Jury deliberates in Texas ‘Trump Train’ political intimidation case

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas jury began deliberating Friday on whether the so-called “Trump Train” that surrounded a Biden-Harris campaign bus days before the 2020 election in a heated highway encounter of equated to political intimidation.

“This case is not about politics,” Robert Meyer, an attorney representing those on the bus, told the jury. “It’s about safety.”

The two-week civil trial in federal court in Austin included testimony from former Texas Democratic Rep. Wendy Davis, who ran for governor in 2014 and is one of three people aboard the bus who have filed suit against six supporters. of former President Donald Trump.

No criminal charges have been filed against Trump supporters, who argued that their actions during the October 30, 2020 motorcade were protected speech.

Video that Davis recorded from the bus shows vans with large Trump flags slowing to a horn on the bus as it tried to pull away from the group of Trump supporters. One of the defendants rammed the car of a campaign volunteer while the trucks were occupying all lanes of traffic, forcing the bus and everyone around it to crawl at 15 mph.

During closing arguments Friday, Meyer argued that the defendants’ conversations leading up to the convoy about “Operation Block the Bus,” flyering and aggressive driving met the criteria for political intimidation. Jurors also heard several 911 calls from bystanders who feared the convoy was about to cause a collision.

“This was not some kind of peaceful protest,” Meyer said. “The bus swarmed on all sides.”

Attorneys for the defendants argued that they had no intention of harming anyone or setting up a plan to get Democrats to cancel their remaining campaign events in Texas.

“There was no civil assault because there was no intent to hurt anyone,” said attorney Francisco Canseco. Canseco represents Eliazar Cisneros who is accused of hitting the car of a volunteer who was following the bus.

The jury will have to decide whether the defendants entered into an informal agreement to intimidate, harass or injure Democrats on the bus in an effort to suppress their political support for President Joe Biden.

On Friday, comments outside the courtroom became heated between members of the gallery and one woman was escorted out.

Those on the bus — including Davis, a campaign staffer, and the driver — repeatedly called 911, asking for help and a police escort through San Marcos, but when no law enforcement arrived, the campaign canceled the event and drove off. in Austin.

The lawsuit began with plaintiffs’ lawyers saying organizers targeted the bus in a calculated attack to intimidate Democrats, arguing it violated the “Ku Klux Klan Act,” an 1871 federal law that prohibits political violence and intimidation.

The city of San Marcos settled a separate lawsuit filed by the same three Democrats against the police, agreeing to pay $175,000 and enjoin law enforcement on political violence.

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Lathan is a member of the Associated Press Corps/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercover issues.

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