A few days ago I wrote about how anti-Trump TikTok users started an online movement to attempt to turn Trump’s anticipated rally in Tulsa into a spectator-less affair.
By requesting free tickets en masse without the intention of turning up, they hoped to see an empty stadium… and it seems like they may have had their wish granted.
Early in the day of the rally, Trump’s campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted his excitement that an outdoor stage was being built in anticipation for the huge spillover crowd who would be unable to get into the packed stadium. This may have something to do with the fact that over a million ticket requests were submitted, despite Tulsa having a population around just 400,000.
However, as the day progressed and the campaign realised the numbers were not materialising, they cancelled the outdoor event. They also reportedly sent out a text message to all those who had applied for tickets, telling them there was still “plenty of room” in the stadium for them, in a last ditch attempt to fill the arena with supporters.
Former John McCain campaign manager and critic of Trump, said that the Trump campaign was fooled by anti-Trump teenagers requesting tickets:
“My 16-year-old daughter and her friends in Park City, Utah, have hundreds of tickets. You have been rolled by America’s teens. @realDonaldTrump you have been failed by your team. You have been deserted by your faithful. No one likes to root for the losing team.”
The campaign tried to explain away the empty stadium with the idea that “protesters interfered with supporters” and blocked “access to the metal detectors, which prevented people from entering the rally.” However, there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of these radical protestors, and it seems as if the TikTok campaign was a success.
Twitter had a field day with the images, even comparing the event to the infamous Fyre Festival:
The power of social media and its newest member, TikTok, has struck a decent blow to the Trump campaign…
Digital Politics World 