Donald Trump, the former president, chose Waco, Texas, for the first rally of his 2024 campaign on Saturday, placing him in the heart of a sizable Republican state that consistently draws sizable audiences.
Also, it will bring him close to the grassy prairie where, in 1993, a standoff between American law enforcement and the Branch Davidians tragically ended with the deaths of four federal agents and more than 80 members of the religious sect.
The siege, which continues to carry significant symbolism and is still seen by some who survived the facility as an instance of unjustified government interference, occurred 30 years ago this year.
Since announcing the rally last week, Trump has avoided allusions to Waco’s past in order to avoid becoming the first president in American history to be prosecuted. According to campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, Waco’s regional airport was chosen as the location because it is “centrally placed and close” to some of Texas’ main cities.
On February 28, 1993, federal investigators attacked the complex about 10 miles east of Waco. A shootout broke out as they attempted to apprehend sect leader David Koresh for storing illegal weapons, but Branch Davidian members had been informed of the raid. That day saw the deaths of four agents and six Davidians, sparking a standoff that would last 51 days.
The Standoff
Federal authorities claimed that as the weeks passed, they grew more concerned about the possibility of abuse against the Davidian children. On April 19, 1993, military vehicles started assaulting the structures and firing tear gas inside after an FBI negotiator yelled over a megaphone for Koresh to lead his followers outside and “be a messiah, not a destroyer.”
A few hours later, it was discovered that the compound was on fire. According to the authorities, the Davidians shot and set themselves on fire in order to commit suicide. According to survivors, the fire was started by military trucks running over lights, not by a suicide pact.
All of the Davidians who were on trial for murder and murder conspiracy charges were found not guilty. Nonetheless, five were found guilty of both voluntary manslaughter and using a weapon, while three were found guilty just of using a weapon.
The Aftermath
In Mount Carmel, where a white chapel currently stands on the site of the former compound, visitors are greeted with a wall of stones with the names of all the victims engraved on them. Every year, federal agents remember the deadly raid’s anniversary in Waco, and Netflix released a new documentary commemorating the siege’s 30th anniversary.
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The bombing in Oklahoma City in 1995, which occurred on the same day as the raid and two years after the siege, is perhaps the most egregious illustration of how certain far-right extremists and militia groups have come to regard the siege as a touchstone over the years. According to a federal court filing, a Virginia man accused of being a member of the mob that stormed the United States Capitol informed an undercover agent that his property would become “Waco 2.0” and expressed concern about new gun rules.
Trump’s Legal Troubles
Trump’s visit to Texas comes as New York prosecutors wind up investigating whether Trump participated in an unlawful hush money plot involving a porn star. Trump, who has denied any sexual encounter with Stormy Daniels, has threatened “years of hatred, chaos, and strife” if charges are filed.
World News Guru tweeted that the Trump rally falls during the anniversary of Waco’s dark past. You can see below:
Trump rally falls during anniversary of Waco's dark past https://t.co/j7Ctbo4qqP pic.twitter.com/hyOAwkYicS
— World News Guru (@worldnews_guru) March 24, 2023
He has long been critical of federal law enforcement. When the FBI investigated his Mar-a-Lago club last summer as part of an investigation into suspected mishandling of secret data, he said that his home was “now under siege, raided, and occupied by a big group of FBI investigators.”
Waco Today
In a letter published last week, the Houston Chronicle’s editorial board accused Trump of “stoking the fires of Waco.”
There is no doubt, however, that Trump chose solidly Republican territory in Waco, where he carried the adjacent McClennan County by more than 20 points in 2020. Baylor University, the nation’s largest Baptist university, is located in the city, as is the home decorating business of “Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines.
This week, city officials stated that they were prepared for the gathering. “There are a lot of eyes on it, and it’s getting national attention,” said Jonathan Cook, Waco’s parks and recreation director.
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