Donald Trump criticized as his campaign is compelled to pay Asheville $82K in advance for rally

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA: Donald Trump's campaign was forced to pay over $82,000 upfront for a rally set to take in Asheville, North Carolina.

The event is scheduled for Wednesday, August 14, at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium with the payment totaling $82,247.60, according to Blue Ridge Public Radio (BPR).

Why was Donald Trump's campaign forced to pay $82K for the Asheville rally?

The significant payment by the Trump campaign was required due to the Asheville rally's "last-minute" nature.

The city officials confirmed that the Trump campaign first reached out about the event on August 8, leading to the hefty advance fee to secure the venue.

Kim Miller, a spokesperson for the city of Asheville, revealed the breakdown of the expenses covered by the payment.

The sum included a $22,500 two-day rental fee for the auditorium while the remaining amount was allocated to cover various additional costs, reported Newsweek.

The requirement for upfront payment stems from Asheville's policy for short-notice bookings.

Donald Trump's history of unpaid rally debts

Donald Trump's campaign has a long-standing history of failing to pay cities for rally-related expenses.

In January 2021, when Trump left the White House, his campaign had accumulated at least $850,000 in unpaid rally debts.

Many of these bills remain outstanding, including more than $500,000 owed to the city of El Paso, Texas.

For the rally on Wednesday, August 14, the Trump campaign opted for the smaller of two venues at the downtown Asheville complex.

The Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, where the rally will be held, has a capacity of just 2,431 people.

In contrast, a larger arena next door, which is not hosting the event, can accommodate up to 7,200 attendees.

Donald Trump's rally attendance concerns

Donald Trump has often emphasized the size of his rally crowds, frequently boasting about attendance figures, sometimes with inflated numbers.

The recent well-attended rallies for Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, appear to have heightened Trump's sensitivity about crowd sizes.

During a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on August 8, Trump falsely claimed to have held a rally with 100,000 spectators, while he expressed frustration over media coverage of the high attendance figures at Harris's rallies.

Internet mocks Donald Trump's campaign for being forced to pay $82K for Asheville rally

As Donald Trump's campaign is forced to make a payment of $820,000 in advance for the Asheville campaign rally, netizens mocked the former president's history of unpaid rally debts.

One user on X wrote, "Like voters, cities are wising up to Trump. He is a cheat, a fraud, and a conman," while someone tweeted, "This is actually wise because finally someone is taking Donald's habit of stiffing people seriously."

"It's almost like stiffing people is Trump's strategy - a very finely-tuned, oft-used, time-tested strategy," a netizen opined. Someone remarked, "Do you think they care about people working overtime or paying taxes? No, they don’t. That’s how Trump and his MAGA cult live—free-loading, con people, lie and not paying fees."

"Trump sells himself as the king of the deal, the wealthy businessman seeking the presidency because of selfless service - not a need for money. He'll fix this country because he's not a politician. What is the exact level of stupidity must you be at to believe his marketing?" a user penned.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.