For the second time in three days, Donald Trump blasted the local fire marshals at his rallies, saying that they were politically motivated to block people from entering.

“[The fire marshal] ought to be ashamed of himself. They turned away thousands of people,” Trump told his supporters in Columbus, OH rally on Monday, August 1. “We’ve had thousands of people outside, thousands, who were turned away for political reasons, purely political reasons.”

“This is why our country doesn’t work,” Trump said at his Colorado Springs rally on July 29th. “We have a fire marshal that said, ‘Oh, we can’t allow more people.’ It really is so unfair to the people. I’m so sorry. I have to apologize. But it’s not my fault. I just came here.” He later added “they don’t know what the hell they’re doing.”

He made similar comments earlier last month in Roanoke, VA saying somewhat incoherently “And outside we have a lot of people and I wish they’d let them in, the fire department won’t let them in because of the fire regulation which is very sad because they’re outside, we have speakers out there, I think the speakers are burning up, folks. It is hot. I wish the fire marshal, where is the fire marshal? Is he around here? Come on, fire marshal. If they could get in fire marshal. You know you have doors that go right out to the outside, I promise there’s nothing like you don’t have a problem.”

According to Huffington Post, all of the seats in the Roanoke auditorium were full, and many people were standing, filling the back of the hall.

Fire regulations are generally based on square footage and the number of exits available. Studies and experience have long determined the safe number of people allowed in a room depending on those factors. These rules are in effect to protect the public, not forward the personal political agenda of the local fire marshal.

“Occupancy levels are set to protect the public’s safety and we find it unfortunate that Trump’s campaign would question our judgment, expect us to break the law or [waver] from our mission to protect our community,” an official for the Colorado Springs fire station told CNN.

But apparently the rules don’t apply to Donald Trump, even when he previously agreed to them, as he did in Columbus. Trump is not only willing to risk the safety of his supporters, he goes out of his way to berate the fire marshal, whose job it is to see to the safety of the public.

Would it be any different if Trump were President? He’s willing to jeopardize the safety of his supporters to cram a few more people into a crowded ballroom, would he play so fast and loose with the safety of an entire nation? His disdain and disregard for regulation and the rule of law that is in place for the good of all is frightening, and trying to bully the fire marshal to break the law and “let a few more in” is irresponsible and reckless. If Trump becomes President, I sure hope he shows a little more reverence toward the regulations regarding nuclear weapons than he does towards fire capacities.

Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1607/25/cnr.08.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/donald-trump-criticizes-fire-marshal-for-not-allowing-more-people-inside-colorado-springs-rally-venue/2016/07/31/e2a91b4e-5739-11e6-8b48-0cb344221131_video.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-fire-marshal_us_579f9a8ae4b08a8e8b5ee55f
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/08/01/some-trump-supporters-unhappy-after-being-turned-away-because-of-space-capacity.html
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/01/politics/donald-trump-fire-marshals-crowd-size/