{"id":1905312,"date":"2023-03-27T09:40:34","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T13:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/local-trump-fans-say-controversy-over-choice-of-waco-for-first-2024-rally-is-bogus\/"},"modified":"2023-03-27T09:42:24","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T13:42:24","slug":"local-trump-fans-say-controversy-over-choice-of-waco-for-first-2024-rally-is-bogus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/local-trump-fans-say-controversy-over-choice-of-waco-for-first-2024-rally-is-bogus\/","title":{"rendered":"Local Trump Fans Say Controversy Over Choice of Waco for First 2024 Rally Is Bogus"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flocal-trump-fans-say-controversy-over-choice-of-waco-for-first-2024-rally-is-bogus%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1905312&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"post_content\">\n<p>WACO, Texas\u2013Controversy seems to follow former Presidential Donald Trump. Sometimes he invites it. But this time, it was unfairly foisted upon him, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick insisted at Trump\u2019s 2024 campaign-kickoff rally.<\/p>\n<p>On March 25, after thousands of people stood for hours in 78-degree heat at the Waco Regional Airport, Patrick bounded up the stairs and took center stage in advance of Trump\u2019s appearance.<\/p>\n<p>Patrick dispelled speculation about the motivation behind Trump\u2019s decision to launch his third presidential campaign at this time and place. Using one of Trump\u2019s stock phrases, Patrick dismissed as \u201cfake news\u201d any connection to an infamous tragedy near Waco.<\/p>\n<p>Later, when Trump spoke, he gave no mention of the Waco venue controversy. Instead, he thanked Texans for their staunch support and promised to continue fighting for them. Trump won the state during his successful run for president in 2016. He also won Texas in 2020. But that year, Democrat Joe Biden was declared the national winner despite Trump\u2019s claims of election fraud.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5150674\" style=\"width: 4032px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript> The Waco Regional Airport, in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023. (Janice Hisle\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Sinister Symbolism Alleged<\/h2>\n<p>Trump\u2019s Waco rally was scheduled in the midst of the 30th anniversary of federal agents\u2019 siege of the Branch Davidians\u2019 religious compound outside Waco in east Texas. The 51-day standoff, which began Feb. 28, 1993, ended with a blaze that killed 76 people, incuding 23 children, on April 19, 1993.<\/p>\n<p>That devastating outcome is widely considered a consequence of government overreach; Trump\u2019s Waco rally comes at a time when he faces government persecution. Thus, Trump\u2019s detractors think his choice of Waco sent a coded message to anti-government extremists.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3498234\" style=\"width: 270px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript> Mary Trump on Sept. 13, 2020. (CNN)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Trump has been the subject of several high-profile investigations during and after his presidency. None of the completed probes found evidence of wrongdoing. Currently, the highest-profile case centers around a \u201chush money\u201d scandal involving adult entertainment actress Stormy Daniels. Trump had suggested that an arrest and indictment could come as early as this week, although the case has reportedly started to fall apart.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents of Trump and at least one leader of the still-extant Branch Davidians have publicly stated that they interpreted Trump\u2019s Waco selection to be symbolic. Last week, Trump\u2019s niece and outspoken critic Mary Trump wrote on Twitter that the Waco rally was \u201ca ploy to remind his cult of the infamous Waco siege of 1993, where an anti-government cult battled the FBI.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cScores of people died,\u201d Mary Trump\u2019s tweet said. \u201cHe wants the same violent chaos to rescue him from justice.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5151552\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript> Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick speaks at a 2024 campaign rally for former US President Donald Trump in Waco, Texas, March 25, 2023.(SUZANNE CORDEIRO\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Grim Anniversary<\/h2>\n<p>But at the rally, Patrick said the Branch Davidian tragedy played no part when he discussed possible rally sites with Trump.<\/p>\n<p>After the Ronnie Dunn country tune, \u201cHow Far to Waco\u201d played on loudspeakers, Patrick scoffed at the notion of attaching any sinister symbolism to the Waco rally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet me dispel some fake news right now,\u201d he said, right off the bat. \u201cThis is the real news: I love this town\u2026I picked Waco because the President called me several weeks ago and said, \u2018I\u2019m coming to Texas. I want you to pick a great town.