President Donald Trump is speaking at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s convention in Austin on Sunday. That means people driving downtown will likely experience delays.
Austin Police Department said it couldn’t release details of Trump’s route through Austin due to safety concerns, but here is what we know so far.The AFBF conference is taking place Friday through Wednesday at the Austin Convention Center. Trump will be delivering remarks at 5 p.m. on Sunday in Exhibit Halls 2-3 of the Convention Center, AFBF announced this morning.
If Air Force One lands at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and the president’s motorcade then travels to the Convention Center, highways like 71, I-35 and 183 could see closures or congestion. Roads around ABIA and the convention center could be hectic as well.
APD usually posts road closures and updates on Twitter, so keep an eye out if you plan on heading downtown.
Why Is Trump Visiting?
Trump is addressing farmers and ranchers at the convention for the third year in a row. Each year, AFBF holds a convention and trade show somewhere in the U.S. The organization chose Austin for its 101st.
Expect Protests
Trump’s previous visits to Austin spurred protests, and this one likely will as well. Organizers have created Facebook events to spread the word.
Indivisible Austin, which organized protests during Trump’s visit in November, posted on its website that this time, the organization is “choosing instead to focus on local organizing,” but it “will support any individuals or groups who feel called to organize a protest of Trump’s visit.”
Past Visits
Trump last visited Austin in November to tour an Apple manufacturing plant. Before that, he stopped in Austin in 2017 to meet with state officials following Hurricane Harvey. And as a presidential candidate, he visited Austin in 2016, during which he taped a town hall event at ACL Live at the Moody Theater and held a rally at the Travis County Expo Center.
This story has been updated.
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