The announcement that President Donald Trump would be campaigning for Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) raised many eyebrows.
The two butted heads repeatedly over the course of the 2016 campaign, with Trump even insinuating that Cruz's wife was ugly. But to assure that the hatchet was buried ahead of a neck-and-neck election between Cruz and Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke, Trump said he not only intended to stump for Cruz, but to do so in the largest stadium available.
I will be doing a major rally for Senator Ted Cruz in October. I’m picking the biggest stadium in Texas we can find… https://t.co/OeAPVvpUsq— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1535735341.0
It appears now that plans have changed.
The October 22nd rally will now be held at Houston's NRG Arena, which seats 8,000 - only 94,000 fewer seats than the biggest stadium in Texas. Representatives for Trump said that there was no bigger stadium available.
Americans can't stop mocking the downgrade.
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@jeneps @tictoc The facility serves as the primary horse competition facility for the Houston Livestock Show and Ro… https://t.co/kMQ3iYOR8q— MAGA by IMPEACHING TRUMP (@MAGA by IMPEACHING TRUMP) 1539647879.0
@realDonaldTrump Not only did you not get the biggest stadium in Texas, you didn’t even get the biggest venue in Ho… https://t.co/ppJ7wXQpdp— Reba Strickland (@Reba Strickland) 1539663063.0
The “biggest stadium in Texas” is Kyle Field, which seats 102,733. Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium seats 100… https://t.co/3HdIXTTN3g— Facts Do Matter (@Facts Do Matter) 1539649267.0
Some weren't buying the Trump team's explanation.
If that little venue in Houston is the biggest stadium Trump could find, he needs to add blindness to those bone sp… https://t.co/YxG3ukP8aL— Harold Cook (@Harold Cook) 1539663114.0
My take is that they grabbed a small stadium they had a chance of filling and even with that, there'll be plenty of… https://t.co/JUsSCxt5dw— Ursula Faw (@Ursula Faw) 1539656411.0
The reactions have also called attention to the difference in charisma between Senator Cruz and his opponent Beto O'Rourke.
Though Cruz has maintained a shaky lead over his opponent throughout the campaign, O'Rourke has received a historic level of donations to his campaign and has widely mobilized Texans all over the state. His recent rally with supporter and musician Willie Nelson saw over 50,000 attendees.
With numbers that stratospheric, Twitter users are using this recent development with Cruz's venue to remind him of O'Rourke's crowd sizes.
Wasn’t @realDonaldTrump going to Texas and fill Dallas stadium for #Cruz? I bet you #Beto could fill it without pay… https://t.co/7pTbmWbWBh— cisco (@cisco) 1539606806.0
My take is that they grabbed a small stadium they had a chance of filling and even with that, there'll be plenty of… https://t.co/JUsSCxt5dw— Ursula Faw (@Ursula Faw) 1539656411.0
Many think it's absurd that Cruz is accepting an endorsement from the president in the first place, much less have him speak at a rally for him. Over the course of the 2016 campaign, Cruz called Trump a "sniveling coward" and Trump popularized the nickname "Lyin' Ted."
The announcement had Americans balk.
This is so disqualifying for Ted Cruz. This man publicly called Cruz's wife ugly and accused Cruz's father of consp… https://t.co/QPhw9upcst— Jennifer Hayden (@Jennifer Hayden) 1535736193.0
"The reason lyin' Ted Cruz has lost so much of the evangelical vote is that they are very smart and just don't tole… https://t.co/8KAnR8cuuO— Brian Klaas (@Brian Klaas) 1535735872.0
Prediction: Trump will make fun of Cruz at this event in some way. He won't be able to stop himself. https://t.co/dUkAGx9Qgt— Jon Lovett (@Jon Lovett) 1535736767.0
While it's still uncertain til October 22 just how the dynamic between the president and the senator will be, we're sure it will be one to watch. It's just too bad that only 8,000 will get to see it in person.