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Patrick said his No. 1 choice was Waco, \u201cwhere I know they love you,\u201d he told Trump, \u201cwhere I know they represent the American values and the Texas values and the godly values of this country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The crowd cheered Patrick\u2019s remarks, especially when he said, \u201cyou couldn\u2019t find a better place to go than Waco.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Patrick outlined ways in which Texas Republicans align with Trump. He and Trump both said leftist socialists are hell-bent on destroying America and displacing traditional U.S. values.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know in Texas we will not stand for it. And I know that Donald Trump, when he is re-elected as the next president, will put an end to all this craziness,\u201d Patrick said, noting leftist policies that are infiltrating schools, the military and virtually all facets of life.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats see climate change as \u201cthe biggest enemy,\u201d Patrick said. \u201cI see the biggest enemy is a leftist, socialist government that wants to break up the family and kick God out of the country. We will not let that happen, and I know Donald Trump will not let that happen!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Patrick left the stage to cheers and chants of \u201cUSA! USA! USA!\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Fans React<\/h2>\n<p>For rally attendees who spoke to The Epoch Times, the messages from Patrick and Trump resonated; the alleged Waco-Branch Davidian symbolism seemed ludicrous to them.<\/p>\n<p>Several pointed out that the siege didn\u2019t take place in Waco. The Davidians\u2019 Mount Carmel Center, now a museum, was located about 20 miles northeast of Waco near a small town called Axtell. But the raid apparently continues to be tied to Waco because it\u2019s the nearest city of any significant size. Locals resent the connection.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5150679\" style=\"width: 599px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript> Brandon Wyrick, 32, of Austin, Texas, and Cassidy Diaz, 31, of Waco, Texas, wear \u201cLet\u2019s Go Brandon\u201d T-shirts as they head to a rally for former President Donald Trump in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023. (Janice Hisle\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Cassidy Diaz, 31, of Waco, pointed out that the city is representative of smaller-town America but is central to large population centers. Home to about 140,000 people, Waco is midway between Austin and Dallas; each is about a 90-minute drive.<\/p>\n<p>Diaz said she appreciates Trump\u2019s outspoken nature, even though it irritates some people who otherwise like his policies. \u201cHe is who he is, and I like that,\u201d she told the Epoch Times. \u201cPeople are too sensitive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brandon Wyrick, a 32-year-old Austin man who came to the rally with Diaz, said, \u201cWe, as a country, are losing our backbone; you need somebody to tell it like it is, and Trump does that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Noting the irony of his \u201cLet\u2019s Go Brandon\u201d shirt, Wyrick laughed when asked whether his name really is Brandon. He produced an ID to prove it.<\/p>\n<p>But on a serious note, Wyrick said the political situation couldn\u2019t be more dire. \u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re about to go into World War III,\u201d Wyrick said. Trump has stated he is capable of heading off such a catastrophic clash, and Wyrick believes him.<\/p>\n<h2>New York Probe \u2018A Distraction\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Diaz said the highly publicized possible indictment of Trump in New York is \u201ca distraction, a way to divert attention away from the real issues.\u201d It comes as Trump and fellow Republicans appear poised to \u201cexpose a lot of corruption\u201d with Biden and other Democrats, she said.<\/p>\n<p>At the rally, many of Trump\u2019s supporters waved \u201cWITCH HUNT\u201d placards that his campaign staffers handed out. Trump has used the phrase repeatedly to refer to the barrage of investigations he\u2019s face. This time, the clogans apparently referred to the New York probe.<\/p>\n<p>Debbie Manning, 59, of Waxahachie, Texas, about an hour\u2019s drive from Waco, called the New York scandal \u201ca bunch of hooey.\u201d She said it may have been pivotal for Trump to reveal the impending indictment, \u201cto draw attention to it, so the truth would come out.