Trump supporters stranded for hours in freezing cold after president’s Nebraska rally
Throngs of people who attended a campaign rally held by President Trump at a Nebraska airport had to wait around in frigid weather for hours after it ended before they could get back to their cars.
Thousands attended the Tuesday night rally at Omaha’s Eppley Airfield. Most parked in designated lots a mile or two from the airport and were shuttled to the 7:30 p.m. event on buses.
Social media and police scanner reports indicate shuttle buses were unable to return to the airport as traffic snarled and hundreds of people wandered into the streets around the airport as they tried to walk to their cars.
The last of the rallygoers left the area around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Police tried to clear traffic and respond to medical emergencies, including some people who suffered adverse effects from the cold, with temperatures around 30 degrees.
Trump’s deputy press secretary, Samantha Zager, said that because of the size of the crowd, 40 shuttle buses were deployed instead of the normal 15. But she said “local road closures and resulting congestion caused delays.”
An Omaha police spokesman did not have an estimate of the size of the crowd or the number of people who waited for the buses.
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