Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign event at the Tucson Music Hall in Tucson, Arizona, on September 12, 2024 (Picture: Getty Images)
At least a half dozen fans of ex-President Donald Trump who sat behind him at a rally were apparently left suffering inexplicable eye injuries.
The Trump supporters were seated behind the stage at Tucson Music Hall in Arizona last Thursday as the Republican nominee bashed the cost of living and pitched a new policy to eventually end taxes.
After the rally, six people said they were left with irritated eyes and needed medical care.
‘As soon as we left and we stepped outside my eyes were burning,’ Mayra Rodriguez, a former Hillary Clinton supporter turned Trump fan, told KVOA.
Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump gestures with two fists while speaking during a campaign rally in Tucson, Arizona (Picture: Reuters)
After getting back to her home in Phoenix, Rodriguez went to a hospital.
‘The emergency room staff, from the triage nurse to the PA (Physician Assistant) asked are you sure you didn’t get sprayed with something your symptoms look like you got sprayed with something,’ she said.
Rodriguez on Friday said that she was almost blind.
‘I can’t see anything when I try to open my eyes. I see a bright light. It hurts, it hurts a lot to open my eyes. I have this cold cloth I put on and take off constantly,’ she said.
Former President Donald Trump greets his supporters during a campaign rally in Tucson, Arizona (Picture: Reuters)
‘It’s horrible.’
Doctors were not able to diagnose the illness. By Tuesday, her vision began improving.
Rodriguez suspected that the reaction may have been allergies – until she heard that a few others who sat near her experienced similar symptoms.
They included her sister and brother, who called the sensation ‘unbearable’.
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At least a half dozen fans of ex-President Donald Trump (middle) who sat behind him at a campaign event at the Tucson Music Hall reported having eye injuries (Picture: Getty Images)
Rodriguez reported the incident to the Trump campaign.
‘The Trump campaign has been collecting information,’ a campaign spokesperson finally stated on Tuesday.
‘We remain committed to the countless patriots that attend our high-energy, high-impact rallies across the country.’
A Secret Service spokesperson said there was no related threat to Trump.
The Trump campaign stated that it is ‘collecting information’ on the incident (Picture: Getty Images)
Rodriguez, who backed 2016 Democratic nominee Clinton and sat behind her at an event at the time, was one of 48 people selected to be on stage with Trump, Newsweek reported. Those who were seated on the left side did not report any injuries.
Two doctors told the Daily Mail on Thursday that particles from faulty air conditioning or a strong stage light could have caused the eye irritaiton.
Trump is known to care deeply about his rallies, as evidenced with his frequent mentions of his crowd size.
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