How do the data, the facts, and "alternative facts" all appear in the 2017 Trump-inauguration crowd-size dispute?

Question

Accepted Answer

Photos are the data; the verifiable count is the fact; "the largest audience ever" was an interpretation defended as an "alternative fact" — a phrase that tries to dodge the truth/false distinction entirely.
The episode is a clean illustration of the data→facts→interpretation chain breaking down:

Data: side-by-side aerial photographs of the 2017 (Trump) and 2009 (Obama) inaugurations on the National Mall — raw, observable.
Fact: the photos and transit figures plainly show a smaller 2017 crowd.
Claim/interpretation: the press secretary asserted it was "the largest audience ever to witness an inauguration, period" — contradicting the data.
When challenged, an aide defended the statement as "alternative facts."

"Alternative facts" is the giveaway: facts can't have alternatives. The phrase signals indifference to the truth-value of the claim — textbook Frankfurtian bullshit, dressed up to look like a competing account.
Tip: Watch for language that reframes a falsifiable claim as a matter of perspective ("alternative facts," "my truth," "narrative") — it's often a move to escape being checked.