'Unprecedented' Response to Trump-Cruz Rally Forces a Venue Change
President Donald Trump’s Houston, Texas, rally in support of Sen. Ted Cruz had to be moved to a bigger venue after an overwhelming request for tickets.
Trump’s 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale tweeted on Thursday that the rally, which is scheduled for Monday, was moved from the 8,000-seat NRG Arena to the Toyota Center, which holds 19,000 people.
“Response for tickets to #MAGA rally #Houston Mon 10/22 has been HUGE and unprecedented! This will be an epic rally, so we’re moving to @ToyotaCenter. Want to make sure everyone coming knows the venue changed!”
Response for tickets to #MAGA rally #Houston Mon 10/22 has been HUGE and unprecedented! This will be an epic rally, so we’re moving to @ToyotaCenter. Want to make sure everyone coming knows the venue changed!
— Brad Parscale (@parscale) October 18, 2018
The Toyota Center confirmed that the venue had indeed been booked for the event that is supporting the incumbent Cruz, according to The Hill.
Trump announced on Monday that he would head to Texas to campaign for his former opponent in the Republican presidential primary.
The choice of the NRG Arena was initially mocked because of a previous statement by the president that they would hold a “major rally” at “the biggest stadium in Texas we can find.”
At the time of his Aug. 31 announcement, the president also confirmed why he believed it was important to support Cruz.
“As you know, Ted has my complete and total Endorsement,” Trump said in his tweet.
“His opponent is a disaster for Texas – weak on Second Amendment, Crime, Borders, Military, and Vets!”
I will be doing a major rally for Senator Ted Cruz in October. I’m picking the biggest stadium in Texas we can find. As you know, Ted has my complete and total Endorsement. His opponent is a disaster for Texas – weak on Second Amendment, Crime, Borders, Military, and Vets!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2018
The Dallas News reported that a Trump campaign aide confirmed that at the time the rally was planned, NRG was the largest venue available for the Oct. 22 date.
“The suggestion that we didn’t book the largest venue available is erroneous, as we sought other locations for the day that early voting begins in Texas on October 22, but they were not available in Houston,” the aide told the Dallas News.
Cruz, who is locked in a hard-fought Senate race against El Paso Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke, is positive about the possible boost he hopes to receive from the rally.
“It’s great. Pumped,” Cruz campaign manager Jeff Roe said Tuesday night, according to Dallas News. “The Houston market — a visit by the president will have a profound impact on turnout, motivation, excitement.”
The campaign manager added, “I’ve seen around the country what it does for poll numbers, what it does for excitement, intensity, get out the vote plans. The people sign up to volunteer. We’ve been flooded since it was announced, with volunteer opportunities.”
Monday’s rally will be part of a long string of campaign stops that the president is making on behalf of Republicans, including stops in Tennessee, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Trump will travel to Montana, Arizona, and Nevada this week.
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