The rally in support of former President Donald Trump was more than ten times the size of the South Carolina state where it was held, police estimated.
About 50,000 Trump supporters are believed to have gathered at Pickens to meet the Republican frontrunner during his visit on Saturday, July 1.
A video shared online showed a large crowd gathered at Pickens as Trump took the stage.
Pickens County Police Chief Randall Beech estimated that tens of thousands turned up in the small city in the afternoon when temperatures hit the mid-90s.
“It couldn’t have been less than 50,000,” he told the Spartanburg Herald-Journal.
Beach told the newspaper that there were no major incidents during the rally, but that one person who tried to enter through the gate had to surrender a handgun. Beach said the person was able to retrieve the gun when he left the rally.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 3,371 residents living in Pickens in 2021.
Pickens Police Chief Deputy Chief Chuck James said. Newsweek Although the official number is unknown at this time, it was confirmed that there were many participants at the rally.
He added, “I know the venue was full and there was a long line to get in, but our office was tasked with security for the event, so I didn’t know. ‘ added. [of] what was the official number? In terms of arrests, there were zero event-related arrests. ”
Trump claimed on his social-media platform Truth Social that voter turnout was about 75,000, but officials have not provided a firm figure.
In his speech, Trump said he would “move heaven and earth to fully secure the election” and said Republicans would have to use “all legal means to win.”
While Trump received a warm welcome at Pickens, Republican Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina was booed by the crowd.
Graham has backed sending military aid to Ukraine, which is at war with Russia, a position rejected by a significant number of Republicans.
The United States is one of the NATO countries that continues to send humanitarian and military aid to the war-torn country, including tanks, artillery and advanced defense equipment. Opposing the aid and calling for a halt to funding to Ukraine include Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Green and Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs.
According to the Herald Journal, many people struggled with the July heat and tried to find shade.
Pickens County Emergency Services Commissioner Kenny McPeters estimated that about 50 people, most of them elderly, needed treatment.
McPeters said some were being treated at local venues and others had to be transported to local hospitals.
“Besides the church, we used the car, the steps of the courthouse and the police station,” he told the media.
Newsweek A video allegedly taken after the rally showed trees falling across the city and power outages. It’s unclear if the fallen tree had anything to do with the rally.
Newsweek emailed the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and local authorities for comment.
UPDATE 02/07/2023 12:01 PM This article has been updated with comments from Chief of Staff Chuck James.
