Are media conservatives making up numbers to inflate the power of their movement?

Written by Jeremy Holden

Published

Another right-wing protest heavily promoted by Fox News and other right-wing personalities, another round of hyperbolic crowd overestimates by the very people who had aggressively begged their viewers and listeners to attend.

Baseless estimates from the cheering section include:

  • Stephen Moore, who claimed that 50,000 attended;
  • Franklin Raff, producer for G. Gordon Liddy, who claimed “about a million” attended;
  • And Sean Hannity, who claimed that 20,000 attended before claiming that 5,000 attended (and later returning to the more robust 20,000).

While falling all over themselves to make up a number that would befit earlier forecasts of a "massive" crowd, have these media figures tripped over the facts? Well, it turns out that U.S. Capitol Police officers reportedly estimated to MSNBC that about 4,000 protesters showed up to yell about health care reform.

Made up numbers? Makes you wonder if the event's promoters are embarrassed by the turnout.