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Donald Trump’s supporters and opponents made a showing in Manhattan on Tuesday as the former president prepared to answer to34 felony countsin court. He is the first sitting or past president in United States historyto face criminal charges.
Law enforcement braced for the worst ahead of Trump’splanned surrender at the Manhattan District Attorney’s OfficeTuesday afternoon, wary of allowing a repeat of theU.S. Capitol rioton Jan. 6, 2021. Multiple roads were closed and barricades were erected in areas where protests were expected — particularly outside the Manhattan courthouse and Trump Tower, where the former president is staying during his brief New York visit.
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Outside the courthouse, dueling protests ran throughout the morning and into the afternoon, with the pro-indictment crowd seeming to outnumber the MAGA crowd, but both sides having clear representation and engaging in animated conversation.
At one point in the morning, a woman donning a MAGA hat rushed a group holding up a banner that read “Trump lies all the time,” jumping on top of it and attempting to tear it up. The altercation required police intervention.
On Monday, New York City MayorEric Adamswarned anyone who was attending a rally or protest to “control yourselves.”
“While there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger,” Adams told reporters.
“We will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind and if one is caught participating in any act of violence they will be arrested and held accountable, no matter who you are,” he said.
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On March 18, Trump said heexpected to be chargedand called on his supporters to “Protest, take our nation back!” While he had initially called for protests prior to being indicted, he has not since asked for supporters to protest in New York today.
The former president reportedly faces 34 felony counts after he wasindictedfor allegedly paying hush money to adult film starStormy Danielswhile he was the presidential candidate in 2016.
Last Thursday, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict the 76-year-old former president, according toThe New York Times,CNNandABC Newssources.
The charges against Trump are expected to be made public Tuesday afternoon, when he stands before a judge for the arraignment — but the arraignmentwon’t be broadcastacross the nation, as New York prohibits the use of cameras in most courtrooms.
The indictment stems from analleged affairTrump had with adult film star Daniels, rumors of whichsurfaced in 2018, when theWall Street Journalreported that the then-president hadarranged a $130,000 paymentto Daniels a month before the 2016 election so she’d keep quiet about an alleged sexual encounter they’d had years earlier.
While Trump and his longtime lawyerMichael Coheninitially denied the claims of an affair, Cohen later admitted that there was a payment made to the porn star.
Calling it “a private transaction,“Cohen toldThe New York Timesthat he paid Daniels $130,000 out of his own pocket in 2016. He said Trump had not reimbursed him.
Trump has since admitted he authorized the payment, but has continued to deny the underlying claims that the two had an affair or that the payment was in any way connected to his campaign.
source: people.com
