Attendees to Donald Trump‘s rally in Arizona have reported sustaining mystery eye problems from the event.
The rally in Tucson, Arizona, on September 12, which drew over 2,000 people in 100 degree heat, resulted in a number of Trump supporters going to the emergency room.
The Trump campaign has said it is investigating the event. The Secret Service told News 4 Tucson that it was unaware of anything out of the ordinary occurring at the rally. It added that it was unaware of any planned threat to Trump in Arizona.
Newsweek has contacted the Trump campaign via email for comment.
Trump speaking at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall on September 12, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona, where several people reported eye injuries after the event.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The rally was set up so that 48 exclusive attendees could stand on the stage with Trump. They were then split into two groups, one on stage right, and one on stage left.
The group on stage left reported no symptoms or anything suspicious, but according to a report from News 4 Tucson, several people in the group on stage right left the rally with excruciating pain in their eyes.
Mayra Rodriguez, a former Planned Parenthood director turned Trump supporter, told News 4 Tucson that her eyes were burning and it became hard for her to see. She said she went to the ER where they asked if she was sprayed with anything.
She told reporters that she is still in pain days later. She said: “I can’t see anything. When I try to open my eyes it’s like a white cloud of cover. It hurts.”
Newsweek has contacted Rodriguez via email for comment.
Another woman who wished to remain anonymous also came forward with the same symptoms, saying: “This is horrible.”
And a man who also wished to remain anonymous said: “My eyes were red like hell, it was terrible, I just couldn’t handle it.”
Kathleen Winn, a former Congressional candidate from Arizona’s Congressional District 6, spoke to News 4 Tucson after the event, saying: “We hope there’s no nefarious actors in this and this is not a strategic hit.”
Newsweek has contacted Winn via email for comment.
Mayra Rodriguez (middle row, second from the right) told News 4 Tucson that she can barely see following the rally on September 12th.
Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press
At the rally itself, Trump spoke about two policy proposals: no tax on tips, and making housing “affordable again.”
Trump pledged a new tax plan at the rally, by promising to end taxes on overtime.
The Harris campaign was in Tucson the same day. Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, hosted a crowded, but private, event in downtown Tucson.
Both candidates are expected to spend significant time Arizona as it is a key battleground state, holding 11 critical Electoral College votes.
Additionally, Arizonans carry the legacy of John McCain, and Jimmy McCain’s recent endorsement of Harris may influence undecided Republican and Independent voters.
The most recent Arizona poll, taken by Data Orbital on September 17, has the candidates neck-and-neck at 46 percent. However, the average of all recent Arizona polls has Trump ahead by a thin margin of 0.8 percent.
Share
Print
