Some people tried to leave Trump's 2024 launch early but were stopped by security, ABC reporters say
A video shared by an ABC News reporter showed a crowd of people forming near the doors of a Mar-a-Lago room as Trump spoke.
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- Donald Trump launched his 2024 run in front of a crowd of people in Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday.
- Some people tried to leave the event early — but were stopped by security, two ABC reporters said.
- ABC reporter Jonathan Karl said Trump's just-over-an-hour speech was "low energy."
Some people tried to leave former President Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign launch in Mar-a-Lago early — but were stopped by security, two ABC News reporters said.
Trump formally announced his third consecutive bid for the White House in a ballroom at his lavish golf club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday night.
But his speech — which lasted just over an hour — prompted some of his supporters to leave early, according to ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, who was in the room.
"I actually saw people trying to leave, and people leaving early ... but they actually started preventing people from leaving," Karl said in a live report
ABC News reporter Olivia Rubin, who was also in the room, shared a video of the moment a crowd appeared to be forming near the ballroom doors while Trump was still speaking in the background:
—Olivia Rubin (@OliviaRubinABC) November 16, 2022
Insider was unable to independently verify these accounts. A representative for Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Multiple networks, including Fox News, also appeared to give up on Trump's announcement, resuming regular programming before he was done speaking, Politico reported.
Among those at Mar-a-Lago were his wife and former First Lady Melania Trump, his sons Eric and Barron Trump, as well as Jared Kushner.
Notably, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump were not there.
Don Jr. wasn't able to make the event because he was hunting in the mountains and was unable to get a flight to Florida, according to one report. Ivanka Trump said Tuesday that she had decided to leave politics and focus instead on her family.
Tiffany Trump, who the former president shares with ex-wife Marla Maples, also wasn't there, though she got married in the Florida resort over the weekend.