On Saturday night, patriots packed the Montgomery County fairgrounds in Conroe in anticipation of the arrival of former President Donald Trump. 

People from all backgrounds quickly filled the stands bedecked in star-spangled red, white, and blue bunting, reminiscent of the Fourth of July scene in the American western McClintock, as country music blared from the hanging speakers. 

The low rumbling chant of “Let’s go Brandon!” reached its crescendo rapidly, and the voices of thousands left the stands and everyone in them vibrating. 

Announcements from the speakers regularly ramped up the anticipation of the crowd as Trump’s voice came through the speakers welcoming the crowd and, of course, throwing jabs at President Joe Biden. 

Rally speakers included Texas’s own GOP Chairman Matt Rinaldi, State Sen. and land commissioner candidate Dawn Buckingham, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, Attorney General Ken Paxton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Gov. Greg Abbott. 

Rinaldi called the Texas GOP the “bold party of Donald Trump” and championed the conservative victories of the 87th Legislative Session, including constitutional carry and the Heartbeat Act.  

Looking to the future, Rinaldi called for a “red wave in Texas and across the country,” pointing toward the insecure border and critical race theory being taught in public schools.

Buckingham led the crowd in a chant of “Let’s go Brandon!” before calling for Americans to “take our country back” amid the economic and border crisis of the Biden administration. 

Miller hyped the crowd by relaying how he was the first official in the state of Texas to endorse Trump back in 2016, before announcing his endorsement of Trump for 2024.

“It’s a race between patriots and traitors” in 2024, according to Miller. 

Paxton called for the audience to imagine the country as it was a year ago: low inflation, China feared the U.S., the border was under control, and there were no vaccine mandates.

“In 27 months, we already have over 27 lawsuits [against the Biden administration], and we’re [Texas] winning over 90 percent of those lawsuits,” said Paxton. 

Paxton referenced U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland’s FBI task force to track parents who speak at school board meetings and told the crowd, “You can never stop speaking out. You have to be bolder than ever. And as Texans, we can’t stop speaking out. … You have a right to stand up and fight.”

“Texas will be leading the fight against the Biden administration,” Paxton promised.

Patrick referenced Montgomery’s 70 percent vote in favor of Trump in 2020 and called the rally a “Texas-sized crowd.”

“We didn’t have an election [in 2016], we had a revolt,” said Patrick, adding that he expects the same in 2024. 

“Freedom and liberty is only one generation from extinction,” said Patrick, quoting Ronald Reagan. 

Patrick called for the crowd to stand up in 2022 and 2024. 

“It’s gonna be a cold day in hell before the socialists ever take Texas or ever take this country.” 

Abbott promised that President Biden will not take Texans’ guns, will not take Texas oil and gas, and will not defund Texas law enforcement. 

Abbott also touted signing the laws securing constitutional carry and defunding cities in Texas that defund their law enforcement. 

“I am the only governor in the history of the United States that is building a wall on our border,” Abbott told the crowd, explaining that he is using the same materials and contractors as Trump. 

“Let’s go, Trump!” Abbott led the crowd in a chant. 

Before his father took the stage, Donald Trump Jr. rallied the crowd, taking aim at Biden and his administration. 

“Everything is hard when you’re Joe Biden. A rough day at the office is putting on a pair of shoes,” Jr. said, referencing Biden’s public gaffes. “It’s not Joe Biden. It’s the Democrat Party. … It’s their insanity,” claimed Jr. 

“The only thing Joe Biden’s fixed is the election,” said Jr., referencing rising inflation, precarious national security, the continuing “pandemic,” and the weakness displayed to the world by the Biden administration. 

Discussing the rising inflation, empty grocery shelves, and the current U.S. Secretary of Transportation taking two months of paternity leave, Jr. said he’s a progressive guy, but “if you’re the secretary of transportation, you get your ass to work” because people depend on you.

“You have seen what you can have, and you’ve seen it ripped away in 12 months,” said Jr., calling for the crowd to be engaged and engage their neighbors in this fight. 

“We have to turn out in numbers they’ve never seen and say enough is enough,” Jr. said. 

When Trump finally took the stage, he turned attention quickly to the upcoming midterm elections.

“Nine months from now, the people of this state are going to send a resounding message to the Democrats in Washington, D.C., because Texas is never, ever turning blue. That is, unless they rig the elections like they did in other states,” said Trump. 

“We have to save America. There’s never been a time like this.”

Trump called out the Biden administration for rising inflation, soaring gas prices, crumbling supply chains, failing border security, and poor performance on the international stage with Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, China, and North Korea, saying, “Joe Biden’s incompetence is creating a very real risk of World War III.”

Trump also called for Biden to secure the southern border. 

Referencing the rising drug problem, murders, and crime rates in cities across the country, Trump said, “This has to do, really, with immigration.” 

“We’re on the losing end of every single problem.” 

“When Republicans retake Congress, the first thing they should do is to massively increase the number of ICE officers” in order to deal with the amount of illegal aliens in the U.S., according to Trump. “Every day, Biden’s incompetence is putting America at risk.” 

Trump cited his record of strength against nations like Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran without starting a war. Meanwhile, the U.S. seemingly stands on the brink of war with Russia in the Ukraine. 

“Americans were not going to be played for suckers anymore under the Trump administration” he said. 

Trump also called for kicking Nancy Pelosi out of the House in 2022 and the “Biden crime family” out of the White House in 2024, to much applause from the crowd.

Calling out the many scandals of Hunter Biden, Trump decried the mainstream media for refusing to discuss it. 

Trump told the crowd “it’s time to move on” from the coronavirus and the mandates, calling for Congress to rehire and give full backpay to all of the military members that have been dismissed due to refusing to the vaccine mandate.  

Special mention was also made of the three Houston police officers who were killed in the past week, while Trump thanked all of the men and women in blue. 

Trump’s speech made multiple references to the booming economy under his administration and derided the rising inflation and supply chain issues that have been a hallmark of the Biden administration so far. 

Touting the record of his administration in national security, foreign policy, immigration, and military affairs, Trump derided the Biden administration’s decision to introduce unvetted Afghan refugees into communities across the country. 

But perhaps no issue was felt more strongly among those in attendance than election integrity.

“We must solve one of the most important issues of all: ensuring free, honest, and fair elections,” said Trump. 

“We have to save a country. Our country is dying.” 

Discussing the Democrats’ election bill currently being pushed in the U.S. House, Trump said, “They don’t have a voting rights bill, they have a voting fraud bill.”

“Only American citizens should vote in American elections,” said Trump, championing paper ballots and a singular Election Day rather than an election season. 

Trump’s visit to Conroe on Saturday was part of a continuing string of rallies the former president has held since leaving office last year, amid speculation he will run again in 2024. 

Sydnie Henry

A born and bred Texan, Sydnie serves as the Managing Editor for Texas Scorecard. She graduated from Patrick Henry College with a B.A. in Government and is utilizing her research and writing skills to spread truth to Texans.

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