In October 2020, a Trump supporter group surrounded a Biden-Harris campaign bus.
According to an amended federal lawsuit, Democratic staffers claim that the City of San Marcos refused a police escort.
The lawsuit also claims that Democratic staffers were called a "slur" by city officials.
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A convoy of flag-flying vehicles supported then-President Donald Trump and surrounded a Biden Harris campaign bus on a Texas road four days before the 2020 presidential elections.
Staffers of the then-Democratic vice-presidential and presidential candidates Joe Biden, Kamala Harris had to cancel all remaining Texas campaign stops due to the "Trump Train" incident. According to an amended federal lawsuit the incident caused "ongoing psychological, emotional injury."
Dr. Dr. Eric Cervini (@ericcervini), October 31, 2020
According to the amended lawsuit, the City of San Marcos did not send a police escort. According to 911 audio recordings and texts obtained by the plaintiffs, they instead called Democratic staffers a variant of the R-word, and mocked them privately, according to the text and the 911 audio recordings.
Officials also laughed at a campaign worker's "hard breathing." According to a transcript of a conversation between Matthew Daenzer, San Marcos police corporal Matthew Daenzer and a New Braunfels dispatcher, the lawsuit states that they told them they should "drive defensively" or "leave train," according to the suit.
Plaintiffs claim that the defendant failed to protect them. Plaintiffs claim that the defendant failed to protect them under the Ku Klux Klan Act (1871), which prohibits groups "conspiring against obstructing free and fair federal elections through intimidating and injuring voter and denying them their ability to engage in politics speech" and imposes an obligation on Americans to protect victims of political intimidation.
Trump praised the incident in the amended complaint. "I LOVE TEXAS!" The Daily Beast reported that Trump tweeted the video along with a photo of the incident.
The lawsuit claims that defendants deliberately ignored reports of at most forty vehicles joining a vehicular 'Trump Train’ on Interstate 35 ('I-35) for the purpose of intimidating and terrorizing supporters of the Democratic ticket.
"The Trump Train terrorized and pursued the Plaintiffs for at least ninety minute, including the entire stretch of I-35 within the San Marcos city limits. Plaintiffs attempted to seek help. They called 911 repeatedly. They asked for police escorts.
An amended lawsuit was filed by several Democrats including Wendy Davis, a former Texas state senator, and David Gins, a Harris staffer, asking for damages and a trial before a jury.
Chase Stapp is the director of public safety in San Marcos. He also serves as Assistant Police Chief Brandon Winkenwerder and SMPD Corporal Matthew Daenzer.
The incident has not been investigated by the FBI, although no one was charged.
