Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist and the niece of former President Donald Trump offered insights on Thursday into why reported crowd size reductions and lower attendance at some of Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign rallies could be particularly infuriating for the former president and leading Republican contender for the 2024 presidential race.
According to Mary Trump’s latest installment in her Substack newsletter, crowd size has always been a significant trigger for Donald Trump. She pointed to his history of making false claims about the size of the audience at his inauguration in January 2017, a claim that was supported at the time by his White House press secretary, Sean Spicer.
Spicer famously stated that it was “the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe,” an untrue statement. This incident marked the beginning of a pattern of falsehoods that persisted throughout Trump’s time in office.
Mary Trump explained, “Crowd size is one of the key ways Donald measures success.” She further elaborated that small turnouts, subdued reactions, and louder hecklers challenge and stress Donald Trump in ways that few other things do. On the other hand, large crowds and their enthusiastic energy motivate him and serve as a powerful tool for deploying his message and building momentum.
Mary Trump, known for her outspoken criticism of her uncle, released her tell-all memoir, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man,” in 2020. The book delves into the dynamics within the Trump family and their role in shaping Donald Trump’s personality and actions.