The Poynter Institute Menu Donate State Editions * California * Florida * Iowa * Michigan * New Hampshire * New York * North Carolina * Pennsylvania * Texas * West Virginia * Wisconsin Issues * All Issues * Online hoaxes * Coronavirus * Health Care * Immigration * Extremism * Taxes * Marijuana * Environment * Crime * Guns * Foreign Policy * LGBTQ+ People * Joe Biden * Kamala Harris * Donald Trump * Mitch McConnell * Hakeem Jeffries * Ron DeSantis Media * PunditFact * Tucker Carlson * Sean Hannity * Rachel Maddow * Bloggers * PolitiFact Videos Campaigns * 2024 Elections Truth-o-Meter * True * Mostly True * Half True * Mostly False * False * Pants on Fire Promises * Biden Promise Tracker * Trump-O-Meter * Obameter * Latest Promises About Us * Our Process * Our Staff * En Español * Who pays for PolitiFact? * Advertise with Us * Suggest a Fact-check * Corrections and Updates * Newsletters Donate #### Follow us The Facts Newsletter Sign up English Español ### Get PolitiFact in your inbox. * Weekly Email Newsletter * Daily Email Newsletter Your Email Address Sign Up ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on August 22, 2017 in a rally: \"There aren\'t too many people outside protesting\" his speech at the Phoenix Convention Center. ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") * National * Public Safety * Donald Trump ![\\"Miriam](\\" By Miriam Valverde August 23, 2017 # Trump\'s False claim that there weren\'t too many people protesting his Phoenix rally President Donald Trump opened his campaign rally in Phoenix noting a matter of importance to him: crowd sizes. \"What a crowd,\" Trump said Aug. 22 about his supporters inside the Phoenix Convention Center, the site of one of his first major campaign rallies two years earlier. He immediately drew attention to another group of people: \"And just so you know from the Secret Service, there aren\'t too many people outside protesting, OK. That I can tell you.\" Trump downplayed the number of protesters at other points in his 75-minute speech. But the president’s narrative was at odds with what TV news viewers had seen for hours leading up to Trump taking the stage. The coverage on national networks showed sizeable crowds out on the streets carrying signs criticizing the president and his response to the Charlottesville, Va., riots ignited by supporters of white supremacist and anti-Semitic groups. The Phoenix Police Chief also said there were \"tens of thousands\" of people out on the streets. Here are the facts. Trump’s touts his ‘incredible’ crowd and ‘few’ protesters As Trump delivered his speech, he sought to spotlight the people inside the convention center, asking cameras to put them on TV \"because it is rather incredible.\" (CNN obliged.) Trump was also interrupted by a protester inside the convention center as he defended his series of responses to the violence in Charlottesville. \"Don\'t bother, it\'s only a single voice. And not a very powerful voice,\" Trump said. \"How did he get in here? He\'s supposed to be with the few people outside.\" ![](\\" (People protest outside the Phoenix Convention Center on Aug. 22, 2017, in Phoenix. Protests were held against President Donald Trump as he hosted a rally inside the convention center. / AP) Trump suggested Phoenix’ hot weather kept protesters away. \"How about all week they\'re talking about the massive crowds that are going to be outside. Where are they? Well, it\'s hot out. It is hot. I think it\'s too warm,\" Trump said. \"You know, they show up in the helmets and the black masks, and they\'ve got clubs and they\'ve got everything.\" \"Antifa!\" he shouted, the shorthand term for anti-fascists, which broadly describes far-left-leaning militant groups challenging neo-Nazis and white supremacists. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" black/4590875651af69b2c789ceab409664dd.jpg\\") ![](\\" black/72988380e8c8bd188dc360d11552e4a0.jpg\\") X posts stated on August 19, 2024 in X posts The American flag is missing from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Sofia Ahmed • August 21, 2024 The next day, Trump continued boasting about the amount of people who showed up to support him. \"Phoenix crowd last night was amazing - a packed house. I love the Great State of Arizona. Not a fan of Jeff Flake, weak on crime & border!\" another tweet said. > Phoenix crowd last night was amazing - a packed house. I love the Great > State of Arizona. Not a fan of Jeff Flake, weak on crime & border! > > — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2017 We did not get a response from the White House when we requested more information on Trump’s claim of few protesters. We asked the U.S. Secret Service — which Trump cited as his source of information — about their estimates of crowd sizes outside the convention center, but did not get a figure. \"For operational security purposes we do not publicly discuss the methods and means on how we conduct our protective operations,\" said Mason F. Brayman, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Secret Service. Local and national media reports Leading up to the rally, Phoenix police chief Jeri Williams said the department would have \"maximum staffing\" and emphasized its experience handling other major events, such as Super Bowls. In a press briefing after the events, Williams said there had been \"tens of thousands\" of people downtown. (Trump said he brought 15,000 people into the convention center. The Phoenix Fire Marshal approved capacity up to 19,000 people.) \"We had tens of thousands of people downtown peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights,\" Williams said. \"What’s unfortunate is that a very small number of individuals chose criminal conduct.