Six supporters who attended a rally for former President Donald Trump in Tucson, Arizona are reporting mysterious eye injuries after sitting behind Trump on stage.
The rally, held on September 12, 2024 at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, drew over 2,000 people in 100 degree heat. It left several attendees, including Mayra Rodriguez, nearly blind the day after.
Rodriguez, an anti-abortion activist and former director at Planned Parenthood before becoming a “whistleblower,” recalled her symptoms starting soon after she exited the rally. “As soon as we left and we stepped outside, my eyes were burning,” Rodriguez told News 4 Tucson. She eventually sought emergency medical care, where staff suggested she may have been exposed to something harmful. “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,'” she added.
Rodriguez’s symptoms persisted the day after, leaving her nearly blind. “It hurts a lot to open my eyes,” she told the local news station. Although doctors were unable to pinpoint the cause of the injuries, Rodriguez gradually improved in the days following the event.
Other attendees seated on the stage’s right side, directly behind Trump, reported similar experiences. A brother and sister described intense eye pain and other troubling symptoms. “It kept getting worse and worse,” the sister explained to reporters. “My eyes were watering a lot, my nose started running, then I started feeling my face get really flushed, and my neck felt like it was on fire.” Her brother echoed her account, describing his pain as “unbearable” and said his eyes “were red like hell.”
The situation baffled medical professionals. While symptoms suggested exposure to an irritant, no definitive cause has been identified. Some speculate the possibility of environmental factors, like dust or chemical exposure, while others have raised concerns about faulty stage equipment or lighting. The event, which took place during Tucson’s typical 100-degree heat, may have compounded the injuries experienced by those affected.
What makes the case more puzzling is that other rally attendees seated on the opposite side of Trump did not experience any of these symptoms. The group, exclusively seated behind the former president, were the only ones affected by the mysterious injuries.
In response to the reports, the Trump campaign issued a statement acknowledging that it was investigating the incident. However, no further information has been released as to the cause of the eye injuries. The Secret Service confirmed that there were no known threats to Trump during the rally, and that they were not made aware of the reported injuries.
With no official explanation yet, rallygoers like Rodriguez and others affected continue to seek answers. The cause of the symptoms remains a mystery, but those affected hope that a thorough investigation will eventually reveal what happened that day in Tucson.
