Did the Trump Campaign Hire Gig Actors to Inflate the Attendance at His Tulsa Rally?

There is no evidence to support the claim, but there is evidence that contradicts other claims about boosting attendance.

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A number of viral tweets, including some from Jon Cooper, the former chairman of the Democratic Coalition super PAC, claimed that attendance at President Trump’s Tulsa rally last Saturday had been inflated by gig actors and Trump staffers, and was significantly lower than the 6,200 counted by the Tulsa Fire Department:

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  1. Avatar photo
    BWG

    Alec, I've heard claims that COVID-19 was NOT spread by the protests over the last several weeks. I'd be very interested in a fact check on that, if data is available.

    Very much appreciate the work that you do!

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  2. Brett

    I've only been to one Trump rally. There were dozens or hundreds of gig actors there. Now there's some anectodal evidence.

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  3. Avatar photo
    Aylene Wright

    I mentioned this on Twitter, but unfortunately many anti-Trump accounts there are quick to accept as absolute Truth, any rumor that makes Trump look bad, and the "campaign hired actors to go to the rally" was one of them.

    So I especially appreciate these Fact Checks, perhaps even more than the Fact Checks of the rumors & at times outright lies that are circulated by Trumpists, as many other Fact Check outlets are eager to tackle those.

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  4. Mary Stine

    Well I always appreciate the fine folks who dig past the fairy dust and mud to fact check.
    The fact that really sucks here is the blatant disregard for the health of the already vulnerable Tulsa community.

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    1. Patrick O'Sullivan

      I wish people would stop trying to dunk on Trump for the comparatively low attendance of this rally.

      What we saw here was an engaged populace (I assume. I haven't seen anything to suggest that 18k people within driving distance of Tulsa wouldn't be into a spirited night of Trump) making smart decisions to maintain their health.

      I'm not comfortable with framing that as "President is abandoned by his supporters," because I only see that as leading to other supporters making less intelligent decisions in the future.

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      1. Mary Stine

        yes, Patrick, I am not comfortable with the reframing also. It's obvious Trump has a lot of support in Tulsa. My complaint is that the reframing is unethical and a waste of time that could have focused on the very real health concerns there.

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  5. Avatar photo
    Bill Dyer (aka Beldar)

    Tulsa's a fine city of about 400k. But the notion that there are 2837 of those people who are "gig actors" waiting for daily employment is ... something that could only be entertained by someone who's so deep in the coastal media bunkers as to be beyond redemption.

    #DemocratsAreInnumerate

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    1. Avatar photo
      Bill Dyer (aka Beldar)

      Productionhub.com — a website to match would-be actors with employers — does indeed have resumes on file for actors in Tulsa.

      Five of them.

      https://www.productionhub.com/directory/profiles/actors-film-television-talent/us/oklahoma/tulsa

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  6. Avatar photo
    Mudskipper

    Geez, I hate this kind of thing, whether it comes from my side or the other side.

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  7. Avatar photo
    Pat Riot

    I actually thought that tweet was a joke when I read it.

    Hopefully Trump will force his campaign to make a really, really, really big deal out of this fact check, because American needs to know that Trump really truly had 6k attendees there, or about 1/3 what The Wiggles drew in that same venue last year.


    "In Extremely 2020 News, The Blue Wiggle Is Taunting Donald Trump Over Twitter"

    https://junkee.com/donald-trump-wiggles-rally/258963

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    1. Avatar photo
      Idontdocute

      Do you know how much in my lifetime I have spent going to Wiggles concerts? It is cheaper and easier to do Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Moody Blues, or John Mellencamp. On quick count, I have gone to five. I have made costumes. I have had my car broken into and had my CD collection neatly stacked on my seat because it was nothing but Wiggles and Choo-Choo soul. I not only know the words to all of the songs, I know when to clap, stomp, or sing “La, la, la, la, laaaaa”

      And now my bigger K pop, TikTok, piece of gene pool was just discussing my willingness to financially back her part in taking down the POS. The revolution lives....in pink.

      My daughter is ignoring us.

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      1. Avatar photo
        Idontdocute

        Sorry, POTUS. 3AM freudian slip.

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About Alec Dent

Alec Dent is the culture editor and a staff writer for The Dispatch. He is a graduate of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at UNC Chapel Hill, and previously oversaw The Dispatch's fact checking team.
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