WACO, Texas (AP) — Facing a possible indictment, donald trump He took a defiant stance at a rally Saturday in Waco, belittling prosecutors investigating him and predicting his vindication as he rallied supporters in a city made famous for deadly resistance against law enforcement.
With a hand over his heart, Trump snapped to attention as his rally opened with a song called “Justice for All” performed by a choir of people jailed for their role in the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. Some images of the insurrection were shown on giant screens at the rally site as the choir sang the national anthem and a recording of Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance played.
The extraordinary display opened Trump’s first rally of his 2024 Republican presidential campaign. He then launched into a resentment-filled speech and framed the investigations, including a New York grand jury investigation, as political attacks on him and his supporters.
“You will be vindicated and proud,” Trump said. “The thugs and criminals who are corrupting our justice system will be defeated, discredited and totally disgraced.”
Trump’s event on the Waco airport grounds was part of a broader effort by the former president to use the potential impeachment as a rallying cry for supporters to maintain his status as the GOP frontrunner in what is expected to be a busy elementary school It came a day after Trump raised the specter of violence should he become the first former president in US history to face criminal charges.
Trump pleaded not guilty in the Manhattan investigation into a hush money payment made during the 2016 election to porn actress Stormy Daniels to prevent her from going public with a sexual encounter she said she had with Trump years earlier. A grand jury hearing the case is expected to meet again on Monday.
Trump said the Manhattan district attorney was investigating him “for something that is not a felony, not a misdemeanor, not an affair.”
Some of Trump’s recent rhetoric, including at the rally, has echoed the language he used before the insurrection on Capitol Hill by a crowd of his supporters seeking to stop the transfer of power to Democrats. Joe Bidenwho won the presidential election.
Trump declared Saturday that his “enemies are desperate to stop us” and that “our opponents have done everything they can to crush our spirit and break our will.”
And he added: “But they failed. They have only made us stronger. And 2024 is the final battle, it’s going to be the big one. If you return me to the White House, his reign will end and America will once again be a free nation.”
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
Trump could soon be indicted by a Manhattan grand jury investigating a $130,000 payment Trump’s lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen made while Trump was in the midst of his 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump later reimbursed Cohen, and his company recorded the reimbursements as a legal expense. Cohen has already served prison time after pleading guilty to campaign finance charges and lying to Congress, among other crimes.
Trump’s stunning choice of Waco venue for his first rally came amid the 30th anniversary of a 51-day standoff and deadly siege between US law enforcement and Branch Davidian that resulted in the deaths of more than 80 members of the religious cult and four federal agents and has become a touchstone for militia groups and far-right extremists.
The Trump campaign insisted that the location and timing of the event had nothing to do with the siege or the Waco anniversary. A spokesperson said the site, 17 miles from the Branch Davidian complex, was chosen because it was conveniently located near four of the state’s largest metropolitan areas (Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio) and has the infrastructure to handle a large number of people. crew.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said before Trump’s arrival that he had suggested Waco as the venue. Any suggestion that Trump had chosen the city for the anniversary was “fake news.” I chose Waco!” he told the crowd.
Trump made no direct reference in his speech to the Waco story, telling the crowd of thousands that he told Patrick he wanted to hold his rally in a place with overwhelming support, not “one of those 50 -50,” and said he told Patrick, “Let’s get right to the heart of this.”
At several points, Trump criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to run for president and is seen as his strongest potential rival for the Republican nomination. Trump called his former ally disloyal and said he was “dropping like a stone.”
Audience members held up red and white signs scattered around the campaign that read “Witch Hunt,” “Trump 2024” and “Support Trump.”
Hours before Trump’s arrival, hundreds of his supporters began pouring into the airport past vendors selling merchandise including Trump flags, bumper stickers and action figures.
Among them was Eugene Torres, 41, who said he was unfazed by the prospect that Trump could be impeached.
“It’s just another political attack on him to prevent him from running and winning this race again,” said Torres, who is from the Texas coastal city of Corpus Christi.
Alan Kregel, 56, traveled with his wife from Dallas to see Trump in person for the first time. Although he voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, he said he felt the former president’s “methods and vocabulary” often detracted from his policies. But now, after two years out of office, he said he supports Trump more than ever before.
“He’s an innocent man, just hunted,” Kregel said, arguing that an impeachment would help Trump win in 2024.
Trump has spent weeks criticizing the New York investigation and in a post on his social media site on Friday warned of “potential death and destruction on such a bogus charge” if charged with a crime.
In a move that seemed designed to preempt a formal announcement, he claimed last Saturday that he would be arrested the following Tuesday. While that didn’t happen, Trump has used the days since to try to shape public perception, echoing a strategy he’s used before, including during the special council. Robert Mueller investigation into Russia.
Trump has also repeatedly invoked violence, urging his supporters to protest, and has used increasingly racist and dehumanizing rhetoric as he launches increasing personal attacks against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
On Friday, a powdery substance was found with a threatening letter in a mailroom at Bragg’s offices, authorities said. Authorities later determined that the substance was not dangerous.
Even before the threatening letter was sent to Bragg’s office, Democrats warned that Trump’s comments had the potential to incite violence.
“The rhetoric of the twice accused former president is reckless, reprehensible and irresponsible. He is dangerous and if he continues like this, he will get someone killed,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
In addition to the Manhattan case, Trump also faces a research in georgia for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, as well as federal investigations into his handling of classified documents and possible obstruction, as well as his efforts on January 6.
Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Paul Weber in Waco, Texas, Michael R. Sisak in New York and Sagar Meghani in Washington contributed to this report.
