy of Trump's presidency. Yeah it was a small thing. An Iranian PT boat getting too close to a US destroyer kind of thing. And this is a shot over the bow that the constant sniping is going to be addressed and refuted. Good move? Don't know. Maybe. It's certainly not worth this much discussion. I do know that I've never heard any other comparison of inauguration sizes in my life - So even if Trump is beating a dead horse, plenty of media lined up quickly to make it an issue.
 
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I'm trying to figure out who specifically you are referring to - Trump? Spicer? Conway? Someone ITT?

A few things.

1. I can tell you that at the time I was watching the inauguration, FOX showed a shot from that angle from at least an hour before the actual oath of office that looks EXACTLY like the comparison photo I started seeing. Which made me then question what time it was taken and if it were an accurate apples to apples comparison in terms of time for starters. In fact I googled 'inauguration size' before it became a thing, and there were dozens of media sourced stories talking about how much smaller Trump's dick... er... crowd was than Obama's.

2. With the human obstacles outside the venue and the fact that it was likely a high percentage out of town crowd, I would expect later arriving numbers than the people who were able to come to Obama's.

3. Many other photos show a massive crowd that *appears* to cover the area in white in the side by side comparison photo. However, as a photographer, I know that isn't apples to apples either because shooting the crowd at that angle may minimize or even hide bare areas. So, inconclusive as regards the OP here.

4. Assuming it was a smaller crowd and assuming Spicer/Conway knew it was smaller - yes they lied about it. My assumption however, would be that they knew the parks service does not keep or publish that data and that there were extenuating circumstances (see 2. above) that may have played a factor. So I have a hard time categorizing that as a malicious intentional lie.

5. As with most things Trump, this is a trivial nothing burger that the media and most progressives have been forced to eat over and over all week while several more newsworthy presidential activities took place. By design? By coincidence? Who knows?

6. It's a dick measuring contest that nobody can let go and I find that hilarious. Especially the indignation about this super important thing and whether people's reputations for honesty have been damaged. C'mon. No. It's a nothing burger that you are still gnawing on.

7. He basically created a nationwide message board thread that nobody can walk away from without looking like a pussy. So, by all means - let's keep litigating the size of the crowd.

8. I think from Trump's point of view - this started out as - like the fake report on the MLK bust being removed, a rather naked attempt to subtly undermine the legitimacy of Trump's presidency. Yeah it was a small thing. An Iranian PT boat getting too close to a US destroyer kind of thing. And this is a shot over the bow that the constant sniping is going to be addressed and refuted. Good move? Don't know. Maybe. It's certainly not worth this much discussion. I do know that I've never heard any other comparison of inauguration sizes in my life - So even if Trump is beating a dead horse, plenty of media lined up quickly to make it an issue.


Crowd size = nothing burger. Absolutely agree.
The POTUS getting trolled by the media, staring us in the face and flat out lying about something so pointless...not nothing burgers. What adds to it is that this is how he started out his presidency. Day 1 and you come out looking like an insecure liar. Now if he can avoid getting trolled and behaves like an adult for a while, then this all fades quickly.
 
"4. Assuming it was a smaller crowd and assuming Spicer/Conway knew it was smaller - yes they lied about it. My assumption however, would be that they knew the parks service does not keep or publish that data and that there were extenuating circumstances (see 2. above) that may have played a factor. So I have a hard time categorizing that as a malicious intentional lie."

But, an news report that was subsequently corrected and rescinded publicly is a

" a fake report on the MLK bust being removed, a rather naked attempt to subtly undermine the legitimacy of Trump's presidency."

That's an interesting juxtaposition.
 
"4. Assuming it was a smaller crowd and assuming Spicer/Conway knew it was smaller - yes they lied about it. My assumption however, would be that they knew the parks service does not keep or publish that data and that there were extenuating circumstances (see 2. above) that may have played a factor. So I have a hard time categorizing that as a malicious intentional lie."

But, an news report that was subsequently corrected and rescinded publicly is a

" a fake report on the MLK bust being removed, a rather naked attempt to subtly undermine the legitimacy of Trump's presidency."

That's an interesting juxtaposition.


I disagree. Very little about this is still interesting.
 
I disagree. Very little about this is still interesting.

IMO your respective labeling of those two things might be an indication you might be crossing the line into "cheerleading" territory.

Spicer's continued insistence that this was the most highly observed inauguration in person and in the media ...you have hard time categorizing as a malicious intentional lie, but

A news report that was publicly rescinded with an explanation as to what led to the error....you jump immediately to "fake report" and naked attempt to undermine legitimacy.

As I said....interesting.
 