\" ![](\\" (Protesters outside the Phoenix Convention Center hold up anti-President Donald Trump signs and shout back at Trump supporters waiting to enter a rally by Trump on Aug. 22, 2017, in Phoenix, Ariz. / Getty) Azcentral.com reported that demonstrators outside the convention center \"largely refrained from violence\" throughout the day. That changed after Trump’s speech ended and a few people threw rocks and bottles at police. Police used pepper spray and pepper balls to disperse protesters. Local media also said there were thousands of anti-Trump protesters out on the streets. Some photos show protesters held back by barricades outside the convention center where Trump was speaking. Several videos and photo galleries from local media depict the crowds of protesters, which included people advocating for immigrant rights and against hate groups. Fox News — which Trump singled out as a channel that treats him fairly — also reported that \"thousands of protesters gathered outside\" the convention center ahead of Trump’s speech. CNN also said thousands of protesters were in attendance. > Views from the roof of the parking lot across from Phoenix convention > center. People packed on every floor. #trumprally protest > pic.twitter.com/pHMc1rbAik > > — Saba Hamedy (@saba_h) August 23, 2017 Our ruling Trump at a rally in Phoenix said, \"There aren\'t too many people outside protesting.\" Thousands of people were out on the streets of Phoenix protesting Trump’s speech, according to multiple media accounts and the Phoenix police chief, who said the city’s downtown had \"tens of thousands\" of people exercising their right to free speech. Trump significantly underestimated crowds in Phoenix. We rate his statement False. Share the Facts 2017-08-23 19:58:04 UTC PolitiFact ![\\"PolitiFact\\"](\\" logo-big.jpg\\"/) 2 1 7 ![\\"PolitiFact](\\" false.jpg\\") PolitiFact Rating: False \"There aren\'t too many people outside protesting\" his speech at the Phoenix Convention Center. Donald Trump President of the United States ![](\\" in a rally in Phoenix Tuesday, August 22, 2017 2017-08-22 Read More info #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources CQ, Transcript: President DOnald Trump campaign event in Phoenix, Aug. 22, 2017 Email exchange, Phoenix Police Department media relations, Aug. 22, 2017 Email exchange, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Secret Service, Aug. 23, 2017 CNN, Police spray tear gas at protesters following Trump\'s Phoenix rally, updated Aug. 23, 2017 Fox News, Thousands of protesters flock to Trump speech in Phoenix, Aug. 22, 2017 PolitiFact, Donald Trump had biggest inaugural crowd ever? Metrics don\'t show it, Jan. 21, 2017 PolitiFact, Fact-checking President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Phoenix, Aug. 22, 2017 PolitiFact, In Context: President Donald Trump’s statement on ‘many sides’ in Charlottesville, Va., Aug. 14, 2017 PunditFact, Rachel Maddow says Donald Trump exaggerated his crowd in Phoenix, July 15, 2015 Twitter, @realdonaldtrump, tweet, tweet, Aug. 23, 2017 Twitter, @saba_h tweet, Aug. 22, 2017 Facebook post, Phoenix Police Department, Aug. 23, 2017 City of Phoenix, President\'s Visit Updates, last updated Aug. 18, 2017 Azcentral.com, coverage of President Donald Trump’s visit to Phoenix, Aug. 22, 23, 2017 12news.com, Trump rally protest ends with police firing pepper balls, arresting 4, Aug. 23, 2017 Abc15.com, Trump protests in Phoenix: Experience the conflict between attendees and protesters, Aug. 22, 2017 Azfamily.com, Protesters hit the streets outside Phoenix Convention Center, Aug. 22, 2017 Azfamily.com, SLIDESHOW: Police, Trump protesters clash in downtown Phoenix, Aug. 23, 2017 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Miriam Valverde slide 4 to 6 of 15 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on April 19, 2021 in a speech: “If you look at some of these places that (reduced police funding), they’ve already seen crime go up.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • May 4, 2021 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on April 22, 2021 in an Instagram post: \"Mountains of data\" show drug ivermectin \"basically obliterates\" COVID-19 transmission. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • April 23, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on April 7, 2021 in a Facebook post: Says the nation is locked down and there’s “a wide open border.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • April 15, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Pramila Jayapal stated on August 30, 2021 in an Instagram post: “The average hospital stay for a case of COVID-19 costs about $17,064. The vaccine is free.” ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • September 2, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Mitt Romney stated on August 29, 2021 in a CNN interview: The Trump administration worked to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners. ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • August 31, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Joe Biden stated on August 20, 2021 in a press conference: There has been “no question of our credibility from our allies around the world” regarding how the U.S. is withdrawing from Afghanistan. ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • August 26, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 16, 2021 in a Facebook post: COVID-19 vaccinations are “a violation of the Nuremberg code.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • August 20, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on August 4, 2021 in a press conference: Says Joe Biden has driven the current coronavirus surge because he “imported more virus from around the world by having a wide open southern border.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Louis Jacobson • August 6, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on June 16, 2021 in a press conference: “That meth … it’s almost all coming across the southern border and it’s been accelerating for the last six months.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • June 21, 2021 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on June 4, 2021 in an Instagram post: \"920 women lose their unborn babies after getting vaccinated.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • June 8, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on May 26, 2021 in a Facebook post: Police defunding is to blame for “skyrocketing murder rates” in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Portland, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • May 28, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on May 25, 2021 in a Facebook post: “Biden agrees to Pelosi\'s request to resign.