Key facts
- President Trump called for The New York Times and other media outlets to be arrested.
- Trump claimed his Saturday rally in Ohio was "totally MAXED OUT" with thousands turned away.
- The New York Times reported that several areas of an upper deck were empty during the rally.
- The event took place at Butler High School's student center, which has a capacity of 4,500 people.
- Trump accused media outlets of dishonesty and disservice to the country.
President Donald Trump stated on Monday that reporters from The New York Times and other media outlets should be "arrested" for their coverage of his Saturday rally in Ohio. Trump shared a video on Truth Social of people in line for the rally, asserting that the venue was "already full to the brim" and "thousands of people had to be turned away."
This contradicts a report by New York Times correspondent Katie Rogers, who stated that "several areas of an upper deck were empty" by the time Trump finished speaking at Butler High School in Vandalia. The school's student center, where the event was held, has a capacity of 4,500 people.
Trump denied the details of empty seats, writing, "The New York Times, and many other Artificial Media Outlets, should be arrested for their dishonesty and disservice to our Country." He also accused outlets of inflating crowd sizes for Senator Bernie Sanders while downplaying attendance at his own rallies. Trump reiterated that the arena was "totally MAXED OUT, including all upper sections," and explained that attendees in upper sections often "migrate down to the Main Floor."
During the rally, Trump endorsed Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) for reelection and former NFL coach Jon Gruden also spoke in support of Husted. Trump has a history of targeting The Times and its reporters, dating back to his first presidential campaign.