Donald Trump Rally at Waco, Texas
Former President Donald Trump kicked off his 2024 campaign rally in Waco, Texas, with a signature incendiary performance, flanked by supporters waving “witch hunt” signs. In his nearly 90-minute speech, Donald Trump rally focused on perceived political enemies and slights, positioning himself as a victim of politicized legal investigations and vowing to be the MAGA movement’s “retribution.”
Trump painted a grim future if he is denied a second four-year term, positioning himself as the sole protector of American values. He pledged to carry out the biggest deportation effort in the country’s history by boosting the number of border enforcement officers and reviving Title 42, an emergency health measure he put into effect at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that has been utilized to reject migrants, including those seeking asylum, from the southern border since March 2020.
The former president also pledged to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine within a day of beginning his next administration. He criticized his most likely competition in the Republican presidential primaries, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and claimed credit for DeSantis’ political rise after endorsing him in the 2018 governor’s race. He also echoed recent criticisms he’s made against DeSantis.
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Trump cast himself as the victim of politicized attacks, particularly an investigation in New York into alleged hush payments made to an adult film star. He called it “prosecutorial misconduct” and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of being a “radical left maniac.”
The audience showed the strongest enthusiasm when Trump advocated for preventing men from participating in women’s sports, a topic that has gained traction among conservatives who argue that transgender women’s inclusion in female sports is depriving women of opportunities. The Texas Legislature banned transgender students from competing in public school sports that do not align with their gender at birth in 2021, and conservative lawmakers hope to extend that ban to university athletics.
Overall, the rally had a strong focus on immigration and border security, with Trump promising to increase border enforcement officers and conduct the largest deportation operation in US history. He also pledged to reinstate Title 42 and criticized the Biden administration’s plan to end the national pandemic-era public health order in May.
Donald Trump rally at Waco, Texas was a typical performance from the former President, focusing on perceived political enemies and slights, and positioning himself as the sole protector of American values. The rally had a strong focus on immigration and border security, with Trump promising to conduct the largest deportation operation in US history and reinstate Title 42. The most vocal response from the crowd came when Trump called to keep men out of women’s sports and pledged to abolish critical race theory from America’s schools.
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