Some attendees of a Donald Trump rally in Tucson, AZ, last week experienced unexplained eye injuries, with some reportedly suffering temporary near blindness. They were seated directly behind the GOP nominee on stage during the event.
According to News 4 Tucson, six individuals in that section are still dealing with symptoms like eye irritation and required medical attention, with at least one person visiting the emergency room.
Mayra Rodriguez, a former Planned Parenthood director turned pro-life advocate and Trump supporter, shared, “As soon as we left and stepped outside, my eyes were burning.” After getting home, she chose to go to the emergency room.
She said, “The emergency room staff, from the triage nurse to the PA [Physicians Assistant] asked are you sure you didn’t get sprayed with something your symptoms look like you got sprayed with something.”
The morning after the event she was nearly blind, but doctors were unable to determine what caused her injuries. “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. It’s horrible.”
Fortunately, the temporary near blindness subsided, and her vision began to improve by Tuesday.
A brother and sister seated nearby Mayra, who wished to remain anonymous, experienced similar problems. The sister recounted to News 4, “It kept getting worse and worse. My eyes were watering a lot, my nose started running, then my face felt really flushed, and my neck felt like it was on fire. It just progressed from there.”
Her brother added, “It was all focused on my eyes, my eyes were red like hell you know, it’s unbearable. I couldn’t handle it.” Other Trump rally attendees who would not do on-camera interviews told the outlet they had similar injuries.
The Trump campaign said in a statement: “The Trump campaign has been collecting information. We remain committed to the countless patriots that attend our high-energy, high-impact rallies across the country.”
