Of late, American politics on the national level has become a veritable three-ring circus with former President Donald Trump in the center ring. Some might argue about whether this constitutes new news, but between expectations of an imminent arrest in New York by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Trump's vociferous pushback on his social media platform Truth Social, the business of campaigning for president has taken a backseat. However, the Trump campaign managed to squeeze in a rally last night, March 25, at the Waco Regional Airport in Texas.
Even the event's location brought forth concern that Mr. Trump was using Waco as a symbol of government tyranny. Waco has become a flashpoint since an armed standoff between the Branch Davidian religious sect and federal authorities in 1993 ended in the deaths of nearly 80 people, including 28 children. April 19 serves as the 30th anniversary of the tragic events at the Mount Carmel compound. The media has written countless stories drawing a connection between the Trump Rally and violence three decades ago in Waco. Public sentiment regarding the 51-day standoff remains divided, with many on the right believing Waco was an outrageous government overreach and abuse of power while those on the left maintain the dreadful and violent ending was unavoidable.
Trump Campaign Rejects Waco Connection
Despite all the media hype, Trump Campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung maintained that their choice of Waco was based on its central location and the former president's popularity in the area. (It should be noted that Trump did not mention the Waco standoff in his remarks.)
The Trump Campaign website issued up to two tickets per person for the "Make America Great Again" rally for a facility accommodating up to 15,000 people. Unlike 2015 and, to some extent, 2019, live television coverage of the event was limited to Trump-friendly cable outfits like Newsmax and OAN.
Donald Trump (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Airing on MSNBC at the time of the rally was analysis regarding a reported death threat made to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. Trump’s favorite network to ridicule was ironically airing CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta which carried live reports from the event in Waco. Reporter Kristen Holmes – whose tone conveyed a note of sarcasm -- filed a brief news package without a single excerpt from Trump’s speech. Meanwhile, a Lawrence Welk rerun from the 1960s was airing on the taxpayer-funded Public Broadcasting System.
The rally appeared to be at capacity although it was difficult to assess the size of the crowd due to the use of a single camera and consequent lack of wide shots. Trump descended the steps of his aircraft to typically enthusiastic fanfare and applause and the rally kicked off with the playing the Star Spangled Banner sung by the “January 6th Choir.” According to Variety, the new single, “Justice for All,” reached No. 1 on iTunes’ top songs on March 11. Variety reported, “The J6 Prison Choir is comprised of a group of men who were convicted after their participation in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The song includes the choir singing, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ from jail before it climaxes with the prisoners chanting ‘USA! USA!’ The ‘Justice for All’ track has the performance of the national anthem interrupted by clips of President Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. “
Launching into his typical stem-winding Trumpian style, the former president covered the waterfront. He took on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, calling him a Paul Ryan Republican, and railed against the “weaponization of the government against the people.” While he was critical of the current administration, he also managed to pepper his speech with soaring rhetoric promoting the American dream.
He declared 2024 as ”the final battle” and promised that if “you put me in office, America will be free once again” and concluded with his signature riff:
We will make America powerful again.
We will make America wealthy again.
We will make America strong again.
We will make America proud again.
We will make America safe again.
And we will make America great again.
After just over an hour and a half, Donald Trump left the stage to boisterous applause amid the strains of the classic song by Sam and Dave that encapsulated the former president’s message: “Hold on, I’m Coming.”
.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