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5150680\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript> Debbie Manning, 59, of Waxahacie, Texas, sports a T-shirt proclaiming, \u201cI support Trump and I will not apologize for it\u201d at a rally for former President Donald Trump at a rally on March 25, 2023. (Janice Hisle\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Many people, including Manning, believe that last-minute witnesses who came forward provided essential information that may have helped cast doubt on the claims made against Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Manning voted for Trump in 2016 with some trepidation. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what I was getting,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>But after seeing his performance in office, Manning was pleased\u2014and became a full-on Trump devotee after seeing him endure many attacks. During his speech, Trump declared that he is one of the world\u2019s most-investigated\u2013and most innocent\u2013people.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf they had anything on Trump, they would have already pinned him to the mat,\u201d Manning said before Trump\u2019s speech.<\/p>\n<p>Manning felt it was almost a \u201cduty\u201d for her to come to the rally and show respect for Trump.<\/p>\n<h2>Attendance Strong Despite Tactic<\/h2>\n<p>Two days beforehand, Trump\u2019s niece, Mary Trump, encouraged people to sabotage his rally attendance. On Twitter, she told people they should scoop up free admission tickets to the rally, then not use them.<\/p>\n<p>But at the rally, Trump pointed out that people filled the Waco venue \u201cas far as the eye could see.\u201d People started camping out in lawn chairs as early as 2:30 a.m. even though the gates did not open until noon and on-stage presentations didn\u2019t begin until 2 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>Organizers were expecting 15,000 people, but actual attendance estimates were not immediately available.<\/p>\n<p>But Trump, a billionaire businessman who is credited with his ability to relate to everyday people, relished the sight of the large Waco audience from overhead, in his Boeing 757, \u201cTrump Force One.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the plane circled the crowd\u2019s perimeter around 5:30 p.m., the hard-driving tune, \u201cThe Danger Zone,\u201d from the fighter-pilot movie, \u201cTop Gun,\u201d added to the excitement. The crowd became a sea of hands with cellphones thrust skyward as people tried to snap photos.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5150700\" style=\"width: 601px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript> Attendees aim their cellphones skyward, hoping to get a shot of former President Donald Trump\u2019s private plane as it arrives at Waco Regional Airport in Texas on March 25, 2023. (Janice Hisle\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to The Trump Tracker app\u2019s listing of Trump campaign stops dating to 2016, this was Trump\u2019s first campaign appearance in Waco.<\/p>\n<p>In announcing the event on March 17, the Trump campaign said, \u201cIt is undisputed that Texas is Trump Country after electing 37 Trump Endorsed Candidates and\u00a0recent polling among Texas primary voters.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Music, Painting, Dramatic Entrance<\/h2>\n<p>The crowd cheered loudly as Trump deplaned. He walked along a red carpet, through a tunnel of American flags fluttering in the wind. As he walked onto the stage, waving, the Trump-branded plane became part of the backdrop for the rally.<\/p>\n<p>The plane\u2019s arrival added to a spectacle that began unfolding four hours earlier, with rock guitarist Ted Nugent\u2019s \u201cfire-breathing\u201d rendition of the \u201cStar-Spangled Banner.\u201d Nugent said he unabashedly supports American rights to free speech and to keep and bear arms \u201cwithout a permit.\u201d As he left the stage, he said, \u201cThank you, Real America! Stand up for what you believe!<\/p>\n<p>Several politicians spoke, with Patrick batting cleanup before\u00a0Christian artist Vanessa Horabuena speed-painted a portrait of Trump.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5151567\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript> Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives during a rally at the Waco Regional Airport on March 25, 2023 in Waco, Texas. (Brandon Bell\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Trump took the stage around 6 p.m. local time, about an hour later than scheduled.<\/p>\n<p>Trump spoke for about 90 minutes, focusing largely on decrying the alleged weaponization of the American justice system. He also\u00a0threw darts at his still-undeclared Republican challenger,\u00a0DeSantis.<\/p>\n<p>Trump said the justice system is being manipulated to go after people, including him, for political reasons. Despite the \u201cbad publicity,\u201d his rankings in political polls have improved, he said, defying conventional wisdom.<\/p>\n<h2>Jan. 6 Not Forgotten<\/h2>\n<p>At times, the rally\u2019s mood turned somber.