Ahead of Donald Trump’s historic arraignment on Tuesday, the area surrounding New York State Supreme Court had a distinctly circus-like atmosphere.
The entire scene felt more like a Juggalo convention than a coherent political protest, a bizarre miasma of conspiracies and “deep statism” peddled by MAGA-types protesting Trump’s prosecution.
The throng included a significant contingent of reporters and camera crews, counterprotesters picketing the MAGA crowd, and stand-up comedian Mark Normand trolling everyone in a fake police uniform. YouTuber and filmmaker Casey Neistat, who in 2016 sold Beme, a video-sharing app he created, to CNN for a reported $25 million, was on hand with a pole-mounted GoPro camera to cover the “fun,” he said.
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Verbal skirmishes erupted sporadically throughout the morning, and cops occasionally were forced to separate pro- and anti-Trump groups. At one point, an irate Trump suporter grabbed an anti-Trump banner from a group of counterprotesters and tore it to shreds, losing her balance and falling over as she ripped the fabric.
When fabulist Rep. George Santos (R-NY) showed up, he was mobbed by reporters and curious rubberneckers. In response to a reporter’s question, “Why are you here?” Santos said, “Because I can be,” then launched into a vague blather about “Hunter Biden’s laptop.”
Susan Miller, a Trumper wearing a “Let’s Go Brandon” hat and holding a “Fat Alvin and the Commie Kids” sign, told The Daily Beast she was on hand to boost the twice-impeached ex-president as he gets ready to face more than 30 criminal counts of business fraud. Trump is now the first ex-president in U.S. history to be charged with a crime.
“Donald Trump is a good man,” Miller said. “Are you aware that when people had cancer, and they were losing their home, and he saw it on the news, he reached out, found them, paid their mortgage off, paid their chemo treatments? But you guys don’t know that.”
Miller, who said she lives in Manhattan, also claimed the affair between Trump and Stormy Daniels “never happened,” and that star witness Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer who went to federal prison over the payoff, is “a proven liar.” She then railed against “the mainstream media who’s covering up for him.”
In the end, it will be Bragg who pays for Trump’s alleged crime, according to Miller, who called Trump’s prosecution—over a transaction for which one person has already been convicted—“a setup.”
“That guy is going to be disbarred and face charges for lying and leaking documents from the DA’s office, which is illegal,” Miller said.
Bragg’s office has not leaked any documents, and no credible reason has emerged for Bragg to be disbarred. He has said, to the chagrin of a certain segment of the right-wing, that no one, even ex-presidents, are above the law.
Ahead of her arrival at the courthouse, far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene compared the first indicted ex-president in U.S. history to Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela.
“President Trump is joining some of the most incredible people in history, being arrested today,” Greene said in an interview with the Right Side Broadcasting Network’s Brian Glenn, who she also happens to be dating.
When she arrived at Manhattan Supreme Court, where Trump is set to be arraigned at 2:30 p.m., Greene attempted to speak out in support of the disgraced, twice-impeached former leader. However, her words were drowned out by people blowing whistles and shouting—at each other—“U-S-A!” and “Go Back Home!” Prior to her remarks, Greene complained in a tweet that counter-protesters were planning to “commit assault that can cause audible damage to everyone’s ears including NYPD,” and called for them to be arrested.
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams told reporters, “I do understand why she wants to be here, but I’ll be happy when she leaves as soon as possible,” and said people in MAGA gear will be looked at by history similar to those who appeared in Jim Crow-era segregationist photos.
Greene left shortly after trying in vain to be heard, stumbling through a mob of bystanders. (It later emerged that the whistles had reportedly been handed out by a Trump supporter.)
As the Georgia Republican took off, performance artist and NYC protest mainstay Crackhead Barney hovered near Greene’s area, insisting she’s a “real blonde” and that Greene isn’t. Before she was led away by police, Barney shouted, among other variations on the theme, “Donald Trump, come fuck me! Come fuck me, Donald!”
