After Donald Trump’s first inauguration, Trump called acting National Park Service director Mike Reynolds because he was unhappy with media reports suggesting that his crowd size was smaller than Obama’s in 2009. Trump ordered Reynolds to provide new images to correct this perception. With Trump’s second inauguration approaching, crowd size is expected to be a focus again. Park Service images of the crowd could be a source of controversy if they appear unflattering to Trump. The Trump inaugural committee did not confirm how many people they expected at the event. The NPS stopped giving crowd size estimates in 1996. Crowd experts estimate that Trump drew about a third of the crowd that Obama did in 2017. Crowd scientist G. Keith Still uses aerial photos to calculate crowd size and has estimated Trump’s 2017 crowd as one-third of Obama’s in 2009. The crowd size controversy consumed the early days of Trump’s term, with his administration claiming it was the largest audience ever. The NPS issues permits for crowds on the National Mall for the swearing-in ceremony. The 2021 inauguration was smaller due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Crowd size is expected to be closely monitored during Trump’s upcoming inauguration, with media outlets and experts analyzing images to estimate audience size.
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