Supporters of former President Donald Trump protested his indictment in New York City on Monday, just one day before he is set to be arraigned in Manhattan.
A Manhattan grand jury last week voted to indict Trump over a hush payment allegedly made to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign in relation to an alleged affair. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels and has maintained his innocence in the case, accusing prosecutors of engaging in a politically-motivated “witch hunt.”
Trump’s voter base, which has enthusiastically stood by him throughout legal troubles and political scandals, rallied around the former president during a protest in Manhattan Monday afternoon, offering him a show of support as he arrives to New York City for the arraignment.
Several of these Trump supporters shared with Newsweek their reasons for protesting the indictment.
Stephanie Lu, a Queens resident, said she came out to protest because she believes the indictment is a sign that the country is losing its “law and order” and that District Attorney Bragg is “abusing his power.” She said she believes the investigation is aimed at harming Trump’s 2024 presidential run.
“They want to stop him from running because he knows they are corrupt on both aisles. Trump is the one who tried to save this country,” Lu said. “He doesn’t have to do so. You know that? He’s a billionaire. He could live a better life without being a president. Why’d he choose to do this? Because he knows this country was stolen, sold by both parties.”
Lu first moved to the United States more than 20 years prior from China. She was largely apolitical prior to the last few years but became motivated to become more politically active after Trump was first elected in 2016, as she supported Trump’s policies surrounding border security and the economy, she said.
Lu has attended other protests supporting Trump after news of his indictment broke last Thursday, she said.
“I woke up later than other people,” she said. “I was not interested in politics at all. To me, I saw no matter who is in control, who is elected president, they won’t do good things.”
Lu’s experiences as an immigrant from a communist country have shaped her support for Trump, she said.
“I came here 20 years ago from China. We know very well what is communist, and now the Democrats are doing what communists are doing,” she said.
Like Lu, Alan Gottlieb voted for the first time during the 2020 presidential election for Trump, he told Newsweek. He said he watched politics “like a soap opera that was going on” but only felt compelled to vote because of Trump.
Gottlieb also views prosecutors’ treatment of Trump as unfair. He specifically took issue with reports that Trump could be placed under a gag order, which would restrict his ability to publicly speak about the investigation.
Trump has frequently posted to his social media platform Truth Social about the investigation. Republicans have expressed outrage over this possibility, though legal experts note these orders are common in criminal cases.
“So we can arrest you for 34 things that you don’t know about. And then you’re not allowed to talk about it. What happened to the First Amendment? What happened to freedom of speech? You can’t talk about it or you go to jail?”
Another protestor Aura Moody, of Queens, told Newsweek she protested to show support for Trump, who she described as, “the best president in [her] lifetime.” She said she plans to return to protest the arraignment on Tuesday.
“Stop this nonsense. He has not committed any crimes. People who are committing crimes, they are let go free,” she said.
While Trump supporters say he is being treated unfairly in the justice system, Trump critics have supported Bragg’s investigation. They argue that if Trump did indeed violate campaign finance laws by making an illegal payment to Daniels, he should face legal consequences. Critics say Trump’s status as a former president should not affect any legal matters, downplaying accusations that the Manhattan probe was politically motivated.
Trump flew to Manhattan from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida Monday afternoon ahead of the expected arraignment, which is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday and will make history, as Trump is the first president to face charges in a criminal investigation.
Protests on Monday were peaceful, but New York authorities have spent weeks preparing for potential violence after Trump last month called for protests over the indictment. New York City Mayor Eric Adams urged any protesters to be on their “best behavior” on Monday.
“Our message is clear and simple,” he said during a press conference. “Control yourselves.”
The post Meet the Trump Supporters Protesting His Indictment appeared first on Newsweek.
