A defiant Donald Trump railed against the investigations he faces and predicted he’d prevail during a rally in Waco, Texas, that may be the former president’s last public appearance before he faces potential criminal charges.
“When this election is over, I will be the president of the United States,” Trump said on Saturday to cheers from the crowd. “You will be vindicated and proud, and the thugs and criminals who are corrupting our justice system will be defeated, discredited and totally disgraced.”
It was Trump’s first rally of his 2024 campaign, staged at the city’s regional airport. The event was laden with symbolism and the timing fraught: 30 years ago this month, federal police besieged the Branch Davidians compound in Waco, leading to the deaths of the cult’s leader, David Koresh, and dozens of his followers. The siege energized the far right and stoked anti-government sentiment.
