Police say Stephen Rogata was arrested Wednesday after officers grabbed him and hauled him to safety through an open window.
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In the video, the unidentified 20-year-old Virginia man says he’s “an independent researcher” who wants to “discuss an important matter” with Trump.
A man equipped with suction cupps and climbing gear was safely snatched into the Trump Tower in mid-town Manhatten, New York on August 10 after almost a three-hour standoff with the police. Starting at 3 p.m., he climbed as high as the 21st floor before officers grabbed him. The 58-story building is headquarters to the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign.
Donald Trump, who was not home at the time, tweeted Wednesday night applauding the NYPD for their effort. Hundreds watched from below on the ground as a man, wearing a backpack with a harness and rope stirrups, methodically climbed Trump Tower using suction cups.
Police finally managed to yank him indoors at the 21st floor, officials said.
A grinning rappeller used suction cups to scale the side of Trump Tower Wednesday afternoon. According to Myles Miller, he has been charged with reckless endangerment and criminal trespassing, both misdemeanors.
Trump has been running a controversial campaign on bombast and fear-mongering and has been at odds in recent weeks with the media whom he has accused of bias. Initially, it was not known why he was doing this, but it later came to be light that the man wanted to meet the Republican Presidential candidate, Donald Trump.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Rogata has an attorney.
He climbed for about three hours as emergency workers tried to isolate him by lowering scaffolding to the left of him and opening up a window in his path.
Officers threw a blue towel out of a window at another point in an apparent attempt to coax him in.
“The reason I climbed your tower was to get your attention”, he continued.
He gave conflicting names to police and authorities said they were trying to ascertain his real identity.
“This man performed a ridiculous and risky stunt”, Michael Cohen, executive Vice President in the Trump Organization, said in a statement.
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The climber began his ascent from a terrace that is open to the public during the day.
