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A2 US NEWS
Monday 16 SepteMber 2024

A ‘Trump Train’ convoy surrounded a Biden-Harris bus. Was it political

violence?

By NADIA LATHAN them in for more than an against the Democrats
Associated Press/Report for hour on a Texas highway on the bus and that their
America days before the 2020 actions are protected
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — election. speech.
A Texas jury will soon The trial, which began on Here’s what else to know:
decide whether a convoy Sept. 9, resumes Monday What happened on Oct.
of supporters of then- and is expected to last 30, 2020?
President Donald Trump another week. Dozens of cars and trucks
violently intimidated former Attorneys for the plaintiffs organized by a local Trump
Democratic lawmaker argued that six of the Train group swarmed the
Wendy Davis and two Trump Train drivers violated bus on its way from San
others on a Biden-Harris state and federal law. Antonio to Austin. It was the
campaign bus when a so- Lawyers for the defendants last day of early voting in
called “Trump Train” boxed said they did not conspire Texas for the 2020 general

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe
Biden and Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala
Harris, D-Calif., ride on a bus in Phoenix, Oct. 8, 2020, on a small
business bus tour.
Associated Press
election, and the bus was In the days leading up to
scheduled to make a stop the event, Democrats were
in San Marcos for an event also intimidated, harassed
at Texas State University. and received death
Video recorded by Davis threats, the lawsuit said.
shows pickup trucks “I feel like they were
with large Trump flags enjoying making us
aggressively slowing down afraid,” Davis testified. “It’s
and boxing in the bus traumatic for all of us to
as it tried to move away revisit that day.”
from the Trump Train. One What’s the plaintiffs’
defendant hit a campaign argument?
volunteer’s car while the In opening statements, an
trucks occupied all lanes of attorney for the plaintiffs
traffic, slowing the bus and said convoy organizers
everyone around it to a 15 targeted the bus in a
mph crawl. calculated attack to
Those on the bus — intimidate the Democrats
including Davis, a in violation of the “Ku Klux
campaign staffer and the Klan Act,” an 1871 federal
driver — repeatedly called law that bans political
911 asking for help and a violence and intimidation.
police escort through San “We’re here because of
Marcos, but when no law actions that put people’s
enforcement arrived, the lives in danger,” said
campaign canceled the Samuel Hall, an attorney
event and pushed forward with the law firm Willkie Farr
to Austin. & Gallagher. The plaintiffs,
San Marcos settled a he said, were “literally
separate lawsuit filed by driven out of town by a
the same three Democrats swarm of trucks.”
against the police, The six Trump Train drivers
agreeing to pay $175,000 succeeded in making
and mandate political the campaign cancel its
violence training for law remaining events in Texas
enforcement. in a war they believed was
Davis testified that she “between good and evil,”
felt she was being “taken Hall said.q
hostage” and has sought
treatment for anxiety.