Multiple Trump supporters have found themselves hospitalized with a baffling illness following President Trump’s rally in Tucson, Arizona last week, raising more questions than answers about what may have been circulating in the air while campaign officials scramble to identify patient zero.
Newsweek reports a concerning number of attendees from the September 12th rally have checked into hospitals after suffering from eye discomfort, facial swelling, and itching. With over 2,000 people crammed together in sweltering 100+ degree heat, it’s hardly surprising that close contact could trigger some sort of disease spreading among the crowd. Campaign officials claim they are diligently tracing the outbreak’s source, while a Secret Service spokesman insists there was no reported threat prior to the rally. Funny how nothing ‘out of the ordinary’ happened that day, right?
Logistically, the rally was designed for 48 attendees to stand on stage behind President Trump – half on one side and half on the other. Curiously, those on stage left reported no symptoms days after the event, while those on stage right complained of “excruciating pain in their eyes,” according to Newsweek. One of the afflicted, Mayra Rodriguez, a former Planned Parenthood director turned MAGA enthusiast, recounted how her eyes started to burn severely post-rally, making it difficult to see. Fearing she had been exposed to mace or some harmful aerosol, she checked herself into a local hospital.
Rodriguez has stated that she continued to experience pain days after the incident, saying, “I can’t see anything. When I try to open my eyes it’s like a white cloud of cover. It hurts.” Another attendee described the symptoms as “horrible,” while a man from the right side of the stage stated, “My eyes were red like hell, it was terrible, I just couldn’t handle it.” Kathleen Winn, a Trump supporter and former congressional candidate, expressed her sympathy for those affected and prayed that the outbreak wasn’t some sinister plot. “We hope there’s no nefarious actors in this and this is not a strategic hit,” she remarked to the local station.
At the rally, President Trump reiterated his promise to eliminate taxes on tips for service workers—a popular policy that Kamala Harris quickly seized for herself during her own private reception that same night. As polls show a neck-and-neck race in the battleground Sun Belt state, with a September 17th poll placing both Trump and Harris at 46%, it’s clear that every voter counts. MAGA supporters are also banking on U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake to galvanize low-turnout conservatives this election year, as their votes could very well tip the scales.