There were perfectly good, completely logical and totally apolitical reasons why Trump's crowd at the inauguration was smaller than Obama's. One of the 'biased' Mainstream Media Networks actually spelled them out. I can't remember which one it was, but I believe it was NPR. (I don't trust the major networks or newspapers either. They are too beholden to their corporate owners and advertisers.)

1) Obama was the first black President, and many people felt compelled to go to his inauguration because it was an unprecedented and unique historical occasion. I mean, wouldn't you pay a premium for tickets to the last Beatles concert, even if you weren't a fan?

2) Since the Obama election in question, many of the counties surrounding DC have turned Democrat, and many of the former Republican residents have moved further out into the suburbs (white flight?), farther from the District. Faced with a longer commute, many in his natural constituency simply decided to stay home.

3) The forecast was for heavy rain. This alone would have worked against a heavy crowd, regardless of the politics involved.

4) The DC area has a high proportion of minority voters, who have a tendency to stay home. There are also many government employees, which are mostly Democrats in an Obama administration. Neither of these demographics is likely to have turned up in droves for Trump. But the Obama election would have disproportionately brought them out in great numbers.

In short, a relatively smaller crowd at a Trump inauguration is no reflection on the man, his politics or his popularity. He should not feel threatened or embarassed by it at all.

Its really no big deal that relatively few people showed up. What is really a big deal is how upset the Trumpians got over this completely trivial and totally inconsequential "alternative factoid". I have my own theory about that.

The Donald is positively obsessing over the fact that he will be considered an "illegitimate" President. Let's face it, his entry into Presidential politics began when he attempted to de-legitimize Obama with his remarks about Obama's birth and education.. Its not surprising that he has reportedly been devastated by the fact his victory in the polls, although perfectly constitutional, was merely an Electoral College technicality and everybody knows it. Bush lost the popular vote to Gore by a half-million votes. Trump lost the popular vote to Clinton by almost three million.

Even the hint that the Putin computer hack helped put him in the White House has given the man and his defenders apoplectic fits. It feeds into those same fears that "Trump didn't REALLY win". They've even felt the need to come on this forum and plead his pathetic case. Its not because anyone is calling the election in question, not even the MSM and DNC believes the Russians managed to hack into voting machines all over the country. That the vote was fair is without question. But Trump is so insecure and paranoid he is willing to cover for the nation's enemies, ignore a direct attack on the nation's institutions, insult and alienate his own intelligence agencies and members of his own party in order to deal with his own childish fears.

Trump's mental state and emotional stability will become obvious soon enough, although those who have been listening to him closely already have already reached their own conclusions. However, his sycophantic followers and apologists, not just the usual deplorables, but some of them individuals with responsible positions in government and business, cannot all be dismissed as merely childish or ignorant rubes. What they are displaying instead is a cynicism and selfishness of truly breathtaking proportions.

My prediction: Trump will be removed from office, most likely by members of his own party, within a year. He will be replaced by Mr Pence, who will then carry out more traditional Establishment Republican priorities. The new VP? My guess is either Cruz or Ryan.

Pray for Ryan.