Organiser of Donald Trump Jr Australia Tour confirms 70 per cent of tickets refunded

Donald Trump Jr, the eldest son of the presidential nominee and twice-impeached 45th US president, was due to speak to crowds of thousands in Brisbane, Victoria and NSW as part of his high-profile “Down Under” tour

But the planned speaking events have been continuously delayed 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 getting a visa from the federal government, even stoushing with the Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil over X, formerly Twitter, after she called him a “sore loser”.

A new date for the speaking events has not been set, with some ticket holders complaining they have experienced difficulty getting refunds amid silence from the tour organiser, Turning Point Australia (TPA).

It’s led to one furious ticket holder suggesting legal action against Donald Trump Jr and TPA over the ongoing postponements, arguing people who had lost money to the tour deserved some form of compensation.

Of the 8000 tickets purchased for Mr Trump Jr’s tour, 70 per cent have been refunded as of March.

“We became aware of an issue with refunds late last year and have been actively working to resolve it,” TPA’s founder Joel Jammal told NCA NewsWire.

Mr Jammal said the issue related to one of the credit card processors being used in conjunction with Ticketbud, an event management and ticketing company based in the US.

“(It is) not an uncommon problem when it comes to conservative events,” he said.

Ticketek confirmed it was responsible for processing refunds to the Sydney show, while NCA NewsWire understands the US-based Ticketbud sold tickets for the planned shows in Queensland and Victoria.

Mr Jammal said the responsibility for the refunds depended on the venue, ticketing company and the “merchant facilities they employ”.

Asked if Mr Trump Jr still planned to visit Australia despite the persistent delays to the tour, he responded: “Don Jr is actively campaigning with his father in the lead-up to the 2024 US election and is 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 venues and, as the venue can’t be held indefinitely without a firm date, the tickets must be refunded.

“We are confident that these tickets will sell again if/when Don Jr confirms his attendance.”

A Ticketek spokesman said refunds for the Sydney show had been completed.

About 30 tickets remain outstanding, which the spokesman said related to customers “who we need to manage EFT refunds for”.

Ticketbud and the Trump Organisation were both contacted for comment.

Mr Trump Jr’s planned tour has been met with outcry, with a Change.org petition calling for the government to deny him a visa garnering 22,806 signatures.

Another petition, with a meagre 12 signatures, calls for legal action against Mr Trump Jr and TPA over the delayed tour.

Its organiser Tyrone S. Murray claims no valid reason has been given for the tour’s postponement.

“Even his so-called special guests haven’t posted anything or spoke about the tour,” the petition’s description reads.

“And Trump Jr hasn’t acknowledged his postponements or even spoke anything about it. The only thing Trump Jr has been ranting about is Hunter Biden nearly every week on his socials.

“We must take some legal action to all the expenses ticket holders have lost when attempting to attend Trump Jr’s tour.

“Either if its flight tickets, hotel expenses, transportation, bookings and even your ticket for the Trump Jr Live Tour.”

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage and Liberal senator Alex Antic were listed as special guests on Mr Trump Jr’s tour – originally billed as a “landmark” event

General tickets to the event were priced from $59 for students or concession holders to $89 for general admission.

A private dinner event – with a whopping $2500 price tag – includes a pre-show dinner with Mr Trump Jr, champagne reception and front-row seating.

At first, Mr Trump Jr’s tour was rescheduled due to what he claimed was a delay in securing a visa.

But Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil refuted this, stating Mr Trump Jr was 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 Mr 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 again delayed in September, with an email being sent to ticket holders informing them of the “last-minute scheduling conflicts”.

“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause,” the email states.

“Your existing tickets will be automatically valid for the rescheduled event, so there’s no need to do anything if you wish to attend on the new dates.”