Not that Donald Trump has ever held much regard for such unbigly concepts as “facts” and ”video evidence,” but Politifact caught America’s most overripe jack-o’-lantern in an especially egregious—at least to music lovers—prevarication at his closing-night rally in Raleigh, North Carolina last night. Shamelessly walking back yet another of his statements, one day after claiming to object to the “lewd language” in Jay Z’s lyrics, Trump said: “Beyonce and Jay Z, I like them, I like them,” before revealing the true nature of his resentment: “I get bigger crowds than they do,” he added. “It’s true. I get far bigger crowds.”
According to data from Billboard, though, this isn’t even remotely true. Jay Z and Beyonce’s 2014 “On The Run” tour drew an average of 45,700 people per date, and Beyonce’s solo “Formation” tour earlier this year drew an average of 45,423 per night. By Trump’s own estimate, three of his biggest rallies, in Oklahoma, Dallas, and Mobile, Alabama, drew an average of 27,000 people. That’s a similar draw to Phish on its most recent tour, according to Politifact. And, it should be noted, people pay to see Phish.
To be entirely fair to Trump, the rallies did draw more than last week’s pro-Clinton Jay Z concert in Cleveland, which drew about 10,000 people.