"Massive Texas Rally Centers on Religion, Guns, and Support for Donald Trump"

Read Time:2 Minute, 47 Second

Despite the looming possibility of arrest in New York and concerning statements on social media, former President Donald Trump’s supporters remain fervent as they attend a campaign rally in Waco, Texas. Thousands browse through Trump-themed merchandise and gather on the airport tarmac for hours, eagerly awaiting his arrival. With music blaring and enthusiastic warm-up speeches from familiar Trump supporters, the crowd remains energized and loyal. T-shirts reading “God, guns and Trump” and “Trump won” fly off the shelves as supporters gear up for the event.

The Texas town hosting Trump’s rally gains notoriety as rock star Ted Nugent delivers an electric guitar rendition of the US national anthem, punctuated by a profanity-laced rant against federal government officials who he believes have unjustly imprisoned Trump supporters involved in storming the US Capitol in January 2021.

Congressional representatives Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Florida also make appearances, taking aim at New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who will soon make a decision about whether to indict Trump on charges relating to hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene declared the investigation against Trump a “weaponisation of our justice system” aimed at influencing the 2024 presidential race. She added that the probe was a “witch hunt” and that the former president is “completely innocent.”

Despite some boos when New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s name was mentioned, the majority of the estimated 15,000 attendees at the rally didn’t appear to be overly concerned about the investigation.

“I don’t listen to the negative stuff,” said Debbie Harvey, who came from Midlothian, Texas. “I’m praying that he doesn’t get indicted. God still answers prayers.”

Brian Novie from nearby Copperas Cove expressed similar sentiments. “There doesn’t seem to be much to it,” he said. “And now they seem to be struggling with whether to prosecute at all.”

Novie and his friend Richard Tarner bought commemorative t-shirts that read “Trump in Texas: I was there – where were you?” and confirmed their continued loyalty to Trump. “He’s proven he can get things done,” Tarner said. They also noted that while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis may be a strong contender in the 2024 Republican primaries, he has yet to demonstrate his national leadership skills.

As the Waco rally approached, some media outlets and Trump critics questioned why the former president chose Waco for his first major rally of the 2024 campaign. They pointed out that Waco was the site of a deadly armed confrontation 30 years ago between federal and state authorities and the Branch Davidian religious cult, resulting in the deaths of 86 people. This event helped fuel anti-government sentiments in the US, and terms like Nugent’s “jack-booted thugs” were frequently used to describe federal law officers.

However, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick dismissed such connections as “fake news” and an expletive. He revealed that he had personally picked Waco after the former president had called him several weeks earlier and asked him to choose a great town for the rally.

The president’s arrival was scheduled for early evening, with a dramatic airfield entrance that he made a signature move of his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. However, unlike his previous campaigns, Trump was now travelling on his personal jet, rather than Air Force One.