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Crowd size = nothing burger. Absolutely agree.
The POTUS getting trolled by the media, staring us in the face and flat out lying about something so pointless...not nothing burgers. What adds to it is that this is how he started out his presidency. Day 1 and you come out looking like an insecure liar. Now if he can avoid getting trolled and behaves like an adult for a while, then this all fades quickly.
Trump is not being trolled by the media. He's controlling the narrative, don't be fooled. Again, 16 Rs and the Clinton machine all got fooled by it.
 
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IMO your respective labeling of those two things might be an indication you might be crossing the line into "cheerleading" territory.

Spicer's continued insistence that this was the most highly observed inauguration in person and in the media ...you have hard time categorizing as a malicious intentional lie, but

A news report that was publicly rescinded with an explanation as to what led to the error....you jump immediately to "fake report" and naked attempt to undermine legitimacy.

As I said....interesting.

16195794_10210563955728850_8149792401794708641_n.jpg
 
Trump is not being trolled by the media. He's controlling the narrative, don't be fooled. Again, 16 Rs and the Clinton machine all got fooled by it.

Cheerleading.

IMO, it's a petty, infantile media engaging with a petty infantile President and neither side comes out to the good on the whole stupid thing.
 
Cheerleading.

IMO, it's a petty, infantile media engaging with a petty infantile President and neither side comes out to the good on the whole stupid thing.
I agree about your assessment of the media. I'm still not sure about Trump though.

I'm also not cheerleading. Out of the 17 original he would have been middle of the pack at best. I voted for him, but really more against Hillary. I've been impressed with his nominations, but I'm also starting to really believe that none of this is on accident, or petty by him.
 
I agree about your assessment of the media. I'm still not sure about Trump though.

I'm also not cheerleading. Out of the 17 original he would have been middle of the pack at best. I voted for him, but really more against Hillary. I've been impressed with his nominations, but I'm also starting to really believe that none of this is on accident, or petty by him.

You're "not sure".....but you made this definitive statement...

Trump is not being trolled by the media. He's controlling the narrative, don't be fooled. Again, 16 Rs and the Clinton machine all got fooled by it.

If you're saying that, but you're not sure whether or not Trump is just being equal and infantile....that's cheerleading.
 
Where are the official crowd size numbers?
Medic, the National Park Service no longer provides an "official" estimate of crowd size. They got caught up in the controversy of whether they had underestimated the Million Man March and put out a statement that they would no longer provide crowd sizes.

BTW, likely the more accurate numbers can be extrapolated from Metro usage numbers as those are near 100% accurate. There's no guesswork or opinion as they simply measure every rider who uses a pass card to access the metro system.
 
Medic, the National Park Service no longer provides an "official" estimate of crowd size. They got caught up in the controversy of whether they had underestimated the Million Man March and put out a statement that they would no longer provide crowd sizes.

BTW, likely the more accurate numbers can be extrapolated from Metro usage numbers as those are near 100% accurate. There's no guesswork or opinion as they simply measure every rider who uses a pass card to access the metro system.
Thanks for the info. For some reason my living under my mobile housing unit prevented me from previously knowing this.

I personally think it's dumb to compare, but I also don't think anyone should say that Trump's turnout was larger than the first black President's with a straight face. You've got to be cracking a laugh when that begins to exit the mouth.
 
As I have said before on this forum, I hope the relationship between the mainstream media (i.e., democrat party) and the Trump Administration -- and that means all of his supporters and surrogates -- stays contentious. As soon as the relationship is not contentious, is the moment that the American people begin getting screwed. The mainstream media needs to be challenged on each and every little lie it makes, and it makes quite a few of them constantly. Once they get away with passing small lies they are that much able to pass off larger lies. I will be disheartened, very disappointed, if the pressroom becomes a kumbaya meeting. If it does, that's when the mainstream media (i.e., democrat party) is happy, and that means the America First agenda is not being enacted. Obviously, I'm happy with what I see so far. I hope to see eight years of it. Kicking left-wing ass is not a quiet, restful thing.
 
Regarding Spicer stepping into it, didn't he say more people watched the ceremony than any other? I thought that included television viewers.
 
Regarding Spicer stepping into it, didn't he say more people watched the ceremony than any other? I thought that included television viewers.

Spicer on Saturday delivered a five-minute statement to the press that contained several falsehoods and

"the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe."

Monday, first official press meeting:

After repeated pressing from reporters, Spicer said that he never meant to say that the in-person crowd at the inauguration was the largest of all time, but stood by his assertion that the ceremony's overall audience, including television and online was the most-watched ever.

Re: the tv numbers...

Trump's inauguration also saw lower numbers than Obama's in television ratings—30.6 million viewers tuned in on Friday, about 18% fewer than the 38 million who watched in 2009.

Not that it matters....of course....

Just like it doesn't matter who actually pays for the wall...
 
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