Supporters of former President Donald Trump were stranded for hours in sweltering heat on Saturday after the former president’s rally in California’s Coachella Valley.
Trump spoke at Calhoun Ranch, near Palm Springs, in an event that drew thousands of people, most of whom took shuttle buses there. Once the rally ended that evening, however, supporters said most of the buses were nowhere to be found.
“There used to be like 20 buses when we were being brought here, but now there are only three busses,” said rallygoer Wesley Johnson in a video shared on social media. “It’s chaos, absolute chaos. All of us are stranded here.”
Social media footage showed hundreds of Trump supporters waiting for hours as darkness descended on the area, with flashing police lights illuminating the scene. Many, including elderly attendees, struggled in the heat as concerns grew over the lack of transportation.
“The management was so poorly done. It was so dangerous,” Dohaa the Explorer posted on his YouTube channel, adding that some attendees walked six miles to reach their cars rather than wait for the few buses that were still running.
Exactly what happened to the buses remains unclear.
One driver, who wanted to remain anonymous, told KTLA 5 News that he and other drivers were physically assaulted and decided to stop shuttling passengers.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said deputies assisted some attendees by providing rides in their vehicles but deferred questions about the transportation issues to Trump’s campaign organizers.
“The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office assisted some attendees in returning to their vehicles, including using their own vehicles to provide rides,” the department said in a statement to SFGATE. “However, regarding event logistics, which includes the shuttle buses, we will defer those questions to the campaign team, as our department was not in charge of that aspect of the event.”
The logistics problem wasn’t the only one that marred Donald Trump’s Coachella event.
A 49-year-old Las Vegas man, Verm Miller, was arrested for trying to enter the rally with a handgun, a loaded shotgun, a high-capacity magazine and allegedly fake press credentials. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Blanco referred to the incident as “probably” a third assassination attempt.
Miller denies he intended to cause any harm. He was released on $5,000 bail and does not face federal charges thus far.
