Thousands of Trump Supporters Left Stranded at Nebraska Airport Following Rally

Thousands of Trump supporters were left stranded in the cold on Tuesday night when the president’s rally organizers failed to plan for the crowd’s departure. The rally was held at the Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, and Trump left on Air Force One at around 9 p.m. According to a report by NBC News, it took until about 12:30 a.m. for his supporters to get out, some leaving in ambulances.

Clogged parking lots kept Trump supporters stranded at the site of the rally, and many were forced to walk three miles to reach buses, which were hired to take them away. The temperature was reportedly around 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and at least 30 people from the event required medical attention for cold exposure. The Omaha Police Department and other first responders struggled to control the chaos and answer all the calls for assistance. So far, the Trump campaign has not commented publicly on the fiasco.

“Supporters of the president were brought in, but buses weren’t able to get back to transport people out,” tweeted Nebraska State Senator Megan Hunt. “It’s freezing and snowy in Omaha tonight.”

Among those in need of medical attention were the elderly people, families with small children and at least one electric wheelchair user. Police communications were recorded via the Broadcastify app, revealing desperate calls for medical attention. One officer called about “an elderly party who is frozen cold unable to move with an altered mental status.”

The dangerous conditions were no secret to President Donald Trump, who arrived at the podium in a black coat and gloves. He told his supporters: “I said I won’t put on a hat because I’m gonna show you how tough we are.”

“Is there any place you would rather be than a Trump rally on about a 10-degree evening? …It’s cold out here but that’s okay,” Trump said. He remarked that he had seen freezing wet conditions earlier in the day in Wisconsin and Michigan, and he went on: “It was pouring and it was freezing. It is the coldest right here, right? It is an honor to be with you, I have to say. When we win, you win, Nebraska wins and all of America wins.”

The Omaha Police Department warned the public that parking and transportation would be an issue shortly after 7 p.m. Police dispatch calls later related the perilous scene, with one officer saying: “There’s an issue with a number of people unable to find their cars and wandering in the cold … see if we can’t get everybody reunited with a car.”

So far, area hospitals have not released information on the patients brought in from the rally or their current status.