Trump invokes Jan. 6 ahead of possible charges
WACO, Texas — A defiant and incendiary Donald Trump, facing a potential indictment, held the first rally of his 2024 presidential campaign Saturday in Waco, Texas, a city made famous by deadly resistance against law enforcement.
“You will be vindicated and proud and the thugs and criminals who are corrupting our justice system will be defeated, discredited and totally disgraced,” the Republican former president said. “That’s what’s happening.”
In an extraordinary display, Mr. Trump opened his rally by playing a song, “Justice for All,” that features a choir of men imprisoned for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol singing the national anthem and a recording of Mr. Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
His rally Saturday at the airport grounds in Waco comes as Mr. Trump has berated prosecutors, encouraged protests and raised the prospect of possible violence should he become the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges.
Some of his recent rhetoric has echoed language he used before the Capitol insurrection by a mob of his supporters seeking to stop the transfer of power to Democrat Joe Biden, who won the presidential election.
His eyebrow-raising choice of venue in Waco comes amid the 30th anniversary of a 51-day standoff and deadly siege between U.S. law enforcement and the Branch Davidians that resulted in the deaths of more than 80 members of the religious cult and four federal agents and has become a touchstone for far-right extremists and militia groups.
Mr. Trump’s campaign insisted the location and timing of the event had nothing to do with the Waco siege or anniversary. A spokesperson said the site, 17 miles from the Branch Davidian compound, was chosen because it was conveniently situated near four of the state’s biggest metropolitan areas — Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said before Mr. Trump’s arrival that he was the one who had suggested Waco as the venue. Any suggestion Mr. Trump had picked the city because of the anniversary was ’fake news. I picked Waco!” he told the crowd.
Audience members were holding red and white signs handed out by the campaign that said “WITCH HUNT” and “I stand with Trump.”
Hours before Mr. Trump arrived, hundreds of his supporters began streaming 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 Mr. Trump could be indicted.
“It’s just another political attack on him to keep him from running and winning this race again,” said Mr. Torres, who is from the Texas coast city of Corpus Christi.
Alan Kregel, 56, traveled with his wife from Dallas to see Mr. Trump in person for the first time. While he voted for Mr. Trump in 2016 and 2020, he said he felt the former president’s ’methods and vocabulary’ often detracted from his policies. But now, two years out of office, he said he is more supportive of Mr. Trump than he was before.
The rally had already been in the works before it became clear that a grand jury in New York was drawing closer to a possible indictment as it investigates hush money payments made to women who alleged sexual encounters with Mr. Trump during the height of his 2016 campaign. Mr. Trump has denied the women’s claims.