The former president claimed he would be “arrested” on March 21. However, he will go on stage this Saturday for his “first rally for the 2024 election”.
Threatened with indictment, Donald Trump offers his first campaign meeting this Saturday for the presidential election in a highly symbolic place, the Texas town of Waco, the scene 30 years ago of a deadly assault against a sect opposed to the federal power.
The former US president, who had claimed – wrongly – that he would be “arrested” on March 21 in New York in a case of payment to the pornographic actress Stormy Daniels, will go on stage at 5 p.m. for his “first rally for the 2024 election”.
“Big crowd in Texas – See you later!”, declared Donald Trump on his Truth Social social network.
Very symbolic city
The city of Waco, population 130,000, remains associated with the anti-government Davidian sect. In the spring of 1993, the world was suspended for 51 days by the FBI’s siege of a ranch in which armed followers of guru David Koresh had entrenched themselves.
Seventy-six members of the sect, including 20 children, were found dead after the ranch fire. Four police officers were also killed. Donald Trump’s campaign team did not respond to requests from AFP as to the choice of Waco for the meeting.
The former president, also under threat of investigations into his electoral pressure in Georgia in 2020 and the management of classified White House archives, regularly poses as the victim of a mysterious “shadow state”.
The spectacular FBI search of his residence in Florida? “A shocking abuse of power”. The two infamous congressional impeachment proceedings against him? “A witch hunt”.
Up to 15,000 people expected
By returning to his base at a meeting in Waco – where up to 15,000 people are expected – Donald Trump is also reconnecting with an exercise he loves. The scenes of the former president, in the process of sketching small dance steps, or throwing his famous red caps to the crowd are now cult among his followers.
In the Texas city, some of his fans were already stamping with impatience on Friday evening, visibly unconcerned by the legal troubles of their idol.
“Everything is distorted to give him a bad image,” assured Kelly Heath, 49, seeing it as an attempt to “silence” him.
This Saturday, near the meeting near Waco airport, a 72-year-old retiree, Louis, accompanied by his 16-year-old grandson, whom he says is a “big fan” of Trump even if he does not is not old enough to vote, advances him that “all the presidents have had mistresses. Why not him?”.
Julie, who comes from the city of Tyler in Texas, assures for her part that the case of Stormy Daniels is “not a great cause. She came from nowhere to see how much money she could extract” from Donald Trump .
“These are lies. He’s the boss and he’s going to save America,” said Sherry, 55.
New breath in his campaign
Many stalls sell the full panoply of the Trump brand, from “Trump 2024” and “Trump Girl” caps to a white shirt with the slogan: “God, guns, Trump in Waco, Texas”. A placard assures that “the democrats are communists”.
Above all, this meeting offers the Republican the opportunity to breathe new life into his campaign, which for the moment does not enjoy the expected momentum even if most polls give him the winner of a primary.
The billionaire, who continues against all odds to evoke supposed “frauds” never proven in the 2020 election, has also seen part of the right – and in particular its wealthy donors – turn to the new champion of the right. tough, Ron DeSantis, 44.
The governor of Florida is not yet officially launched in the race but will undoubtedly be one of his biggest rivals for the Republican nomination in 2024.
