Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has claimed credit for arranging former President Donald Trump's debut rally for his 2024 campaign in Waco, Texas. The announcement of the rally at the site of a deadly standoff between a cult and the government has raised concerns among some.
"I picked Waco," said Patrick in a statement to the press, without elaborating on why he chose that location.
The news of Trump's first campaign rally since leaving office was met with mixed reactions due to its location. In 1993, an armed confrontation between federal agents and members of a religious group called Branch Davidians led to a 51-day siege at their compound outside Waco, which ended with over 70 people dead.
Despite criticism from some quarters about choosing such a sensitive location for his first public appearance after losing last year's election, Patrick was quick to take credit for securing it as the venue.
However, many Texans have expressed concern over this choice and believe that it is inappropriate to hold such an event there given what happened in Waco back in '93. Many worry that this decision by both President Trump and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick will only serve to further divide our already divided country even more than before.
It remains unclear whether other politicians or supporters were involved in selecting the site or if Dan Patrick acted alone when making arrangements for Trump’s debut campaign stop ahead of any official announcement from Team Trump about his future political plans.