Trump wants media outlets 'arrested' over reports of empty seats at Ohio rally
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump, on Monday, October 5, called for the arrest of "The New York Times and many other Artificial Media Outlets" over their coverage of his Saturday rally in Vandalia, Ohio. The reports pointed out that empty seats were visible in the venue as the 80-year-old wrapped up his speech.
New York Times correspondent Katie Rogers wrote Sunday that “several areas of an upper deck were empty” by the time the president finished speaking at Butler High School in Vandalia.
Trump disputes the reporting and threatens the New York Times
“The Ohio Arena was already full to the brim — And yet these people were still trying to get in,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, sharing a video of people in line for the rally.
The Fake News New York Times “reported” on my Great, PACKED Rally in Ohio that, “the place was not full. Some upper sections were almost completely empty.” In actuality, thousands of people were unable to get in. The Arena was totally MAXED OUT, including all upper sections. What does happen at all of my SOLD OUT Rallies, is that the people in the upper sections tend to migrate down to the Main Floor — The “migration” process always happens! The Times knows this, and so does everyone else. I never have empty seats — Never have, and never will! Because of their dishonesty, I have cinematographers shooting the various Arenas where I speak, in that some of the Fake News likes to dishonestly report lies and untruths. In actuality, my Events for very good Republican Politicians are probably more crowded than ever. There are no empty seats, there haven’t been for years, and there never will be. The Rallies are “HOTTER” than ever. They are all “happenings,” and they never happened before, and will never be duplicated again. The Networks refuse, however, under any circumstances, to show the Crowds, but you can hear the thunderous applause, and know that it represents thousands and thousands of people. Watch tonight, for example, in the Great State of Nebraska, where I’ll be heading soon. See you later! President DONALD J. TRUMP ( TS: Oct 5 2026, 1:58 PM ET )
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 5, 2026
The school’s student center, where the event took place, has a capacity of 4,500 people, Rogers noted.
But Trump denied those details, saying there were no empty seats and “thousands of people had to be turned away” from attending the rally.
“The New York Times, and many other Artificial Media Outlets, should be arrested for their dishonesty and disservice to our Country,” he added, accusing outlets of inflating crowds for Sen Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and downplaying how many people attend his rallies.
Trump also shared video of himself taking the stage as the crowd chanted "USA."
In another post, Trump claimed, "The Arena was totally MAXED OUT, including all upper sections. What does happen at all of my SOLD OUT Rallies, is that the people in the upper sections tend to migrate down to the Main Floor. The 'migration' process always happens! The Times knows this, and so does everyone else."
"I never have empty seats — Never have, and never will!" he stressed, adding, "There are no empty seats, there haven’t been for years, and there never will be. The Rallies are 'HOTTER' than ever."
Part of a longer pattern of Trump's friction with the New York Times
“There are thousands of people outside [who] can’t get in. If you’d like to give up your seat, please, we can work it out, get out of here,” Trump said at Saturday's rally.
For those unaware, Trump has a long history of lashing out at the New York Times, accusing them of slanting their coverage against him since he first ran for president.
The tension between Trump and the Times heated up in July, when the Justice Department sought the phone records of several Times journalists and their relatives after the outlet reported about Secret Service concerns surrounding the Qatari-gifted Air Force One.
Days later, the Justice Department backed off. Now, Trump has raised the stakes. Instead of just dismissing unfavorable coverage as “fake news,” he’s openly demanding the arrest of journalists over something as mundane as crowd-size reporting.
This goes far beyond his usual complaints, marking a serious escalation in his ongoing clash with the press.
