Alex Brandon/AP Photo
- Trump arrived at his golf club in Doral, just outside downtown Miami, on Monday.
- Supporters gathered to express their outrage about the federal indictment.
- Some anti-Trump protesters were also on the scene holding a sign that read, "Lock him up."
DORAL, Florida — Former President Donald Trump flashed a thumbs up as he arrived at Trump National Doral on Monday, roughly 24 hours before he was set to appear in federal court.
The former president arrived with his motorcade as he prepared to hear his charges Tuesday in the Miami federal courthouse, located roughly 20 minutes from his golf club and resort. Trump is facing a 37-count federal indictment over classified material he kept after leaving the White House.
Roughly 40 Trump supporters gathered on a thin strip of sidewalk outside the Doral property to catch a glimpse of their political hero, telling Insider they believed him to be innocent. Thousands are expected in downtown Miami on Tuesday.
For now, Trump is huddling with his legal team as he prepares to plead "not guilty."
Scroll through to see scenes from outside Trump's property.
Kimberly Leonard
The pro-Trump demonstrators who gathered outside Doral maintained that the former president was innocent and said they were convinced he'd be reelected president. They supported the possibility that he might pardon himself.
Throughout the time they gathered, they chanted "Trump is innocent" and "Lock Biden up." People got word that Trump was set to arrive when they saw on social media that his plane had landed at Miami International Airport — in from Bedminster, New Jersey, where he spends the summer months.
Kimberly Leonard
Much of the Washington, DC, press corps descended on South Florida to cover the first-ever indictment of a former president. Among them were NBC, the Associated Press, and the Washington Post.
Numerous foreign press and local affiliates were also on the ground.
Kimberly Leonard
Keith, who declined to share his last name, told Insider he "felt like I had to be here."
Though he'd never attended such a rally before, the indictment announced on Thursday and detailed on Friday motivated him to drive down to show his support. It was preferable to "yelling at my TV," he said.
"When you get upset you need to take a step in the right direction," he said, wearing a hat that read, "We the people are pissed off."
Kimberly Leonard
Those who came to support Trump in Miami's sweltering heat are among his most loyal base.
But polling also shows that Republican voters who simply cast a ballot for Trump twice aren't changing his opinion of him just because of the federal indictment. Instead, he still remains the favorite to win the Republican nomination.
Kimberly Leonard
Downtown Miami is reportedly expecting a huge influx of both pro- and anti-Trump demonstrators on Tuesday.
Republican Mayor Vincent Suarez — who is also expected to enter the presidential race this week — stressed that they'd be amping up safety measures.
"We want to make sure that all of our citizens know that they're going to be able to express their First Amendment rights, and at the same time, we're going to keep them safe, and we're going to make sure that there is no disorder," Suarez said in a press conference Monday.
Kimberly Leonard
Patrick Decker, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, warned of a militia breaking out if Trump were to eventually become convicted. "God help us all," he said, adding that the actions would "light a match in the US."
Pressed to describe what meant about it, he said supporters would "stand our ground." He further elaborated that "January 6th is gonna look like a playground" in a video.
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"What goes around comes around," the protestor told Insider, without giving his name.
He wore a prison costume that included a plastic ball and chain and held a sign that read, "Lock him up" — in a nod to a chant that Trump supporters often sing at rallies about former US Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Kimberly Leonard/Insider
At one point, before Trump arrived, demonstrators began surrounding one anti-Trump protestor in the middle of the road.
"He's got a gun!" one protestor told police, who immediately arrived on the scene and broke up the group.
Police asked the man, Xavier Presley of Miami Beach, to go to the end of the road to hold his sign. Presley told Insider he never had a gun.
"They'll do anything to make you look bad," he said, explaining that he'd often come to protest Trump outside Doral but had never faced firearm accusations before.
"I've been doing this a long time," he said. "I'm just having fun."
from Business Insider https://ift.tt/YXc6fJS
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