'Trump Train' trial: Bus driver claims he felt 'attacked' during interstate collision

On Wednesday, a Biden-Harris campaign bus driver testified that he felt threatened when his bus was surrounded by a group of former President Trump supporters on a busy Texas highway prior to the 2020 presidential election.

On the third day of the "Trump train trial," bus driver Timothy Holloway stated that he felt threatened when numerous vehicles displaying large Trump flags surrounded the bus on Interstate 35 while it was en route to a campaign event.

"According to the San Antonio Express-News, Holloway, with tears in his eyes, stated to the seven-person jury that he was both the captain of the ship and the pilot of the plane. He expressed confusion about the actions being taken against him."

Holloway stated that he experienced a tightening sensation in his stomach and damp hands while attempting to remain composed during the Oct. 30, 2020, event. He explained that the "Trump Train" drivers compelled him to reduce his speed to as low as 5 or 10 miles per hour.

Six Trump supporters who were part of the convoy that day are being sued by Holloway, along with former Democratic Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis, a campaign volunteer and a staffer, for political intimidation in a federal civil case that began on Monday.

The defendants are accused of committing assault and employing political intimidation tactics, which violate both state law and the federal Enforcement Act of 1871, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act. This law was enacted by Congress during the Reconstruction Era to safeguard the voting rights of Black men by prohibiting political violence.

The lawsuit, filed in 2021, seeks punitive and compensatory damages.

The group of defendants, including Steve Ceh, Randi Ceh, Robert Mesaros, Joeylynn Mesaros, Eliazar Cisneros, and Dolores Park, claims that they were merely expressing their support for Trump in a loud manner, according to their attorney.

The defendants claim that a campaign staff member in a white SUV caused the collision with a "Trump Train" pickup truck and a Biden campaign SUV while following a bus on Interstate 35. The plaintiffs allege that the group attempted to run the bus off the road and that a video shows the SUV driving recklessly in between lanes leading up to the collision.

The argument of the plaintiffs is that some individuals in the convoy believed Kamala Harris, who was running for vice president at the time, might have been on board, despite her absence.

On Wednesday, Holloway testified that he experienced an "eerie feeling" when he saw the Trump supporters' vehicles lined up along the interstate near New Braunfels. He stated that the "Trump Train" drivers caused several near-collisions and forced him to repeatedly swerve to avoid crashing. If he had tried to navigate the bus through the group of vehicles, it might have resulted in fatalities.

"I can't outrun these cars," Holloway remarked. "You must follow the lead of the car in front of you."

Erin Mersino, a defense attorney, questioned Holloway about why he didn't stop at a police station if he felt threatened. Holloway responded that there are often stoplights on the frontage roads near the highway, where the "Trump Train" drivers might have surrounded the stopped bus, as reported.

Halloway could have run the lights if he were truly afraid for his life, as Mersino suggested.

On Wednesday, Theron Bowman, a former police official who is working as a paid expert witness for the plaintiffs' attorneys, testified that the "Trump Train" drivers posed a "serious threat" to traffic safety and that their actions appeared "very coordinated," according to the San Antonio Express-News.

Robert Mesaros pulled in front of the bus to stop on the shoulder, and Bowman observed that the drivers were working together to encircle the bus.

Mesaros' lawyer contended that his client had stopped on the shoulder because of damage to a Texas flag on his truck and only moved in front of the bus after Holloway honked the horn, believing it to be a signal to proceed and pull over.

Holloway honked his horn repeatedly, signaling Bowman to move out of the way.

Bowman stated in the San Antonio Express-News that the option he chose was likely the least safe one available at that time.

Trump Train drivers were seen braking in front of the bus in the video, as stated by Bowman.

Dolores Park, one of the defendants, was filmed in a cell phone video where she can be heard saying that efforts to break up the group are futile because there are too many of them. In the video, she also describes how she could move out of the way in front of a semi-truck to allow more drivers to join the convoy.

On Monday, Davis, who was also on the bus, stated that she felt like she was being "held captive against her will."

According to Davis, who testified, she felt overwhelmed with fear and anxiety on that day, which was unlike any other she encountered while campaigning.

The trial is scheduled to resume Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.