A train whistle to anti-government actors: Obeidallah on Trump holding 1st campaign rally in Waco
Overnight, the former president made his most explicit implication of violence, warning about potential death and destruction, his words, if he is charged for the hush money scheme being investigated by a New York grand jury. The warnings being seen by some as an indication that Trump, who is still the leading Republican presidential candidate, may be trying to foment insurrection again if he's charged. Now, tomorrow he's giving another dangerous bat call to his most loyal and violent right-wing henchmen holding his first major campaign rally in Waco, Texas. Not the wrong with Waco, Texas, but this just happens to be the 30th anniversary of that deadly standoff between the members of the Branch, Davidian, Extremist sect and agents from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI. That siege, you'll recall, ended after 51 days when fires broke out during the FBI's attempt to breach the compound. 76 people were killed, including 25 children. Waco has since been embraced by right-wing extremists.
The domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City on the two-year anniversary of the Waco fire. The Houston Chronicles slammed Trump for picking Waco for his event, writing, quote, militia members and conspiracies know exactly what Trump's Waco visit symbolizes. They've heard him castigate the FBI and the deep state. What he says will likely set the tone for the presidential campaign to come. Every American should be concerned, end quote. Joining me now, Dean Obadala, host of the Dean Obadala Show on Sirius XM and Olivia Troy, a former Homeland Security and Counterterrorism advisor to Vice President Mike Pence. Good evening to both of you.
Thank you for being here. Dean, let's just talk about this for a second. There's nothing wrong with Waco, Texas. I've been there. It's a great place with great people in it, but unfortunately, it will always have symbolism attached to it and holding a rally in Waco, Texas for no other particular reason. There's no other reason that Donald Trump is going there. His campaign says it's well located between other important places in Texas.
That's a nonsensical reason. We know what this is. Certainly. Donald Trump announced his candidacy for 2024, November. This is the very first rally. He could have picked any city, any state, any time. And he announced just last Friday while headlines were swirling that he might be getting indicted in the middle of the 30th anniversary of the siege.
The message is clear. It's what I wrote about it for MSNBC Daily. The article goes up tomorrow. I interviewed extremism experts. They said this is not a dog whistle. This is a train whistle to anti-government actors. And these are the type of people Donald Trump is cultivating.
He's, again, this is big with the militia movements, the patriot movements, the so-called patriot movements. And he is bringing them in. And after January 6th, it has to alarm all of us because is he building an army or a militia to protect them and help them in a vengeance? Potentially. That's what's so frightening. Well, Olivia, the Houston Chronicle called Waco a shrine for the proud boys, the three percenters, the oath keepers and other anti-government extremists and conspiracies. Your old boss, Mike Pence, you know, came out and said a week and a half or two weeks ago, you know, what Donald Trump did was threatened the lives of his family and that he will be judged by history. There's really becoming a very clear line here about whether the Republican candidate for presidency is going to be a conservative or this, what Donald Trump is rallying people to do.
Yeah, that's exactly the path ahead for the Republican Party. But I'll say this, the road ahead for the Republican Party right now to me looks like Donald Trump. Because when he's doing these types of things, when he's holding this rally on the 30th anniversary of what happened in Waco and the campaign knows exactly what they're doing, trust me, I know how they planned these things out. I lived it first scan. Saw that nightmare and I know what they're capable of. All of these other Republicans that are not publicly rebuking these, this that are standing by it, that are actually equally undermining the judicial system, the same people that have attacked the DOJ along the way in the past couple months, the same people who have attacked the FBI in the last couple months. All of that has led to the culmination of this moment of the rally that Trump is holding and they have enabled it.
So all of these people are equally as complicit. And that's why I see the Republican Party as a future with Trump. Because while they may sit there behind closed doors and say, no, we're kind of looking away. We're going to steer away from this. They are enabling his talking points and it's like everything he's doing. Right. They're standing by and they're letting it happen.
Joy Reid