Report: Trump Dismissed Longtime Rally Organizer Over Phoenix Crowd Size
- 7 years ago
President Trump has made no secret of how much he values crowd sizes. Bloomberg reports that last week, when the one in Phoenix, Arizona, appeared sparse, Trump dismissed the event’s organizer.
President Trump has made no secret of how much he values crowd sizes.
Bloomberg reports that last week, when the one in Phoenix, Arizona, appeared sparse, Trump dismissed the event’s organizer.
That person, George Gigicos, had been one of Trump’s longest-serving aides, putting together both campaign events and the campaign-style ones that have taken place since Trump took office.
According to Bloomberg, “As his surrogates warmed up the audience, the expanse of shiny concrete eventually filled in with cheering Trump fans. But it was too late for a longtime Trump aide, George Gigicos, the former White House director of advance who had organized the event as a contractor to the Republican National Committee. Trump later had his top security aide, Keith Schiller, inform Gigicos that he’d never manage a Trump rally again, according to three people familiar with the matter.”
Ultimately, 10,000 people are said to have filled the multipurpose room in the Phoenix Convention Center, notes the Arizona Republic.
They were greeted by numerous speeches from aides and associates who stressed the president’s commitment to unity among people of all races.
However, in his over 70-minute fiery address, Trump blamed the media for misrepresenting his statements on Charlottesville, "threatened" to shut down the government if border wall funding is not approved, and hinted at an imminent pardon for former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, notes the Washington Post.
Many in attendance, some exhausted from hours-long waits in 107-degree heat, reportedly opted to leave early.
President Trump has made no secret of how much he values crowd sizes.
Bloomberg reports that last week, when the one in Phoenix, Arizona, appeared sparse, Trump dismissed the event’s organizer.
That person, George Gigicos, had been one of Trump’s longest-serving aides, putting together both campaign events and the campaign-style ones that have taken place since Trump took office.
According to Bloomberg, “As his surrogates warmed up the audience, the expanse of shiny concrete eventually filled in with cheering Trump fans. But it was too late for a longtime Trump aide, George Gigicos, the former White House director of advance who had organized the event as a contractor to the Republican National Committee. Trump later had his top security aide, Keith Schiller, inform Gigicos that he’d never manage a Trump rally again, according to three people familiar with the matter.”
Ultimately, 10,000 people are said to have filled the multipurpose room in the Phoenix Convention Center, notes the Arizona Republic.
They were greeted by numerous speeches from aides and associates who stressed the president’s commitment to unity among people of all races.
However, in his over 70-minute fiery address, Trump blamed the media for misrepresenting his statements on Charlottesville, "threatened" to shut down the government if border wall funding is not approved, and hinted at an imminent pardon for former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, notes the Washington Post.
Many in attendance, some exhausted from hours-long waits in 107-degree heat, reportedly opted to leave early.