Saturday, October 31, 2026Every claim sourced. Every source linked.
The record of what the American press got wrong, and who it helped
The Big Lies › 2017 › File PF-0056
Retracted

WaPo reporter's 'empty arena' photo of Trump's Pensacola rally

Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel tweeted a photo of the Pensacola rally venue that suggested the arena was largely empty for Trump's speech.

First reported Dec 8, 2017 · The Washington Post
Screenshot of the original report as published
Screenshot of the report as published: mediaite.com (archived copy, Wayback Machine). Tap to open the source.
Who it helped: Democrats

The image fed a narrative of shrinking crowds and fading enthusiasm for Trump.

What was reported

Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel tweeted a photo of the Pensacola rally venue that suggested the arena was largely empty for Trump's speech.

What actually happened

The photo was taken before the event, while thousands were still outside waiting to get in, and the arena filled up. After another reporter pointed out the error, Weigel deleted the tweet. Trump called the photo phony and demanded an apology. Weigel apologized publicly within minutes. Trump then said he should be fired, and the Post kept him on.

The proof

Weigel deleted the photo and publicly apologized on Dec. 9, 2017, saying he had gotten it wrong.

The receipt. Copy this and paste it anywhere:

WaPo reporter's 'empty arena' photo of Trump's Pensacola rally — Retracted. Weigel deleted the photo and publicly apologized on Dec. 9, 2017, saying he had gotten it wrong. Full file: https://www.thepropagandafiles.com/case/weigel-pensacola-empty-arena-photo/

Original reporting

Corrections, findings & records

Archived copies

Stories get edited after publication. These open the Internet Archive's earliest saved copy of each original.

Get the daily file.