MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski openly laughed on Monday at President Donald Trump's exaggerated claims about the crowd size at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C. During an episode of “Morning Joe,” Brzezinski ridiculed Trump's Truth Social post asserting that “at least 45,000” people attended his speech on the opening night of the event, which runs through July 10 and celebrates America's 250th anniversary.
Brzezinski Calls Out Gaslighting
Brzezinski accused Trump of “gaslighting about crowd size,” pointing to multiple media reports that contradicted his numbers. NBC News estimated the crowd at “more than 1,000” people, while The Washington Post noted that attendees “thinly covered an area about the length of the National Museum of American History, smaller than some summer outdoor movie screenings.”
In contrast, Fox News did not dispute Trump's claim. Instead, a commentator argued that “pictures don’t tell the full story” and suggested that visitors would encounter “a wash of people.” Brzezinski responded to this clip by covering her face and laughing, exclaiming, “Oh my God. Ouch! OK.”
Criticism from Conservative Journalist
Conservative journalist Jonah Goldberg also criticized Fox News's coverage. On Sunday, he shared the “wash of people” clip on X, writing, “If only they had employees who know how to operate cameras that could capture these images he describes.”
Event Plagued by Problems
Beyond sparse crowds, the Great American State Fair faced numerous issues. Several high-profile musical acts, including country stars Martina McBride and Bret Michaels, backed out before the event. Rapper Vanilla Ice, who remained on the bill, canceled his scheduled performance last Friday due to inclement weather.
Despite these setbacks, Trump remained defensive. Early Monday, he posted on Truth Social: “Do you think people appreciate what a fantastic job we did in building and operating the Great American State Fair at the National Mall, packed with happy people, and everybody loving it? Ask yourself this simple question, ‘DO YOU THINK THAT OBUMA OR SLEEPY JOE BIDEN COULD HAVE DONE IT?’ THE ANSWER IS NO!”
