Attendees at Trump rally in Tucson report their eyesight was impaired after watching from the stage

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Former President Trump's visit to Tucson last week is shrouded in mystery, with several supporters reporting temporary blindness following the rally at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall.

The former president and current Republican candidate made his first stop here in Tucson since the September 10 presidential debate.

People lined up for hours before the event and hundreds had to be turned away.

According to the city of Tucson, more than 40 emergency calls were received regarding heat-related illnesses. Visitors to the concert hall also reported having health problems.

KGUN sat down with two Trump supporters who said they had to go to the emergency room after the rally, then contacted city officials to find out what happened.

Supporters were excited to attend former President Donald Trump’s first rally in Tucson since 2020.

“During dinner, her eyes started to water really badly. She just had tears in her eyes,” Eli said.

“It was terrible. On a scale of one to 10, it was an eight or a nine. It was unbearable,” Fransena said.

Eli and Fransena Moreno were just two of about 50 people allowed on stage at Trump's rally. And although there were several heat-related calls during the rally, Fransena didn't realize something was wrong until afterward.

“The symptoms were a red face and neck. That was painful, but not as much as my eyes. My eyes were my concern,” Fransena said.

Later that night they called emergency services and asked for help.

“It got to the point where she told me, 'You have to take me to the emergency room.' And when she told me she had to go to the emergency room, I knew it was serious,” Eli said.

The Trump team responded to the reports:

“The Trump campaign has been gathering intelligence. We remain committed to the countless patriots who attend our high-energy and impactful rallies across the country,” said Danielle Alvarez, senior adviser to the Trump campaign.

Now the question arises: What was the cause of this?

“I don't think it was the light because light doesn't make my nose sore when I'm around someone who may have been exposed to something,” Eli said.

But what about the other side of the stage?

“Nobody sitting where I was sitting on my side of the stage had any negative effects. So it was limited to the other side of the stage,” said Kathleen Winn, who ran for Congress in the Republican primary against Juan Ciscomani.

The city of Tucson confirmed to KGUN that a private company was hired to provide the lighting, saying in a statement, “The stage lighting from Linda Ronstadt Music Hall was not used.”

“The City and Tucson Convention Center management have checked with the Tucson Police and Fire Department (TPD/TFD) paramedic teams that were on site the day of the event. Neither police nor paramedics received or responded to complaints of eye injuries or facial burns as described in some media reports,” the Tucson city official said.

The official also said that the HVAC system, including the duct system, underwent extensive maintenance, repairs and cleaning as part of the modernization work in 2021.

“The filter is changed quarterly and was last carried out in the Music Hall on August 28, 2024.”