WACO, Texas Thousands of Donald Trump s most devoted fans gathered for a rally at Waco Regional Airport Saturday, hoping to lift the scandal-plagued and increasingly isolated candidate back to the top of the Republican Party and into the presidency.

Its a favorable location to launch what Trumps campaign calls the first official rally of the former presidents third White House bid.

Back in the 2020 election, he trounced Democratic rival Joe Biden by more than 23 percentage points in McLennan County, which includes Waco. And the symbolism of appearing in the city, the site of the federal governments 1993 siege on the gun-hoarding Branch Davidian religious group that left scores of people dead, jibes with Trumps fierce anti-establishment streak.

And with Trump facing the looming possibility of indictment in New York and prominent Republicans keeping their distance, the Texas event gives Trump a chance to fall back on what he does best: Bringing massive throngs of fans together in a political show of force that few can match.

The former president rode Trump Force One, the Trump Organizations Boeing 757, from the landing strip to the rallys stage, walking along a red carpet toward the podium as God Bless the USA blared from the speakers.