Trump’s first rally since Mar-a-Lago raid gathers fervent fans: ‘They don’t want Trump to win’

FUS President Donald Trump is ostensibly in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to line up for Republican candidates in the state vote in November this year.

But the stumbling block for other Republicans took a notable place as the former president defiantly defied himself in his first campaign rally since the FBI executed a search warrant at the White House. His home in Mar-a-Lago and his most loyal supporters were there to show their solidarity with the man they see as the legitimate winner of the 2020 election.

“The Biden administration has invaded the home of their top political opponent, who is completely destroying him and everyone else in the polls,” Trump told a passionate crowd in Mohegan. Sun Arena, which was met with resounding boos. “They’re trying to silence me and more importantly, they’re trying to silence you.”

Many of Mr Trump’s harshest words against the FBI or “deep state” often brought supporters to their feet, with many wearing “Make America Great Again” hats or saying ” Trump won” regarding the big lie that the Democrats stole the president’s 2020 election.

Wilkes-Barre is based in Luzerne County, one of the white working-class counties that used to vote Democrat but Trump voted in 2016 and in 2020, even though President Joe Biden did eliminated part of his victory in the subsequent election.

Mr. Trump’s speech was clearly intended to rally supporters for the candidates he endorsed, such as senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and presidential candidate Doug Mastriano. Both races serve as major tests, as Mr. Trump endorsed both candidates in the primaries but both have consistently watched their Democratic opponents throughout the race. general election, which sent the GOP into panic mode.

But although they spoke later in the rally, it was clear that supporters were there for Trump’s performance. Even as people applied to the arena, supporters chanted “Let’s Go Brandon,” the term used among Trump supporters, the code for “F**k Joe Biden,” while others in shirts said “You attacked the wrong president.”

“I feel that the FBI, the CIA, the Secret Service, I don’t care who you say – they’re all in bed with the Democrats,” Patty SantaBarbara said after the rally. She and her friend Paola Ciaschetti came to Pennsylvania from upstate New York. Though she said she doesn’t think individual agents are in bed with Democrats, the leaders are.

“There’s no point in going into that man’s house, into his wife’s bedroom,” Santa Barbara said.

Trump’s words come days after the justice department released a court filing which says it has proof that government records has probably been moved to obstruct its investigation.

The filing says the FBI provided twice as much documents as Trump’s lawyers was overturned and some documents were so sensitive that justice department employees tasked with reviewing them had to wait for special security measures.

FBI agents also found 90 folders containing extremely sensitive documents among 27 boxes it removed from Trump’s Palm Beach estate.

“They talk about the documents not being stored properly,” Trump said. “And yet they come in and take the documents, dump them on the floor, take pictures and pretend I’m done with it, as if I’d put them all over the floor.”

This, of course, ignores the actual focus of the Justice Department’s allegations that he or his team turned over the documents. Similarly, Mr. Trump shows no sign of changing his position. Christina Bobb and Alina Habba, both attorneys who are assisting him in his efforts to fight the government, were present, despite their frequent low-quality legal appearances on Fox News or the media. other right wing.

But Mr. Trump defended his actions in public.

“Our movement is fighting an unelected group of corrupt tyrants who believe they can wield absolute power over you with the help of a willing media. and very corrupt,” he said. “They think the deep state, not the citizens, should be the real master of this country.”

Michelle McNulty came to the rally from Dickson City, Pennsylvania and echoed the sentiment.

“I find it odd because they don’t want Trump to win,” Michelle said The Independent before the protest. “That’s why they went there when he was on vacation.”

Mr. Trump allowed Dr. Oz and Mr. Mastriano to speak. He criticized Dr Oz’s Democratic opponent, John Fetterman, who he said dressed “like a teenager climbing up his parents’ basement”.

“Fetterman supports taxpayer-funded drug dens and the complete segregation of illegal drugs, including heroin, cocaine, meth and extreme fentanyl,” he said. speak. “And by the way, he took them himself.”

At the same time, Mr. Mastriano, a longtime supporter of the president, who was in Washington on January 6 – although he has said he has left the Capitol. before the violence begins – a stronger applause. To the contrary, someone in the audience shouted that Dr. Oz was “RINO” – in name only a Republican – which Marleen Laska had sounded out after the rally.

“I don’t believe he’s going to do the right thing for America, for America first,” she said The Independent. However, she said she planned to vote for him. “I have to vote for him because, you know, we need to have at least one RINO as opposed to Fetterman.”

Crowds frequently chanted “lock her up” or interrupted Mr Trump in the middle of his speech to lash out at Mr Trump’s enemies. The audience often went into a frenzy and he drew many standing ovations during the rally.

The former president also protested Biden’s speech this week, which criticized right-wing extremism.

“There is only one party waging war in American democracy by censoring free speech, criminalizing dissent,” he said. “Disarm law-abiding citizens, issue lawless authorizations and unconstitutional orders, imprison political protesters. That’s what they’re doing: rigging elections, weaponizing the justice department and the FBI like never before, raiding and breaking into the homes of their political opponents. I wonder who that could be.”

At the same time, he also noted how he defeated Mr. Biden in the vote.

“So I might have to do it again,” he told the audience.

Perhaps very few people can speak to convince Mr. Trump’s most devoted supporters. Richard Morholt, who attended the rally, repeated Trump’s frequent lies about declassifying his documents.

“He has the right to classify and not classify whatever he wants in his administration,” Mr Morholt said. The Independent after the demonstration. He also noted how Mr. Biden was “student D” – it is true that Mr. Biden received an F in one course after he admitted plagiarism but retaken the course – while Trump was an A student. , of which, again, there is no evidence because he was never a top student at the University of Pennsylvania. But that truth, like the truth about law, may prove immaterial.

Andrew Feinberg contributed to this report