Donald Trump went to Waco, Texas, to wage unholy war, not a campaign rally
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Donald Trump’s people called it a campaign rally, but that’s not what it was.
It was a pilgrimage. It was a clear message sent to the worst of his supporters.
Trump’s rally in Waco, Texas, over the weekend occurred as the city marks the 30th anniversary of the 51-day siege that resulted in the deaths of four federal agents and 82 Branch Davidians.
In an editorial, The Houston Chronicle called Trump’s visit a dog-whistle to supporters that was being held in a place now considered “a shrine for the Proud Boys, the Three Percenters, the Oath Keepers and other anti-government extremists and conspiracists.”
Trump isn’t even trying to run a political campaign this time around.
No, Donald, they're just coming after you
He’s staging a crusade, a jihad, an unholy war.
“They’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you,” he told the crowd, hoping to engender a feeling of paranoia in a group of cultish supporters who probably never paid hush-money to cover up an illicit encounter with an adult film star, or are suspected of having committed numerous acts of fraud in their business practices, or took home top secret government documents from the White House, or helped to incite an insurrection that led to several deaths and considerable damage to the U.S. Capitol.
Risky politics:Why GOP lawmakers embrace a far-right agenda
As expected, Trump used the rally to spread bogus claims about his time as president and portray himself as both savior and victim.
Trump has called Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is investigating the Stormy Daniels hush money case, an “animal.” Not long ago, an envelope with suspicious white power was delivered to Bragg’s office with a note saying, “Alvin – I’ll kill you.”
Trump said on social media if he is indicted there could be “potential death & destruction.” That had House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling Trump’s comments “reckless, reprehensible and irresponsible,” and warning that “he’s going to get someone killed.”
'Unrelenting attacks' on American journalists
All of this is nothing new for Trump.
He led the “birther” movement against former President Barack Obama. He has vilified Muslims. He described those from Africa or Haiti as coming from “s---hole” countries.
He gave what appeared to be a stamp of approval to the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Va., by saying there were “very fine people on both sides.”
He has for years described the free press in the United States as the “enemy of the people.”
The late Sen. John McCain once wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Post that “while administration officials often condemn violence against reporters abroad, Trump continues his unrelenting attacks on the integrity of American journalists and news outlets.”
Trump talks tough, but there's no action
Trump also praised a Republican congressman who pleaded guilty to assault for body-slamming a journalist. Trump said, “Any guy that can do a body slam, he’s my kind of – he’s my guy.”
For years Trump has spoken in terms that praise violence.
Strange, however, I don’t recall hearing or reading about an incident in which Trump has personally backed up his tough talk.
You’d think that a guy who seems to relish urging on others might have been in an actual fist fight or two. But I’ve never seen an account of Trump being in a physical altercation.
I’m not sure why that is. Bone spurs, perhaps.
Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Donald Trump's Waco visit was a pilgrimage, not a rally
