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MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign has issued 20,000 tickets for an event at a Burlington, Vermont, venue that has only 1,400 seats, city police said Wednesday.
Police Chief Brandon del Pozo acknowledged that those numbers, plus expected protesters, could be a public safety issue. If a rock group sold that many tickets to the downtown Flynn Theater, del Pozo told the Burlington Free Press, the city would cancel the event. He said that for now, Trump would be allowed to speak as scheduled because that would give people the chance to listen to a major presidential candidate.
Burlington is a liberal bastion inside a solidly Democratic state and the hometown of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders — a self-described democratic socialist. In fact, the Flynn Theater is across the street from City Hall — where Sanders served as mayor.
A Trump campaign spokeswoman did not immediately respond to the report.
Police say that anyone arriving for the Trump event once the Flynn has been filled will be turned away.
In a statement issued after Trump's visit to Vermont became known, Sanders said he welcomed him to Vermont.
The Vermont Republican Party has said it had no role in Trump's visit to the state, but they welcome his thoughts. The Vermont Democratic Party is asking its members to make charitable contributions to organizations that represent some of their core Democratic values.
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