Trump slams ‘prosecutorial misconduct’ without evidence at Waco rally amid probes

At a rally on Saturday night in Waco, Texas, former President Donald Trump attacked what he labeled as "prosecutorial misconduct" without offering any proof, in spite of investigations taking place in New York, Georgia and Washington.

Trump emphatically declared the probes to be politically orchestrated efforts intended to thwart his expected 2024 presidential run.
“We are seeing prosecutorial misconduct on a level never seen before in our country," he said. "We must not allow them to use this as another tool to manipulate the election."

Behind Trump, his supporters waved signs printed by the Trump campaign that bore the words “Witch hunt.” Trump labeled the investigations as “bullsh*t” and declared that the local prosecutors in Manhattan and Fulton County are “henchmen” of the national Democrats. He also proclaimed that “our opponents have done everything they can to crush our spirit and break our will,” but have only made the group stronger.

The rally at the Waco Regional Airport recalled President Trump's 2016 and 2020 campaigns, as the Republican candidates for the 2024 presidential race begin to emerge. Trump's appearance followed investigations launched in New York City about a hush money payment, in Georgia regarding his alleged attempts to subvert the 2020 election and by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith about redacted material recovered from Mar-A-Lago, his attempts to rigging the 2020 election, and his role in the January 6th insurrection.

Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan District Attorney, is thought to have nearly concluded his inquiry into whether Donald Trump was involved in a payment strategy involving adult film actress Stormy Daniels. On his Truth Social platform, Trump predicted that he would be arrested and declared that it could be "catastrophic for our Country" and result in "potential death & destruction." Cohen, Trump's erstwhile lawyer, acknowledged having paid Daniels $130,000 around the time of the 2016 election in order to prevent her from speaking publicly about an alleged romance with the former president.

President Donald Trump has again denied an alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels, and referred to her in derogatory terms, on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Manhattan grand jury investigating Trump has yet to reach any conclusions this week.

On Friday, Trump's defense attorney Evan Corcoran made a court appearance in Washington before a federal grand jury, likely to answer questions about classified documents. Furthermore, a federal judge has demanded that former Trump aides, including Mark Meadows, must testify before a grand jury as part of the criminal inquiry into Trump's failed attempts to reverse the 2020 presidential election results.

At the event, President Trump lambasted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appears to be mulling a White House bid and whom early surveys indicate could be a major contender. Trump took credit for DeSantis' 2018 victory in the Florida governor's race, despite the Republicans' underwhelming showing in the general election nationwide. He also argued that it was the GOP governors before DeSantis who had made Florida successful for decades, and he criticized DeSantis for implementing harsh public safety measures too hastily to address the coronavirus pandemic, contrasting him with Republican leaders in states like South Carolina, South Dakota and Tennessee who had managed the situation better.


President Donald Trump gave his opinion on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping that took place this week in Moscow.
Trump shared that he is not fond of DeSantis and that the governor is a believer of Paul Ryan. He pointed out that DeSantis wanted to cut social security and Medicare, which he is not in favor of.

On the meeting between Putin and Jinping, Trump noted that the two are “very smart people” and that their discussion about the world order for the next 100 years is “one of the saddest things you can imagine”. He also mentioned that he gets along quite well with Putin and the Russian president talked about Ukraine. Trump said it appears as though Putin is likely to get the entire thing.

Ahead of Trump’s rally in Waco, many of his supporters argued that a potential indictment against the former president would only bolster his chances of regaining the White House in 2024. These supporters echoed his unfounded assertions that the Manhattan district attorney is driven by politics.

Mike Gilbert, who was one of the thousands in line hours prior to the rally, declared that if the incumbent is indicted, the number of people voting for him would rise from 100 million to 120 million, as they cannot keep taking down an “honest man”.

Debby Cravey added that if Trump is indicted, he would be a “shoo-in” for the presidency.
Bobby Wilson and several other Trump supporters interviewed by CNN on Saturday stated that an indictment of the former President would not alter their opinion of him, nor their intention to vote for him in 2024 if he were to run again. Todd Castro argued that he believes the investigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office merely amounted to “persecution.”

According to Wilson, “It doesn’t change a thing about his integrity and everything else. We all have sin. We all have some things that we’ve done.” Joe Cravey added that if Trump manages to fight off the charges, he would be a shoo-in for the Next election. Castro stated that his opinion is that this event would increase Trump’s publicity and he is “a fighter so he’s going to make it through this.”

The city of Waco, Texas, was chosen by former President Donald Trump as the site of his upcoming campaign rally due to its central location, a spokesperson said Saturday. Being a three-hour drive from the population centers of Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, the site is accessible to many.

The rally occurs 30 years after the state and federal law enforcement raid on the Branch Davidian doomsday cult’s compound in Waco, which resulted in the deaths of 86 people and has been viewed by the far right with distaste as a symbol of government overreach. Trump has not linked the rally with this event.
"This is the ideal location to have as many supporters from across the state and in neighboring states attend this historic rally," said Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung in a statement.