Trump slams court cases, 'horse face' Stormy Daniels, and 'rigged' election in Waco mega-rally

25 March 2023, 21:17 | Updated: 26 March 2023, 03:55

Donald Trump insisted the Manhattan District Attorney expected to indict him over claims he paid hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels has "nothing" on him during a fiery first rally of his 2024 presidential campaign.

Donald Trump supporters flocked to the rally as prosecutors in New York weigh whether to bring criminal charges against the ex-President.

Mr Trump opened the rally in Waco on Saturday with a song featuring inmates in prison for their participation in the January 6 riot, which he was accused of inciting, but denies.

He then proceeded to repeat his false claim that the 2020 election which he lost to Joe Biden was "rigged" and unleashed stinging criticism for Republican presidential rival Ron DeSantis, branding his performance on crime and the Covid response "not good".

“They keep saying I think DeSantis could do well with farmers, I don’t think so," he said. "Based on polls, he’s not doing okay with anything.

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"It’s not good when you look at statistically how he did on Covid. Not good at all. Look at how does on crime. Not good.”

He described the hush-money case "prosecutorial misconduct" calling it "worse than ballot stuffing, or media manipulation by the FBI working together with Twitter, Facebook and the rest.

"It probably makes me the most innocent man in the history of our country. Friends of mine say that,' Trump said.

"They persecuted us yet Joe Biden is a stone cold criminal, caught dead to rights and nothing happens."

He baselessly branded President Joe Biden a "stone cold criminal" and took aim at Stormy Daniels, saying: "I never liked horseface... that wouldn't be the one. There is no one. We have a great first lady!"

Allies of Mr Trump including Mike Lindell, Ted Nugent and Majorie Taylor Green voiced their support for his candidacy.

The event is being held in Waco as the Texas city marks the 30th anniversary of a raid there by US authorities on the Branch Davidians religious sect that resulted in 86 deaths.

The raid is seen by many right-wing extremists as a historic moment of government overreach, and critics have pointed to the rally's timing as a nod to Mr Trump's far-right supporters.

In an email, a Trump campaign spokesperson said the city was chosen because it sits between several major population centres and has the infrastructure necessary to host a large event.

Mr Trump is seeking to solidify support for a presidential run in 2024, but faces growing legal peril from a series of ongoing criminal investigations, including the hush money case, which is being weighed by a grand jury in New York.

It comes after Mr Trump warned of "death and destruction" if he is indicted over the hush money claims.

Mr Trump's lawyers allegedly paid the adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about their affair over six years ago.

However, he has denied ever having an affair with her, calling the payment a "simple private transaction" and the investigation politically motivated.

It came after New York prosecutors probing the payment said they would not be intimidated by the former US president.

Writing on his Truth Social platform shortly after midnight on Friday, Trump said: "What kind of person can charge another person, in this case a former President of the United States, who got more votes than any sitting President in history, and leading candidate (by far!) for the Republican Party nomination, with a Crime, when it is known by all that NO Crime has been committed, & also known that potential death & destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our Country?"

He suggested in a separate post that there could be "years of hatred, chaos, and turmoil" if he is arrested and previously called on his supporters to protest in response to the inquiry.