Thousands of Trump supporters wandered the frigid streets of Omaha, Nebraska, on Tuesday night after being left out in the cold after a campaign rally.
Attendees had parked in a designated area, located almost five kilometres from the event stage at Epply Airfield. Shuttle buses were arranged to take Mr Trump’s supporters to the 7.30pm event.
But after the event ended shortly after 9pm, the shuttle buses did not arrive to bring participants back to their cars.
Joe Biden takes a swipe at Trump over stranded Omaha crowd
Trump supporters donning Make America Great Again merchandise walked alongside dimly lit roads as they tried to reach their cars. Others waited in below-zero temperatures for shuttle buses that were delayed by traffic.
The last of the rally attendees left the event area after 12.30am.
"There was no direction given. I expected at the end of the rally somebody will say, 'Go this way and there will be buses waiting," volunteer Kris Beckenbach told the Omaha World Herald.
Some rally-goers reportedly suffered adverse effects from the exposure to the cold, prompting the police to be called in to respond to the medical emergency.
At least seven people were taken to hospitals, according to Omaha Scanner, which monitors official radio traffic.
Other police officers worked to clear traffic in the area.
Campaign officials said they had buses ready to shuttle passengers back to their vehicles, but plans were derailed by a larger than expected crowd. The mass exit of vehicles and pedestrians clogged up the roads leading to the event.
“Leaving thousands of Nebraskans stranded in the cold captures the entire Trump administration. I hope those responsible for the poor planning to feed Trump’s ego will be held accountable,” said Jane Fleming Kleeb, the chair of the Nebraska Democrats.
📸 Extremely heavy traffic on Abbott Drive. pic.twitter.com/Bbq24G80V0
— Omaha Scanner (@omaha_scanner) October 28, 2020
Mr Trump departed on Air Force One shortly after the event. In the final week before the November 3 vote, Mr Trump’s schedule is tightly packed. On Tuesday, he held three campaign rallies in three different states.
In comparison, Mr Biden typically allots a full day to each state he visits.
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
