The official photos from President Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20 were released on Monday by the National Park Service, and they clear things up once and for all (photographic evidence-wise) about the size of the crowds that Trump loves to boast about.
The photos were released in compliance with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by various news organizations. The National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over the National Mall, where inauguration crowds gather, also released photos from Obama's inaugurations.
Following initial reports of Trump's low inauguration attendance, the President claimed that the media manipulated photographs of "an empty field" to make it appear that fewer people turned out to the event than actually did. "We caught them in a beauty," Trump said of the media, "and I think they’re going to pay a big price." Prior to the inauguration, Trump predicted that the crowds for his inauguration would be "bigger than expected."
Later, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer inaccurately described Trump's inauguration crowds as "the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe," prompting Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway to label his statements as "alternative facts," which just aren't a thing.
Check out the photos of Trump's inauguration for yourself below:
And here are photos of Obama's inauguration in 2009 for comparison:
Contention over the size of Trump's inauguration crowds wasn't limited only to comparisons with past oaths of office. Many also pointed out that the turnout for the Women's March on Washington, which took place the day after Trump's inauguration, seemed to be vastly larger than for the previous day's festivities—an observation that at least was confirmed by ridership numbers released by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
Related: Trump’s Official Inauguration Poster Contained an Obvious Spelling Error
