Former US President Donald Trump’s son’s controversial tour of Australia is on the verge of collapse as it is confirmed that 70 per cent of tickets purchased for the event have been refunded.
Donald Trump Jr, the presidential candidate’s eldest son and twice-impeached 45th US president, was due to address thousands of people in Brisbane, Victoria and NSW as part of his high-profile ‘Down Under’ tour.
But the scheduled speaking engagements have been continually postponed since they were first announced last year — first from July to September, then again to December, and again to an unknown date in the future.
Mr. Trump Jr. claimed the first cancellation was due to a delay in obtaining a visa from the federal government, even talking to Secretary of the Interior Clare O’Neil on X, formerly Twitter, after she sent him a ‘sore loser’.
Donald Trump Jr, the presidential candidate’s eldest son and twice-impeached 45th US president, was due to address crowds of thousands in Brisbane, Victoria and NSW as part of his high-profile ‘Down Under’ tour.
No new date has yet been set for the speaker events, with some ticket holders complaining they have faced difficulties in obtaining refunds, amid the silence from tour operator, Turning Point Australia (TPA).
It has led one irate ticket holder to propose legal action against Donald Trump Jr. and TPA for the continued postponement, claiming that people who lost money on the tour deserved some form of compensation.
Of the 8,000 tickets purchased for Trump Jr.’s tour 70 percent has been repaid from March.
“We became aware of a refund issue late last year and have been actively working to resolve this,” TPA founder Joel Jammal told NCA NewsWire.
Mr Jammal said the issue was related to one of the credit card processors used in partnership with Ticketbud, an event management and ticketing company based in the US.
“(It’s) not an uncommon problem when it comes to conservative events,” he said.
The current page for Donald Trump Jr.’s Australian tour this message will now be displayed
Ticketek confirmed it was responsible for processing refunds for the Sydney show, while NCA NewsWire understands US-based Ticketbud sold tickets for the scheduled shows in Queensland and Victoria.
Mr Jammal said responsibility for refunds would depend on the venue, the ticketing company and the “vendor facilities they employ”.
Asked whether Mr Trump Jr was still planning to visit Australia despite the ongoing tour delays, he said: “Don Jr is actively campaigning with his father in the run-up to the 2024 US elections and has extremely Busy.
“He wants to return to Australia in the very near future, as he said on Twitter/X last year.
‘The tickets are directly linked to the locations and because the location cannot be held indefinitely without a fixed date, the tickets must be refunded.
“We are confident these tickets will sell again if/when Don Jr confirms his attendance.”
A Ticketek spokesperson said refunds for the Sydney show have been completed.
About 30 tickets remain open, which the spokesperson said related to clients “for whom we need to manage EFT refunds.”
Ticketbud and the Trump Organization were both contacted for comment.
Trump Jr.’s planned tour was met with outrage, with a Change.org petition calling on the government to deny him a visa gaining 22,806 signatures.
Another petition, with just twelve signatures, calls for legal action against Mr. Trump Jr. and TPA due to the postponed tour.
Organizer Tyrone S. Murray claims no valid reason has been given for the tour’s postponement.
Of the 8,000 tickets purchased for Trump Jr.’s tour 70 percent has been repaid from March
“Even his so-called special guests haven’t posted or spoken about the tour,” the petition’s description reads.
“And Trump Jr. has not acknowledged his delay or even said anything about it. The only thing Trump Jr. rants about is Hunter Biden on his socials almost every week.
“We must take legal action against all expense card holders who were lost trying to cancel Trump Jr.’s tour. to attend.
‘Whether it concerns airline tickets, hotel costs, transport, bookings and even your ticket for the Trump Jr Live Tour.’
Initially, Trump Jr.’s tour was postponed due to what he claimed was a delay in obtaining a visa. But Home Secretary Clare O’Neil refuted this, saying Trump Jr had been given a visa ‘like everyone else’ and had tried to blame the government for his ‘poor ticket sales’.
Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage and Liberal Senator Alex Antic were listed as special guests on Trump Jr.’s tour. – originally announced as a ‘milestone’ event
General tickets for the event cost $59 for students or concessionaires to $89 for general admission.
A private dinner event — with a price tag of a whopping $2,500 — includes a pre-show dinner with Mr. Trump Jr., champagne reception and front-row seats.
Trump Jr.’s planned tour was met with widespread outrage, with a Change.org petition calling on the government to deny him a visa gaining 22,806 signatures.
Initially, Trump Jr.’s tour was postponed due to what he claimed was a delay in obtaining a visa.
But Home Secretary Clare O’Neil refuted this, saying Trump Jr had been given a visa “like everyone else” and had tried to blame the government for his “poor ticket sales”.
In a series of now-deleted tweets, she called Trump Jr. a “sore loser” and a “big baby who isn’t very popular.”
He returned fire by calling the minister a ‘coward’.
The tour was postponed again in September, with an email sent to ticket holders informing them of the ‘last-minute scheduling conflicts’.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” the email said.
‘Your existing tickets are automatically valid for the rescheduled event. So you don’t have to do anything if you want to be present on the new dates.’