Former President Donald Trump held his first presidential campaign rally in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, downplaying potential indictments as he faced multiple criminal investigations. Thousands of supporters attended the event, which took place despite the anticipation of charges relating to a hush-money payout to a porn star before the 2016 election.
Trump maintained that the investigation concerns “something that is not a crime, not a misdemeanor, not an affair,” and claimed to be the victim of numerous “witch hunts” and “phony investigations.” He has referred to prosecutors as “human scum” and accused them of “misconduct” in their cases against him in New York, Washington, and Atlanta.
The former president called for protests against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and falsely claimed he was about to be arrested. Trump’s loyal followers remained excited to see him at the rally, with some traveling from other states to attend. Many wore MAGA caps or waved campaign flags, expressing their hope for Trump’s return to the Oval Office.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other potential contenders for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election have recently started criticizing Trump’s character and the scandals surrounding him.
Trump is also under federal investigation for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat and inciting the deadly Capitol riot. His choice of Waco as the rally location has symbolic significance, as the city marks the 30th anniversary of a deadly standoff between an anti-government cult and federal agents. However, Trump did not mention this incident during the rally.
Source: France24
