Trump Campaign Leaves Thousands Stranded And Freezing, Several Hospitalized
At least seven supporters were taken to hospitals after Donald Trump's rally in Omaha Tuesday night, when temperatures plunged and buses intended to return them the several miles to the parking lot were unable to get through, leaving people stranded in freezing temperatures.
Trump took off in Air Force One around 9 pm local time, and the last of his supporters didn't make it out until after midnight. Tweets from the scene reported elderly Trump supporters getting cold and weak and disoriented as police struggled to help them.
Beyond the extremely poor planning, two things stand out. One, Nebraska has a more than 20 percent positivity rate on COVID-19 tests, and Trump was there for a crowded rally with mostly mask-less attendees. Naturally, he used this potential super-spreader event to claim "we're making that final turn" on the virus.
Two, in the final week before Election Day, the Republican incumbent was campaigning in Nebraska. Now, yes, Nebraska divides its electoral votes by congressional district, and one of them is up for grabs. But that tells us that Trump thinks his path to victory might depend on a single vote.
And in fighting for that single vote, Trump showed what a well-oiled campaign concerned for its supporters he is running.
Thousands of people left out in the cold and stranded in #Omaha, #Nebraska after a #Trump rally. I’m told the shutt… https://t.co/0EEH785Mgf— Jeff Paul (@Jeff Paul) 1603864979.0
20 empty busses are stuck in the South Economy parking lot.— Omaha Scanner (@Omaha Scanner) 1603857369.0