<\/p>\n<p>As Trump took the stage, an announcer proclaimed that Trump\u2019s hit recording, \u201cAnd Justice For All,\u201d would be played. The song features \u201cThe J6 Prison Choir,\u201d their voices echoing within walls of a Washington, D.C., jail, as they sing the National Anthem, alternating with segments of Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.<\/p>\n<p>A website promoting the song says: \u201cJ6 Prison Choir consists of individuals who have been incarcerated as a result of their involvement in the January 6, 2021, protest for election integrity after President Donald J. Trump stated, \u2018I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The choir \u201ccontinues to make their voices heard through the power of music and sings \u2018The Star Spangled Banner\u2019 every evening before bed,\u201d the website says.<\/p>\n<p>As rallygoers stood with hands over their hearts, listening to the song, some were moved to tears.<\/p>\n<p>For Dylan Marshall, a 36-year-old restaurant worker who lives in Waco, the plight of the Jan. 6 prisoners hits hard. Although he was wearing a \u201cMean Tweets and Cheap Gas 2024\u201d T-shirt, he also was wearing an awareness bracelet that says, \u201cFree the J6ers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTheir Constitutional rights are being violated; they are political prisoners,\u201d Marshall told The Epoch Times. \u201cSo there\u2019s a lot on the line, not just for them, but for all of us. We cannot be scared. We cannot back down. We have to let our voices be heard and get out there to the polls.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5150692\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript> Dylan Marshall, 36, of Waco, (2L) wears a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat in support of former president Donald Trump at a rally in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023. (Janice Hisle\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>However, Cathy Hammel, 68, of Forney, Texas, said Jan. 6 has hurt Trump even among some of his fans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople who used to love him turned against him because they believe all the nonsense\u201d that has been reported in media, blaming Trump for some protesters turning violent and entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Hammel told The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n<p>She doesn\u2019t blame Trump for the Jan. 6 events, and calls him, \u201cthe best president of my lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Confidence Despite Concerns<\/h2>\n<p>Hammel said she \u201cdoesn\u2019t trust DeSantis,\u201d because of a \u201cfeeling\u201d she has about him. That\u2019s why she intends to vote for Trump in 2024. \u201cBut in the back of my mind, I\u2019m afraid the election will be stolen again,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Trump said he would continue to work with Republican leaders to correct vulnerabilities in the election system. But until those improvements are made, Republicans need to take advantage of early voting and mail-in voting, rather than rely on just showing up in person on Election Day, Trump said.<\/p>\n<p>He projected confidence that he would be re-elected, and he would oust the \u201ccorrupt, rotten and sinister forces trying to destroy America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c2024 is the final battle,\u201d he said, as the crowd cheered loudly. \u201cTheir reign will be over and America will be a free nation once again\u2026 When this election is over, I will be the President of the United States,\u201d he added. \u201cYou will be vindicated and proud.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WACO, Texas\u2013Controversy seems to follow former Presidential Donald Trump. Sometimes he invites it. But this time, it was unfairly foisted upon him, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick insisted at Trump\u2019s 2024 campaign-kickoff rally. On March 25, after thousands of people stood for hours in 78-degree heat at the Waco Regional Airport, Patrick bounded up the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1196,"featured_media":1905313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[4506,5332,3925,6733,5823,4645,4433,3634,22699],"class_list":["post-1905312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times","tag-4506","tag-bogus","tag-choice","tag-controversy","tag-fans","tag-local","tag-rally","tag-trump","tag-waco"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1905312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1196"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1905312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1905312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1905313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1905312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1905312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1905312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}