Trump Claims Bigger Crowds Than Elvis, Even Without a Guitar

Donald Trump recently declared that he is “greater than Elvis” while claiming to attract larger crowds than the legendary rock star, despite lacking a guitar. This statement came during his campaign rally in Uniondale, Long Island, marking his first public appearance since a recent attempt on his life in West Palm Beach, Florida.

As he addressed the audience, Trump expressed gratitude, suggesting that God spared his life “not once, but twice.” He then returned to a familiar theme of exaggerated crowd sizes at his rallies, boasting about the appeal he has to supporters.

“I call up my wife [Melania Trump] and say, ‘Baby, who can draw crowds… nobody can draw crowds like me, not even close,’” Trump remarked to his supporters at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Building on this theme, Trump compared his personal fame to that of his idol, Elvis Presley. “I’m the greatest of all time,” he claimed, even pondering, “Maybe greater even than Elvis.” He asserted that his lack of a guitar gives him a unique edge over the rock and roll icon, saying, “Elvis had a guitar, I don’t have a guitar. I don’t have the privilege of a guitar.”

The venue in New York, which can hold fewer than 16,000 attendees, reportedly saw an estimated turnout of at least 50,000 people, marking one of Trump’s largest rallies of his re-election campaign, according to local news outlet PIX 11. In contrast, Elvis once drew an audience of 60,500 at a concert in Pontiac, Michigan, back in December 1965.

Trump’s fixation on the sizes of his crowds has become increasingly prominent. For instance, he previously claimed that attendance at his rally on January 6, 2021—prior to the Capitol attacks—rivaled that of the crowd present for Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.

This obsession hasn’t gone unnoticed, with Vice President Kamala Harris addressing it during a recent presidential debate. She pointedly suggested that Trump’s supporters often leave his rallies early out of “exhaustion and boredom.” Trump’s response was swift: “People don’t leave my rallies. We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics.”

Trump’s admiration for Elvis is well-documented. At his first Medal of Freedom ceremony in November 2018, he posthumously honored Presley, reflecting on how crowds were captivated by Elvis’s performances and his undeniable connection with fans.

Earlier this year, Trump even went so far as to compare his looks to Elvis’s, posting a split-image on Instagram to show the similarities that many have claimed exist between them. “For so many years people have been saying that Elvis and I look alike,” he noted, soliciting opinions from his followers.

Interestingly, there seems to be another shared trait between Trump and Elvis: a fondness for fast food, specifically McDonald’s burgers, a detail that adds another layer to their unexpected connection.