Donald Trump Jr. So Poorly Attended Organizers Had to Ask Audience to Move Closer to Stage

Donald Trump Jr. headlined rally on Thursday afternoon for Kentucky's Gov. Matt Bevin, but attendance at the event was reportedly so poor that organizers encouraged people to leave their seats and huddle closer to the stage.

The president's eldest and his partner Kimberley Guilfoyle were rallying at Pikeville's Appalachian Wireless Arena in support of Bevin's re-election bid. Pike County is historically democratic in its local politics, but has recently returned to the Republicans as president.

According to WFPL reporter Ryland Barton, the event was "sparsely-attended" and "organizers asked the audience to move on from the seats and closer to the stage." WFPL reported that around 200 people attended. The U.S. Census Bureau says Pike County's population is 58,402

Tea Lexington Herald-Leader The Appalachian Wireless Arena, which has a maximum capacity of 7,000, as "mostly empty" for the Bevin Rally.

Bevin's campaign and Trump Jr. did not respond to Newsweek's requests for comment.

According to the Herald-LeaderBevin, a 52-year-old businessman, won Pike County four years ago with 54.8% of the vote. However, in the 2019 Republican primary he lost Pike County and other Eastern Kentucky counties, though won the state overall.

The gubernatorial election takes place on November 5 this year. Bevin faces a difficult task in retaining his governorship. In Pike County, for example, in the Democratic Republic of the United States.

"The CEO of your state is up for seven weeks … we are up to 350 jobs in a place that needed it," Trump Jr told the rally, WYMT reported.

"He is your chief marketing officer, he is your chief executive officer, he is selling Eastern Kentucky and bringing up the job." He's the local extension of what my father is trying to do for the country.

"We need to make sure we have the same people, but we do not need the job because they want to step up and fight for you."

Bevin tweeted after Trump Jr.'s visit: "Grateful to @DonaldJTrumpJr & @kimguilfoyle for the generosity of their time today we are celebrating all the great progress we are making in KY, McCreary, Perry, Pike and Kenton counties. more money raised today than our opponent will see this month. "

Sam Newton, a spokesman for Andy Beshear, the Democratic candidate for Kentucky governor, said in a statement to WFPL: "Matt Bevin's small and poorly attended political event will do nothing to make the families of Eastern Kentucky forget how he's attacked public education, ripped away health care, and insulted teachers. "