Quoting @alpacaherder@ubuntu.social: https://ubuntu.social/@alpacaherder/110085255092991273 #retoot

Post by Stephen Michael Kellat. "Today is part of the 30th anniversary of the FBI's siege of the Branch Davidian cult compound in Waco, Texas. The cult was led by David Koresh. It was a dark moment in history. A political primary candidate for President of the United States has been acting like a cult leader. He's been whipping up his followers. He's already threatened that there would be "death and destruction" if he's indicted. He's holding a big campaign rally in Waco today. He speaks at 1900Z. This could be bad." Posted on Mar 25, 2023 at 14:08

Well, Donald Trump had another ranting session in front of a fairly large audience. Frankly I’m getting worried by this. His rallies are starting to resemble Hitlerite events more and more. Increasingly they’re taking on Leni Riefenstahl sorts of production aspects.

Statements like this, as reported by The Guardian are not helpful:

He 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. 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.”

The MAGA people are being turned into an apocalyptic cult. His campaign’s kick-off rally was held in Waco, Texas. Today was the thirtieth anniversary of the siege of the Branch Davidian compound which was another apocalyptic cult. Anybody who lived through the 1990s here in the United States is quite possibly still aware of that disastrous encounter between armed law enforcement and members of a religious cult.

This passage from a story by NewsNation just bothers me:

Waco officials told NewsNation that up to 15,000 rallygoers were expected at Waco Regional Airport for Trump’s Make America Great Again Rally.

The rally came as the U.S. nears the 30th anniversary of a deadly siege in Waco that ended in fire and bloodshed between a cult-like group called the Branch Davidians and U.S. and Texas law enforcement agents.

NewsNation spoke to a Republican county official who said they are happy Trump chose Waco, though they are stumped on why he did.

The official said most politicians pick Dallas, Austin or Houston, but said Waco is where you come to meet with the voters.

“I say to you again tonight, I am your warrior. I am your justice,” Trump said, echoing the message from his campaign in 2016. “I am your retribution. We will take care of it.”

Donald John Trump holding a rally filled with apocalyptic language in Waco on this anniversary definitely conveys a message to supporters. Violence is the order of the day for them. This rally was a psychological permission slip just like the one on January 6th prior to the riot at the United States Capitol.

Reporting from the Associated Press shows in pertinent part that the Trump team may need be occupying the same reality as the rest of us:

Trump’s eyebrow-raising choice of venue in Waco for his first rally came amid the 30th anniversary of a 51-day standoff and deadly siege between U.S. law enforcement and the Branch Davidians that resulted in the deaths of more than 80 members of the religious cult and four federal agents and has become a touchstone for far-right extremists and militia groups.

Trump’s campaign insisted the location and timing of the event had nothing to do with the Waco siege or anniversary. A spokesperson said the site, 17 miles from the Branch Davidian compound, was chosen because it was conveniently situated near four of the state’s biggest metropolitan areas — Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio — and has the infrastructure to handle a sizable crowd.

That’s still one heckuva coincidence to be putting forward. It is hard to accept it is just an innocent coincidence. After all the violent rhetoric being spewed it seems like it is not a coincidence at all.

That he was ranting about demonic forces got me very worried. He’s mixing that talk about demonic forces with falsehoods that can be debunked readily. Is he losing his mind or is he angling to be a martyr for a strange cult?

What Republican can knock him out in the primary? Can Biden defeat him in the general? This is a huge mess for our country.