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Donald Trump’s rally in Tucson, Arizona, last week has now been shrouded in mystery after several attendees claimed to suffer from bizarre, eye burning symptoms in the aftermath of the event.
Six rallygoers who were all sat in the section directly behind Trump during the Thursday September 12 rally told News 4 that they had to seek medical attention after experiencing eye irritation.
One women, pro-life activist Mayra Rodriguez, said that she was in so much pain the morning after the campaign event that she needed to constantly use a cold cloth on her eyes.
“I can’t see anything when I try to open my eyes,” she explained.
“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. It’s horrible.”
Initially, Rodriguez – who worked at a Planned Parenthood clinic for 17 years before she was fired in 2019 and became a “whistleblower” – thought she was just experiencing allergies.
“As soon as we left and we stepped outside my eyes were burning,” she said.
But by the time she reached her home near Phoenix, a 90-minute drive from Tucson, Rodriguez decided she needed to visit the emergency room.
There, medical staff asked her if she had been exposed to some sort of substance, as her symptoms seemed to suggest she had been “sprayed with something.”
Medical staff were unable to determine the cause of her symptoms and her vision had begun to improve by Tuesday, suggesting her blindness is not permanent, News 4 reported.
A brother and sister who had been sat near Rodriguez at the rally, but did not want to be unidentified, reported similar symptoms to the local outlet.
“All focused on my eyes, my eyes were red like hell you know, it’s unbearable,” the brother said. “I couldn’t handle it.”
His sister said her eyes were watering and nose was running before she started feeling flushed and as if her neck was “on fire”.
A third woman, a realtor who also wished to be anonymous, said she had to cancel all her shows over the weekend because her vision was so poor.
The Independent has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.
The rally marked the former president’s first since his debate against Kamala Harris two days before.
Rodriguez said to the outlet that she had contacted the Trump campaign describing her symptoms, and was told it would investigate the reports.
A Secret Service spokesperson told The Independent that there no threat to the former president was identified at the rally, where agents were stood next to Trump throughout the event. Therefore, the agency has not launched an investigation into the reports, they said.
“The Trump campaign has been collecting information,” the Trump campaign told News 4.
“We remain committed to the countless patriots that attend our high-energy, high impact rallies across the country.”
The Secret Service had not been made aware of the reports, but had no concern for the former president’s safety, News 4 reported.
The bizarre incident comes days after a second assassination attempt on Sunday, when a suspected gunman allegedly aimed a firearm through the fence at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Trump was playing golf.
