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Trump rallygoers were again left waiting in the cold when not enough buses showed up to take them back to their cars

Nov 2, 2020, 19:27 IST
Business Insider
President Donald Trump boards Air Force One after a rally at Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport in Butler, Pennsylvania, on October 31, 2020.MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
  • Supporters of President Donald Trump once again left stranded in the cold after attending his rallies due to a shortage of buses to take them to back to parking lots.
  • Videos posted to social media showed Trump fans stranded in Rome, Georgia, on Saturday and in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
  • Political reporter Michael Tracey tweeted that it was "a logistical s---show" but Tim Murtaugh, Trump's communications director, tweeted that reports of delays in Butler were "fake news."
  • On Tuesday, thousands of rallygoers trying to leave Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, were made to wait for hours in mid-30-degree temperatures to get buses.
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Donald Trump's supporters in Georgia and Pennsylvania were once again left waiting in the cold over the weekend after not enough buses arrived to ferry them from the president's rallies back to their cars.

On Sunday night, videos posted to social media showed a large crowd of rallygoers in Rome, Georgia, waiting for buses to take them to their vehicles.

Meanwhile, Trump traveled to and from the rallies via Air Force One.

NBC News Washington reporter Julie Tsirkin, tweeted that it was "46 degrees [Fahrenheit] and windy in the area tonight" adding in a second post that "some of the folks left stranded were older and disabled."

Political reporter Michael Tracey said in a tweet that the post-rally rush to get a lift to the parking lot was "a logistical s**thow [sic]."

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"Screaming matches between people over who gets to board returning buses, etc. I heard variations of 'this is the biggest nightmare...' shouted in frustration several times," he wrote.

The previous night, thousands of attendees of a Trump rally at the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport in Butler, Pennsylvania, were also left waiting for hours to get a lift.

"We drove close to 3 miles away from the airport and we're still spotting people walking to their cars in the middle of a busy road," CNN reporter Ryan Nobles tweeted.

Nobles later told CNN's Anderson Cooper that many of the supporters had already been sitting outside for "four, five hours" waiting to hear the president's speech.

Trump's communications director Tim Murtaugh tweeted that Nobles' report that there were "no busses in sight" was "fake news."

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"We have 47 buses taking supporters back to parking. The line is moving and there are heating tents set up. Security and staff are helping people," he said.

Last week, a third cohort of the president's supporters were caught short due to insufficient buses.

At around 9 p.m. local time on Tuesday night, thousands of rallygoers trying to leave Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, were made to wait until 12:30 a.m. in mid-30 degree Fahrenheit temperatures to get a lift to the parking lot.

Jammed roads and heavy traffic were to blame, according to the Trump campaign and tweets from political reporters at the rally.

"Because of the sheer size of the crowd, we deployed 40 shuttle buses – double the normal allotment – but local road closures and resulting congestion caused delays," Samantha Zager, the campaign's deputy national press secretary, told Business Insider at the time.

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"At the guest departure location, we had tents, heaters, generators, hot cocoa, and handwarmers available for guests. We always strive to provide the best guest experience at our events and we care about their safety."

Trump has been frantically traveling across the US to whip up support at rallies in swing states. Election Day is one day away.

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