https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-rally-falls-during-anniversary-211541704.html
Trump rally falls during anniversary of Waco's dark past
Former President Donald Trump picking Waco, Texas, for the first rally of his 2024 campaign Saturday will put him in the middle of a big Republican state that has reliably delivered him big crowds.
It will also put him not far from the grassy prairie where a standoff in 1993 between U. S. law enforcement and Branch Davidians infamously resulted in the deaths of more than 80 members of the religious cult and four federal agents.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the siege, which continues to hold deep symbolism and is still viewed by survivors of the compound as an act of unwarranted government intrusion.
Trump, who is facing the possibility of becoming the first president in U. S. history to be indicted, hasn't nodded to Waco's past since first announcing the rally last week. Campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said the decision to hold the event at Waco's regional airport was ideal because the city was “centrally located and close" to some of Texas' largest cities.
WACO TODAY
The Houston Chronicle's editorial board accused Trump of “stoking the fires of Waco” in a column published this week.
But there is no doubt Trump picked solidly Republican territory in Waco, where he won surrounding McClennan County by more than 20 points in 2020. The city includes Baylor University, the nation's largest Baptist university, and is the headquarters of "Fixer Upper" stars Chip and Joanna Gaines' home decorating empire.
City officials said this week they were ready for the rally.
“It's a lot of eyes, national attention,” said Jonathan Cook, Waco's director of parks and recreation.
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