Donald Trump struggles to fill seats at annual Christmas tree lighting amid anti-Muslim video row

[EricMaundry]

Source: The Mirror

Trump led the crowd in a countdown before First Lady Melania hit the button to light the huge tree - but there were rows and rows of empty seats.

Donald Trump may believe he is America's "favourite president" but it appears he struggled to fill seats during the annual Christmas tree lighting at the White House yesterday.

Trump led the crowd in a countdown in Washington DC before First Lady Melania hit the button to light the huge tree. But observers were quick to point out the depleted audience at The Ellipse in President's Park.

ABC News meteorologist Steve Rudin tweeted a picture from the ceremony showing rows and rows of empty seats. He wrote: "The National Tree Lighting ceremony was beautiful this evening - but hard not to notice the empty seats."

Another Twitter user nicknamed 'Merry Indictmas' shared a similar picture captioned: "It's all about that base. A sad #ChristmasTreeLighting story @realDonaldTrump"

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/donald-trump-struggles-fill-seats-11618300

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[SummerSnow]

1. He will spend hours making his cabinet say his crowd was huge

expect John Kelly to have a press conference about it

[olegramps]

14. SPECIAL WHITE HOUSE REPORT: Millions attend tree-lighting. Tens of thousands sadly turned away.

As to the lack of children present. I normally would not comment of kids, but does anyone else think it strange that his son is dressed up like a miniature Trump rather than a normal kid at every photo op? The kid looks like he would be happier in straight jacket. He looks forlorn and strangely unhappy for a kid. What is Trump trying to do dressing him up like a Wall Street hedge fund manager? I am impressed, not.

[robbob]

16. Well there was that story about Don junior...

Or Eric, I don’t remember. The story goes; when he was in collage his dad came to pick him up at his dorm to go see a ball game. He was dressed, as almost any college kid (or normal human being, for that matter) in casual attire; jeans and a tshirt, let’s say.

Apparently Donny slapped him across the face, and stormed out of the room, ordering his son to put on a suit and tie, and that’s how they attended the ball game; looking like a couple hedge fund managers on the way to the office.

[machoneman]

17. Yes!

I has read the same some years ago and thought it odd, very odd.

[Iliyah]

2. Ever realize that t-rump, the GOP

do not welcome POC, women, et al.

[2naSalit]

3. What a pair of Putzes!

Why wasn't there some child there to push the button? Even their kid? WTF??

I'm not into this holiday but I can recognize when it is being co-opted by assholes.

[Scarsdale]

4. Unless this shows up on

Faux or Not-So-Brightbart, he will never see this photo. Fake news is all it is, believe me (yeah, right)

[ailsagirl]

5. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! Worse than W!!!!

[marble falls]

6. Nixon had the silent majority. Aparently Trump has the invisible majority.

[iamateacher]

8. Awesome response

[displacedtexan]

7. I lived there for 12 years (the last of Bush/ first 5 of Obama), and...

The tree lighting always had ginormous crowds of happy people.

[rurallib]

9. "Good seats still available"

used to see bigger crowds at my kids junior high basketball games.

[forgotmylogin]

13. We could reduce the deficit if we get rid of the unused chairs.

45's optimism is leading to wasted resources.

[Sunlei]

10. what tree? the tree's buried under a sea of horrible glaring bright lights and empty chairs.

[NCjack]

11. Pres. Obama and family had YUGE crowds for the lighting of the national Xmas tree. Looks like #45's

tiny anemic crowd is the result when a whoremonger and molester gives a Xmas party.

[FakeNoose]

12. You can't use bots to fill the seats

The media keeps referring to Trump's "base" like it's some monolithic group out there, somewhere. WTF?

If he has a base, he's done nothing but screw them nine ways to Sunday. They're not all completely stupid, although admittedly some are quite stupid. But most of them are waking up and realizing what a huge mistake this is. It seems the only blindly loyal followers he still has are the bots who retweet his garbage without even processing it. Pretty soon he'll turn on them too.

Just sayin'

[dalton99a]

15. Huckabee spawn: "Cameras failed to capture the entire picture of the enormous crowd"

that wasn't there

[Gothmog]

18. Look at this comparison

Link to tweet

[ailsagirl]

19. No comparison!!!!!!!!!!!

"sigh"