Donald Trump’s is known for his love of campaign rallies, but a recently organised live event in Florida this weekend failed to attract big numbers – with the venue sparsely populated.
Mr Trump has launched a speaking tour, with five separate stops, appearing alongside disgraced ex-Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly, who left the broadcaster in 2017.
The pair took to the stage at the Orlando Amway Center in Florida on Sunday night, an arena that holds 20,000 at full capacity. While many of the seats were blocked off behind the stage, the event certainly didn't sell out, as tickets were seemingly still available to be purchased on Ticketmaster on the day it took place.
Historically, Mr Trump didn't charge for admission to his political rallies, but on this occasion, fans had to fork out $100 for a ticket, right before the Christmas holidays.
Videos of the event soon began to circulate online, with many critics pointing out the pair’s inability to sell out a venue, in spite of their apparent popularity. Sunday’s event was just the second leg of a tour featuring the former president and Mr O'Reilly, who was one of Fox News’ biggest TV stars only a decade ago.
Last week, Newsweek reported that the remainder of the tour also wasn't selling well, which will take the pair to Houston and Dallas in the coming weeks.
After the opening tour stop, Mr Trump said in a statement that the gathering yielded a “great time,” adding that he hoped to return to the Sunshine State in the “not too distant future”.
The purpose of the tour, aside from raising revenue, is the source of much speculation, as there is a feeling amongst many pundits that Mr Trump is gearing up for another run at the presidency in 2024.
Mr O'Reilly meanwhile, has generally shied away from public appearances in recent years, after being unceremoniously ousted by Fox News due to allegations of misconduct.
The 72-year-old broadcaster, speaking about the tour, claimed that it would “provide a never before heard inside view of his (Trump’s) administration”, which came to an end with the election of President Joe Biden in November 2020.
