For a fleeting moment on Wednesday, the internet was captivated by a man reportedly named Steve who used suction cups to climb Trump Tower in New York City.
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The man began his ascend around 4 p.m. on the south side of the 58-story building that served as the residency and campaign headquarters of U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Rogata chose to climb Trump Tower located at 725 5th Avenue in New York City.
Onlookers watched as he scaled the building for almost three hours, climbing ropes and construction-grade suction cups.
“Thumps” also urged people to vote Trump in the November election when he goes head to head with Hilary Clinton.
The man started climbing the 68-story on the 5th floor, which is accessible to the public, creating a spectacle and shutting down 5th Avenue during rush hour. He goes on to identify himself as an independent researcher who wishes to discuss an important matter that he guarantees is in Trump’s interest.
“I reached out and I took hold of his hand and said, ‘Sir, you have to come with me, ‘” said NYPD Officer Christopher Williams, who was one of the officers who pulled the climber in from the 21st floor.
There was no immediate confirmation about the authenticity of the video. Police also set up airbags on the street and on the sub roof garden in case the man lost his grip and fell.
The Republican nominee unleashed a firestorm on Tuesday when he suggested that “Second Amendment people” – those who support gun rights – could take action to stop Hillary Clinton from appointing US Supreme Court justices as president.
Trump Tower is located on Fifth Avenue, an area of heavy traffic.
His motive, according to police: he wanted to climb to the top of the tower and eventually get a personal meeting with Donald Trump. “Believe me. If my goal was not significant, I would not risk my life pursuing it”.
Police officers smashed windows in an attempt to block his progress earlier in the afternoon, the Associated Press reported.
“If I had sought this via conventional means, I would be much less likely to have success because you are a busy man.”
Following this, NYPD Chief of Department James P. O’Neill remarked that the “elite cops” of the NYPD Special Operations Division “train for these kind of things everyday”.
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Trump Organization executive vice president Michael Cohen called the man’s climb a “ridiculous and unsafe stunt” in a statement.
