President Donald Trump’s campaign addressed reports of supporters stuck at an airport political rally in Omaha for three hours after the president left.
“President Trump loves his supporters and was thrilled to visit Omaha last night,” Trump campaign deputy national press secretary Samantha Zager said in a statement. “Despite the cold, tens of thousands of people showed up for his rally.”
Reporters from the scene noted that supporters were “stranded” in the cold and that there were no buses to return them from the airport location to the parking lot after the rally ended around 9:00 p.m.
The parking lot was about three miles away from the airport rally location. The temperature was reportedly 31 degrees.
Thousands of people left out in the cold and stranded in #Omaha, #Nebraska after a #Trump rally. I’m told the shuttles aren’t operating & there aren’t enough busses. Police didn’t seem to know what to do. Some walked. I saw at least one woman getting medical attention. pic.twitter.com/oIkmixaZt0
— Jeff Paul (@Jeff_Paul) October 28, 2020
The campaign said they deployed 40 buses to return rally attendees to their cars, but that “local road closures and resulting congestion caused delays.” The campaign added that tents, heaters, generators, hot cocoa, and handwarmers were available for guests at the departure location.
Many people gave up on the buses and ultimately walked the three miles to the parking lot. Scanner traffic picked up reports of several people needing medical attention.
Local authorities said that most of the attendee rallies boarded buses by midnight. Any last stragglers were gone by 12:40 a.m., according to local reports.
“We always strive to provide the best guest experience at our events and we care about their safety,” Zager said.
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