‘Morning Joe’ mocks Vance for drawing ‘the smallest crowd’ to ‘Boring Point USA’ event - BERITAJA

Joe Scarborough and co-host Jonathan Lemire bullied Vice President JD Vance connected Morning Joe after a viral video showed a sparsely attended Turning Point USA arena successful Athens, Georgia, and mocked his informing to Pope Leo XIV arsenic the enactment of a man who “converted to Catholicism past week.”

The arena that became a punchline

Footage showed aggregate rows of quiet seats wrong Akins Ford Arena successful Athens.

A viral video from MS NOW newsman Jake Traylor described the venue arsenic “less than 25 percent filled” during Vance’s speech. The Associated Press besides noted a “mostly quiet arena.”

Turning Point USA seems to person misestimated crowd size for Vance. Akins Ford Arena little than 25% filled for the vice president. pic.twitter.com/K2SnkmuATh

— Jake Traylor (@jake__traylor) April 14, 2026

The 180,000-square-foot venue seats much than 8,000. Despite dense promotion, Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said about 10,000 tickets were reserved, but only about 2,000 students attended.

On Morning Joe, Scarborough, a Georgia native, mocked the turnout while showing the footage. He quipped, “Wait, clasp connected a second. Is that a — is that a Falcons shot game? Can we spot that? Can we spot those seats again?” Lemire added it was “the smallest crowd successful Atlanta since…” earlier Scarborough finished, “Since the past clip the Falcons played. And I’m a immense Falcons fan. But this is Boring Point USA. Like that… That’s not good.”

TPUSA blames left-wing

Rather than judge the debased turnout, Turning Point USA pointed elsewhere. Kolvet said, “The left-wing groups swarm the ticketing and they effort and book up each the tickets, and past they don’t show and that’s 1 of their forms of protest. Normally, we’re beautiful bully astatine sniffing it out, but they usage immoderate caller intends and activities, and truthful we’re moving pinch our ticketing systems to set for that moving forward.”

The mediocre attendance drew insult online and connected air. One personification wrote connected X, “I’m sorry but Bingo gets bigger crowds than that! That looks for illustration a rehearsal.”

The Red & Black, a student publication successful Athens, reported that students and organization members filled “around a third” of the venue.

Erika Kirk’s absence

The arena was meant to characteristic a speech betwixt Vance and Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk. Kirk announced connected societal media that she would not attend, citing information recommendations. Kolvet said she had “received immoderate very superior threats successful her direction.”

However, the Secret Service recovered nary reliable aliases circumstantial threat tied to the event, the venue, aliases Vance, who said aft a information briefing.

Observers questioned the explanation. Journalist Eric Spracklen wrote connected X, “They really want america to judge that the TPUSA arena was safe capable for the Vice President but not for Erika Kirk? I’m not buying it. She canceled because they couldn’t propulsion much than a mates 100 people.”

Candace Owens was much direct, writing, “Stop. This is exhausting. You pulled retired because of bad summons sales.”

Vance heckled wrong the mostly quiet arena

The debased turnout was not Vance’s only issue. He was heckled during the arena complete the Trump administration’s Middle East policy.

“Jesus Christ does not support genocide!” 1 attendee shouted earlier being removed. Vance responded to “whoever yelled that retired from the dark,” saying, “Yes, I agree, Jesus Christ surely does not support genocide… I deliberation that’s a beautiful easy principle.”

The heckler continued, shouting, “You’re sidesplitting children, you’re bombing children!”

Outside, protesters held signs reference “What would the existent Jesus do?,” “God does not hate, Turning Point does,” and “Jesus warned america about JD Vance.”

Vance’s support standing hits historical low

The Athens arena came arsenic Vance faced declining canvass numbers.

CNN information expert Harry Enten said Vance is now the slightest celebrated vice president astatine this shape successful office. His nett support dropped from positive 3 to minus 18, a 21-point decline. “JD Vance is not doing excessively basking to trot astatine this point,” Enten said.

A CNN/SSRS canvass conducted recovered 37 percent o.k. of Vance, while 62 percent disapprove, for a nett standing of minus 25.

His opinionated successful the 2028 GOP title has besides slipped. A prediction marketplace cited by CNN showed his chances falling from 53 percent six months earlier to 37 percent.