The president has claimed the fair is “packed with happy people” but footage from the National Mall tells a different story

CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins trolled President Donald Trump’s Great American State Fair by showing just how few people showed up to the week-long event.

Standing on the National Mall Thursday among a sparse crowd, Collins said “for a president who often fixates on crowd size, so far the fair on Washington’s National Mall hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype.”

The fair was intended to showcase goods and culture across America’s 50 states. However, when Trump has been accused of ‘hijacking’ events around America’s 250th birthday to make them about himself. The fair was opened with sparse booths and limited attractions. This, combined with D.C.’s ongoing heatwave, has resulted in minimal crowds attending and a lot of mockery on social media.

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[–] 167 points 4 months ago (4 children)
  • [–] 31 points 4 months ago

    The sites that do things like claim that CNN is "trolling Trump" are doing it to get clicks from left-leaning people. But, the effect is to hurt the interests of left-leaning people.

    CNN is factually reporting on the "state fair" thing in an unbiased way, but reporting it truthfully makes Trump look bad.

    Calling it trolling makes it seem like it's what Jordan Klepper does on The Daily Show. It makes it seem partisan and biased.

    But hey, these news sites are out to make a buck, and people post their stuff to social media sites like this one which generates clicks and revenue. So, mission accomplished.

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  • [–] 63 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Dump is going to froth his diapers in rage and try to get her fired for this

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  • [–] 58 points 4 months ago (5 children)

    Is it really trolling to make factual statements?

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  • [–] 51 points 4 months ago (5 children)

    Following his speech, the president is planning on setting off fireworks for 40 minutes in an attempt to break the world record for fireworks. Firework manufacturers have said this will cost many millions of dollars, but the White House is yet to disclose exactly how much they are spending and how they obtained the funds.

    Those USAID funds, and funding for dozens of other programs, aren't going where they're legally supposed to anymore, so probably from there.

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Is 40 minutes really considered a world record for fireworks? I remember being in Japan and they were going on for what felt like more than an hour at least

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  • [–] 37 points 4 months ago

    Reality isn't a troll. Reality only trolls a troll.

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  • [–] 36 points 4 months ago

    First comment on the article, “that’s not ‘trolling’ - that's reporting”

    Damn straight.

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  • [–] 24 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    My bosses at work who are 60+ all remember how great the 200th was. Everyone voted trump and everyone is disappointed beyond belief at how bad this 250th is.

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  • [–] 22 points 4 months ago

    reporting is trolling now???

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  • [–] 18 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    It would be funny if it wasn't actually sad.

    Some probably refused to come out of spite but many probably couldn't afford to come and at the moment can't afford to go anywhere.

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  • [–] 17 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Her reporting isn't trolling.

    The Independent running the article after the faire was closed for heat today and therefore no one is there, is next level trolling and im here for it.

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  • [–] 15 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    There was an event down the road that had considerable people at it. So the heat excuse kinda falls flat.

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  • [–] 14 points 4 months ago

    Ain’t nobody want to go to a pedophile fair.

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  • [–] 14 points 4 months ago
    [–] 12 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Why did they decide on calling it a "State Fair" anyway? Wouldn't it have made more sense to call it The National Fair?

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  • [–] 8 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Boy, I sure do love an article about a video without a link to the video. I hope that it's just my ad blocker not letting it be shown or something.

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  • [–] 8 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Are they asking the booths how much foot traffic they need to justify the state expenditure to be there? Because they are wasting taxpayer money to be bored and hot currently.

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    Are they asking the booths how much foot traffic they need to justify the state expenditure to be there? Because they are wasting taxpayer money to be bored and hot currently.

    It would be a pittance compared to the billions Trump is stealing from taxpayers. At least the people paid to run the booths are regular people and not billionaires.

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  • [–] 8 points 4 months ago

    And, another video of the speaker series shows former Bachelor contestant turned Evangelical preacher, Madi Prewitt Trout, speaking to a near-empty audience.

    Geez you’d think that’d have been a doorbuster.

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  • [–] 8 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Will there be more visitors than degrees Fahrenheit at Trumps speech today?

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  • [–] 7 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    I really wanted to watch the video but maybe because I'm on moving, that site is a shit show. The ads interrupt the video every few seconds.

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago

    I'm a simple man. I see Kaitlan Collins, I click.

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  • [+] 6 points 4 months ago (1 child)
  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Controversies surrounding the fair included a Confederate Flag hanging in the North Carolina booth

    Great job, North Carolina. We appreciate you letting us know in no uncertain terms to avoid you when planning to travel. Too bad, cause it's a beautiful part of the country.

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago

    Kaitlan is a national treasure.

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago

    If you check out the AP live feed of the national Mall today on the actual 4th of July. It is still empty as all fuck. LoL 😂

    https://www.youtube.com/live/-9P_2DNgyZI

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  • [–] -1 points 4 months ago (3 children)

    Not to defend Trump, but it's hot as shit on the east coast. Philadelphia even canceled their 4th of July parade because of the heat.

    I don't think people would have shown up regardless of which pedophile was in charge.

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  • 3 comments in c/politics@lemmy.world view that post
    [–] 34 points 4 months ago

    Maybe next they can “troll” him by reporting on the Epstein files instead of this inconsequential shit.

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  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    "However, when Trump has been accused of ‘hijacking’ events around America’s 250th birthday to make them about himself."

    this sentence makes no sense whatsoever

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  • 1 comment in c/politics@lemmy.dbzer0.com view that post
    [–] 2 points 4 months ago

    TMZ originally also showed this as empty. Then some days later they reported more people had showed up in later days, but didn’t show any video of it.

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