A dude named Steve from Virginia used suction cups to climb Trump Tower in Manhattan on Wednesday. Some people thought he might have been looking for a rare Pokemon. A CNN livestream of the action attracted nearly 200,000 viewers before the man was apprehended mid-climb by police
But he might have been doing it to send a message to Donald Trump. In a video posted on YouTube on Tuesday (the day before the climb began), a man claiming to be the climber explains why he did it. The video is titled “Message to Mr. Trump (why I climber your tower).”
Addressing Trump directly, the creepy dude in the video describes himself as “an independent researcher seeking a private audience with you to discuss an important matter” (which he does not divulge).
He goes on: “If my purpose was not significant, I would not risk my life pursuing it. The reason I climbed your tower was to get your attention.”
The man in the video appears to be a Trump supporter. He said he would send his contact information to the Trump campaign in case the candidate was interested in getting in touch. He then urges viewers to “help make this video go viral” and “to be sure to get out an vote for Mr. Trump in the 2016 election.”
The video has yet to be verified, and it is not clear at this time if the man in the video is actually the “Steve” who climbed Trump Tower (whoever he is, the man in the video clearly knew about the climb the day before it happened).
Here’s a photo taken of the man during the climb.