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Trump holds first campaign rally ahead of 2024 presidential election

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Former President of the United States, Donald Trump, on Saturday, held his first campaign rally in Waco, Texas, to announce his 2024 presidential bid in the face of investigation by prosecutors.

Trump who is facing potential indictment in what prosecutors say are his employment of “dark and conspiratorial language to fire up his base ahead of next year’s Republican primary elections,” opened the rally on Saturday by playing a song, “Justice for All,” that features a choir of men imprisoned for their role in the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, singing the national anthem and a recording of Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, the New York Times report.

Footage from the insurrection was shown on screens, Trump, in a speech, defended the insurrectionists, saying they will be “vindicated”, and described the investigations swirling around him as “something straight out of the Stalinist Russia horror show”.

“From the beginning, it’s been one witch hunt and phony investigation after another,” he said.

Trump declared that his “enemies are desperate to stop us,” and “our opponents have done everything they can to crush our spirit and to break our will”.

READ ALSO:Donald Trump declares for 2024 US Presidency

“But they failed. They’ve only made us stronger. And 2024 is the final battle, it’s going to be the big one. You put me back in the White House, their reign will be over and America will be a free nation once again,” he said.

Trump is also being investigated by prosecutors in Manhattan for campaign finance violations stemming from his alleged payment of hush money to an adult film actress ahead of the 2016 election.

A special counsel appointed by the Department of Justice is also investigating allegations he hoarded top-secret documents and masterminded a plot seeking to overturn the 2020 election.

The rally held at the airport grounds in Waco also marked the 30th anniversary of a raid by federal agents on the Branch Davidians religious sect there that resulted in 86 deaths, including four law enforcement officers, but insisted that the location and timing of the event had nothing to do with the Waco siege or its anniversary.

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