Donald Trump and several members of his Secret Service team were briefly trapped in an elevator before a presidential campaign rally in Colorado on Friday, July 29 — and, once safe, he was quick to place blame for the incident.
According to CNN, the Republican presidential nominee, 70, and his entourage were rescued by members of the Colorado Springs Fire Department, who lowered a ladder into the elevator to allow Trump to climb out.
Once the businessman took the stage at his rally at University of Colorado Colorado Springs, he slammed during his opening remarks the fire marshal who rescued him. “This is why our country doesn’t work,” Trump told his supporters of the incident.
According to the Denver Post, Trump accused the fire marshal of not knowing “what he was doing” and said his rescuer “was probably a Democrat.” He also stated he was “not a fan of” the marshal.
The former Celebrity Apprentice host also reportedly blamed the fire marshal for shutting off entry to the rally due to capacity restrictions. Fire marshal Brett Lacey later clarified the allegations during an interview with local news outlet KKTV.
“There’s an old adage that when a fire marshal walks into a room, milk curdles. So because we’re always looking out for public safety and trying to make certain venues go off successfully and safely, sometimes there are people that aren’t very happy with some of the rules and regulations we’re required to enforce,” Lacey explained. “But it doesn’t bother me at all.”
