Former President Donald Trump picks Waco TX for his first rally as 2024 candidate

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner in the 2024 election, will hold his first rally as a declared candidate in Waco on March 25.

He will speak at 5 p.m. at Waco Regional Airport, about 90 minutes south of Fort Worth, his campaign said Friday.

The 45th president could be under indictment by the time he lands in central Texas. News reports Friday cited law enforcement sources saying Trump could be charged in New York as early as next week on alleged hush money paid to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels. Trump has denied the allegations.

So far, the only other widely known declared candidate for the GOP nomination is Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor who served as ambassador to the United Nations under Trump. But the list of Republican politicians expected to enter the race include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

President Joe Biden is expected to seek a second term.

For Trump’s rally, undisclosed guest speakers begin at 2 p.m. ahead of his 5 p.m. remarks.

On the eve of last fall’s election, Trump staged a “Save America” rally near Corpus Christi. In January 2022, Trump spoke to thousands in Conroe ahead of the March primaries. The summer before, Trump appeared with Gov. Greg Abbott at the Mexican border to criticize Biden’s immigration policies.