Donald Trump, the former president, continued to criticize the House committee looking into the attack on the Capitol on January 6 while speaking at his first public rally since being summoned. He also made no indication of whether he would comply with the request to provide papers and testify.
Democrats have an uphill struggle in Texas, as a poll conducted by UT Austin and Texas Politics Project and released on Friday indicates that Texas Governor Greg Abbott is well-positioned to win reelection. His lead in the survey reached 11 points, his highest lead to date. In the same poll, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton also held double-digit leads.
Trump characterized Democratic candidates as “”against guns, God, and oil,” he continued, “and they think they’ll do well in Texas? I don’t believe so.”
However, the rally was hosted in South Texas, a crucial region for both Republicans and Democrats on Election Day, and Trump’s presence there could assist increase support for the GOP in this region. Just 120 miles to the south is the seat represented by Democrat Henry Cuellar, who is in the battle of his political life against former Sen. Ted Cruz assistant and Republican opponent Cassy Garcia. Trump and Garcia appeared at the event on Saturday. Although Trump spoke extensively about the January 6 committee, he said little that he hadn’t said previously, and he declined to speculate on whether he would be interrogated by the panel.
As Trump began speaking at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown on January 6, the crowd broke into the national anthem. Trump described it as “wonderful” before admitting he initially believed he was interrupted by protesters. Later, he referred to it as a “wonderful moment” and stated, “We haven’t had that in two years.”
Trump primarily railed about the “unselect committee,” his term for the House Jan. 6 committee, and complained that they “don’t talk about” the crowd size at his rally at the Ellipse on that day. Additionally, he asserted that he approved 10,000 to 20,000 National Guard troops, a claim refuted by the testimony of then-acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller before the committee. Miller stated that he “was never given instructions or given knowledge of such plans.”
Trump railed against the numerous probes against him, even joking that his wife Melania said “every day you receive a subpoena.”
In what was likely the last public session of the House Jan. 6 committee, the committee agreed last week to subpoena Trump, with vice chair Rep. Liz Cheney describing him as “the one person at the core” of the Jan. 6 events.
The subpoena was issued on Friday, with the committee requiring that the former president present documented evidence by November 4, followed by “one or more days” of his deposition under oath “on or about” November 14.
Trump did not indicate if he would abide by the subpoena.
Trump asserted that the Justice Department had been “weaponized” against him, beginning with the “Russia farce,” which he discussed at length. After leaving office, Trump very briefly addressed the probe into his handling of materials, calling it a “boxes farce.”
During his over two-hour speech, he also alluded to a possible 2024 presidential bid, stating, “I will probably have to do it again,” similar to his remarks during his last appearance in Texas, at CPAC in Dallas.
The 27th Congressional District, where the rally was held, voted for former President Barack Obama in 2008, but has become increasingly Republican since then; Trump carried the district by double digits in both 2016 and 2020.
Richard Vallejo of Corpus Christi stated that he had never voted before casting a ballot for Donald Trump in 2020, but he is prepared to vote for Republicans this time around.
Vallejo stated, “I feel he has spoken out more for people of color – people don’t see that, but more people of color were graduating from school, we had the largest economy in the world, and we had a secure border.” It is not about race, but rather about uniting the American people, regardless of the color of their skin.
Scott Graham of Robstown, who voted for Democrats in the past, now believes that Republicans are “for the people.” He stated that he has supported Trump “since Day One.”
Immigration is a top concern for Texans, particularly in this region. Trump began his speech by discussing unauthorized immigrants crossing the border and narcotics. He also complimented ICE and Border Patrol, two of the region’s largest jobs. Trump proposed tripling the number of ICE and Border Patrol officers.
Abbott, who was in Florida on Saturday for a campaign fundraiser, has made immigration and crime central tenets of his campaign, particularly since his locally popular busing of migrants to Democratic-run communities has garnered national notice.
Although Abbott was not present, Trump referred to him as a “great man” and attacked his Democratic opponent Beto O’Rourke for opposing “God, guns, and oil.”