Former President Donald Trump will likely directly speak to only a portion of the people who gather to see him at the Ford Wyoming Center on Saturday as plans now call for him to speak inside the facility.
Brad Murphy, general manager of the Ford Wyoming Center, said Thursday Trump will speak from inside the arena, which has a capacity of 9,700. If estimates for a turnout of 20,000 people are accurate, then most of the audience will watch Trump’s speech on multiple video screens outside.
Murphy said inside seats will be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Originally, Trump and the rest of the speakers had been slated to speak outside of the Ford Center to a crowd watching from its multiple parking lots.
As late as Wednesday, Casper Police published a map reflecting this plan for the event. Murphy said he did not know why a change was made.
Trump will be just one of a number of prominent conservative voices set to hit the stage on Saturday. Others include U.S. Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, Wyoming U.S. congressional candidate Harriet Hageman and Wyoming GOP Chairman Frank Eathorne.
Speaking via video to the audience will be U.S. House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-California, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-New York, chair of the House Republican Conference, and Rep. Jim Jordan R-Ohio.
All three of these lawmakers have been staunch defenders of Trump and opponents of Hageman’s opponent, U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney.
People will be able to park at the event at 6 a.m. and get in line for admission at that time. Doors will open at 11 a.m. and at that point “Entertainment” will begin, according to the rally website. Pre-program speakers will begin at 1 p.m. and Trump will speak at 4 p.m.
The event is considered a fundraiser for Hageman, who Trump has endorsed.
The Wyoming GOP will be hosting a fundraiser, showing a documentary alleging fraudulent activity in the 2020 election, before the rally in Casper on Friday night.
Michael Pearlman, communications director for Gov. Mark Gordon, said Gordon will greet Trump when he lands at the Casper International Airport. He said Gordon will not attend the rally to avoid endorsing, as governor, a GOP primary candidate in the House race.
