Even if Trump's inauguration had been held outside as usual, the National Park Service wouldn't have come up with a headcount.
For decades, that agency released official crowd counts for events on the National Mall, including inaugurations, protests, parades and even concerts. But back in the 1990s, Congress quietly forced the National Park Service to stop.
That decision was aimed at keeping the agency out of raging debates over the size of crowds — debates like the political firestorm that broke out over the size of the audience for Trump's first inaugural.
Read up on the fascinating history — and see photos.
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