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • May 26, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on May 17, 2021 in social media posts: “Gas prices highest in a decade. Worst jobs report in 2 decades. Highest inflation in 3 decades. Highest increase in illegal immigration in 4 decades.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • May 26, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kevin McCarthy stated on May 12, 2021 in a statement to reporters: \"I don\'t think anybody is questioning the legitimacy of the presidential election.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • May 14, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on May 4, 2021 in a speech: “The global cost of corruption is as much as 5% of the world\'s GDP.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • May 7, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on April 19, 2021 in a speech: “If you look at some of these places that (reduced police funding), they’ve already seen crime go up.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • May 4, 2021 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on April 22, 2021 in an Instagram post: \"Mountains of data\" show drug ivermectin \"basically obliterates\" COVID-19 transmission. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • April 23, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on April 7, 2021 in a Facebook post: Says the nation is locked down and there’s “a wide open border.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • April 15, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Pramila Jayapal stated on August 30, 2021 in an Instagram post: “The average hospital stay for a case of COVID-19 costs about $17,064. The vaccine is free.” ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • September 2, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Mitt Romney stated on August 29, 2021 in a CNN interview: The Trump administration worked to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners. ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • August 31, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Joe Biden stated on August 20, 2021 in a press conference: There has been “no question of our credibility from our allies around the world” regarding how the U.S. is withdrawing from Afghanistan. ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • August 26, 2021 ### Trump\'s False claim that there weren\'t too many people protesting his Phoenix rally * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 16, 2024 in a Facebook post: “Taylor Swift Forced to Cancel Eras Tour Dates Following Endorsement Backlash” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • September 18, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 13, 2024 in an Instagram post: Says Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said, “Who else thinks the downfall of America started with Barack Obama?” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 17, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Republican Governors Association stated on June 24, 2024 in a campaign advertisement: “On (Josh) Stein’s watch, rapes in North Carolina are up 53%.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Paul Specht • September 17, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Michele Morrow stated on September 16, 2024 in a social media post: The plus in LGBTQ+ includes pedophilia. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Paul Specht • September 17, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 16, 2024 in an X post: The FBI said it would “visit” Elon Musk for writing on X, “No one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 17, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Eric Hovde stated on September 3, 2024 in TV interview: \"Typically you have three to four debates in a U.S. Senate race. (Baldwin has) given me one debate, almost a month after early voting has started.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Hope Karnopp • September 17, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Sheehy stated on August 21, 2024 in an X post: The “‘Inflation Reduction Act’ increased inflation and drove prices sky high!” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Louis Jacobson • September 17, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Walz stated on September 14, 2024 in a speech: “In Project 2025, you’re going to have to register with a new federal agency when you get pregnant.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Samantha Putterman • September 17, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 8, 2024 in una publicación en Instagram: \"Maduro llega a Rusia para pedir ayuda armamentista ante las relaciones negativas con los países americanos\". ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Marta Campabadal Graus • September 16, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 15, 2024 in a Facebook post: Former President Donald Trump posted “0-2” Sept. 15 on Truth Social. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 16, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. Become a member! In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts. Sign me up #### Offices District of Columbia 1800 I Street NW Washington, DC 20006 Florida 801 3rd St. S St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-821-9494 #### People * Joe Biden * Kamala Harris * Donald Trump * Mitch McConnell * Hakeem Jeffries * Ron DeSantis #### State Editions * California * Florida * Iowa * Michigan * New Hampshire * New York * North Carolina * Pennsylvania * Texas * West Virginia * Wisconsin #### About Us * Our Process * Our Staff * En Español * Who pays for PolitiFact? * Advertise with Us * Corrections and Updates * Newsletters #### RSS Feeds * Recent Articles and Fact-checks * Recent Fact-checks Suggest a Fact-check #### Follow us The Facts Newsletter Sign up Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Copyright ©All Rights Reserved Poynter Institute 2020, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization ![\\"\\"](\\" ✕ * * *
There aren't too many people outside protesting his speech at the Phoenix Convention Center