Social media trolls attempting to disrupt Donald Trump’s upcoming rally at Madison Square Garden may end up with the tables turned. Led by anti-Trump influencers George Conway and Rick Wilson, thousands of users on X (formerly Twitter) have registered for tickets with no intention of attending, hoping to make it appear that Trump’s event will be empty. The October 27 rally is set to draw crowds in New York City, where Trump is betting on a surge of support from minority communities.
The trolls’ strategy, though, could backfire. As the Trump campaign clarified, seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning registrations without attendance will simply free up space for other attendees. And while Conway and Wilson sarcastically encouraged their followers to sign up, they might have unwittingly boosted Trump’s data pool—the campaign will still collect contact information from each registration, expanding their list of potential contacts.
Though some hope to disrupt attendance estimates, the Trump team remains undeterred. If turnout lives up to expectations, the former president’s rally could serve as a resounding demonstration of his enduring popularity, regardless of opposition efforts.
