Threatened with indictment, former US President Donald Trump proclaimed his innocence on Saturday, March 25, during a campaign rally for the 2024 presidential election, held in a highly symbolic place: the Texas town of Waco , scene thirty years ago of a murderous assault against a sect opposed to federal power.
The former Republican president has been brandishing for more than a week the threat of an imminent arrest in New York in a case of payment to the pornographic actress Stormy Daniels, just before his victory of 2016. Justice seeks to determine if M Trump is guilty of misrepresentation, an offense, or breach of campaign finance laws, a criminal misdemeanor, by paying money to a porn actress.
"The New York District Attorney, under the auspices and direction of the 'Department of Injustice' in Washington DC, was investigating me for something that is neither a felony nor a misdemeanor," he claimed in front of thousands of supporters gathered under the Texas sun.
Donald Trump, also under threat of investigations into his 2020 Georgia election lobbying and handling of classified White House records, regularly poses as the victim of a mysterious "shadow state."
The spectacular FBI search of his Florida residence in August 2022? "A shocking abuse of power." The two infamous congressional impeachment proceedings he faced and for which he was acquitted? "A Witch Hunt".
A spectacular 51-day siege
By returning to his base at a meeting in Waco, Donald Trump is also reconnecting with an exercise he loves. The scenes of the former president, sketching small dance steps, or throwing his famous red caps to the crowd, are now cult among his followers.
This city of 130,000 inhabitants remains associated with the anti-government Davidian sect. In the spring of 1993, the world was suspended for fifty-one days by the FBI's siege of a ranch in which armed followers of the guru, David Koresh, had entrenched themselves. Seventy-six members of the sect, including twenty children, were found dead after the ranch fire. Four police officers were also killed.
In this city nestled in the heart of Texas, 150 km south of Dallas, some of his fans were stamping their feet with impatience on Friday evening, visibly unconcerned by the legal troubles of their idol. "Everything is distorted to give him a bad image," Kelly Heath, 49, told Agence France-Presse (AFP), seeing it as an attempt to "silence" him.
On Saturday, near the meeting near Waco airport, a 72-year-old retiree, Louis, accompanied by his 16-year-old grandson, whom he says is a "big fan" of Trump even if he is not not old enough to vote, he says that “all presidents have had mistresses. Why not him? ".
Breathing new life into the presidential campaign
Julie, who comes from the city of Tyler in Texas, assures for her part that the case of Stormy Daniels is “not a great cause. She came out of nowhere to see how much money she could squeeze" out of Donald Trump. "Those are lies. He's the boss and he's going to save America," said Sherry, 55.
Many stalls sell the full panoply of the Trump brand, from "Trump 2024" and "Trump Girl" caps to a white shirt with the slogan "God, Guns, Trump in Waco, Texas." A sign assures that "Democrats are Communists".
Above all, this meeting offers the Republican the opportunity to breathe new life into his campaign, which for the moment does not enjoy the expected momentum even if most polls give him the winner of a primary.
The billionaire, who continues against all odds to evoke alleged "frauds" never proven in the 2020 election, has also seen part of the right - and in particular his wealthy donors - turn to the new champion of the right tough, Ron DeSantis, 44. The governor of Florida is not yet officially launched in the race but will undoubtedly be one of his biggest rivals for the Republican nomination in 2024.
