how many people were on the national mall july 4th for trump then forced to leave

Trump said the National Mall crowd reached about 422,000 by 7:05 p.m., but that figure has not been independently confirmed. He also said about 150,000 people returned after the weather evacuation for the later speech and fireworks.

What happened

The reports say the crowd had to leave because of severe weather and lightning, then some attendees came back later for the resumed programming.

Best read on the number

• Initial crowd before evacuation: 422,000 according to Trump’s post, unverified.

• Returned crowd later in the night: 150,000 according to Trump.

• Independent reporting described “thousands” early on and said less than half the original crowd returned, but did not confirm an official headcount.

One-line answer

If you mean the number on the Mall before people were forced to leave, the figure Trump gave was 422,000 ; if you mean who came back afterward, it was 150,000.