Plaintiffs are suing ‘Trump Train’ participants for an undisclosed amount in damages.
AUSTIN, Texas—Attorneys for “Trump Train” supporters being sued in civil court denied accusations that their clients harassed or threatened those aboard the Biden–Harris campaign bus driving on a Texas highway in 2020.
Opening statements in the U.S. Western District courtroom on Sept. 9 detailed allegations that the Trump Train defendants planned “dangerous and illegal” actions to run the campaign bus out of town.
Defense attorneys countered that the case against their clients was nothing more than “lawfare” and an attempt by Democrats to silence the First Amendment rights of Trump supporters and punish their political opponents.
Plaintiff’s attorneys showed the jury video clips of the Trump Train—a caravan of Republican activists displaying flags on their vehicles in support of former President Donald Trump—recorded by Democrats on the bus.
Plaintiffs include Biden campaign staffer David Gins; former Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis, who once ran against Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott; and bus driver Timothy Holloway.
They sued several members of the caravan, claiming that they violated the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 by conspiring to disrupt President Joe Biden’s campaign for president in 2020 and intimidate those on the bus.
“Those driving knew what they were doing was wrong,” plaintiff’s attorney Samuel Hal told the jury.
Videos shared on social media, including some recorded by Trump supporters, show cars and pickup trucks riding alongside the campaign bus as it traveled from San Antonio to Austin on Oct. 30, 2020.
The lawsuit states that Trump supporters boxed in the bus while slowing it down and kept it from exiting the highway. The bus driver allegedly had to make evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision.
Plaintiff’s attorneys introduced social media posts, some laced with profanity, by the defendants in an attempt to show their intent and coordination.
Also, attorneys for the plaintiffs said their clients suffered “mental anguish” and deserved unspecified compensation.
Defendants who remain in the lawsuit include Steve and Randi Ceh, Eliazar Cisneros, Dolores Park, and Joeylynn and Robert Mesaros. Different attorneys represent them.
