Security was tight outside the Wilkie D. Ferguson federal courthouse in Miami Tuesday as demonstrators gathered for former President Donald Trump's historic court appearance.
Hours before Trump was set to answer to 37 felony counts that accuse him of willfully retaining classified records, supporters and detractors had gathered outside the courthouse.
But demonstrators were noticeably few hours before the appearance — far outnumbered by the hundreds of journalists from the U.S. and around the world who had converged on downtown Miami for the historic occasion.
That recalled the scene in New York, where Trump was arraigned in April on a separate criminal case involving hush money he’s accused of paying during the 2016 presidential campaign. Then, there were far more reporters than demonstrators for and against the former president.
TRUMP INDICTMENT
Trump himself had encouraged supporters to join a planned protest Tuesday at the Miami courthouse. By the time he arrived, the crowd had grown bigger, but there were few incidents reported.
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At one point, a small group of pro-Trump supporters and anti-Trump protesters were squabbling in front of the courthouse as they awaited the former president’s appearance. A man with “Trump sucks” spray-painted on his jacket and pants shouted at supporters of the former president as they passed by while a man held a homemade “Free Trump” banner behind others who shouted at him.
Dozens of supporters wrapped themselves in Trump flags or campaign merchandise as they milled about near the courthouse. The scene included what is now a staple of a Trump appearance or rally. People selling T-shirts with Trump's face in a mock mugshot, with large letters reading “NOT GUILTY,” others hawking hats, but also, fitting for Miami, mangoes.
When the motorcade bringing Trump arrived outside the courthouse, a demonstrator wearing a prison outfit who'd been holding a "LOCK HIM UP" sign approached the vehicles but was led away by police.
Dominic Santana, who showed up in the jailhouse uniform complete with handcuffs and a plastic ball and chain, said he "wanted to join the circus.”
Santana came to the U.S. as a child from Cuba and retired in Miami after decades of operating an eatery in the New York area. The 61-year-old considers himself a political independent and says his mother and daughter voted for Trump.
“A fellow New Yorker can spot a rat a mile away,” he said. "Frankly, he should’ve been locked up ages ago.”
Santana was later taken away in handcuffs after approaching the Trump motorcade as it left the courthouse. Jail records show he was booked on charges of resisting officers without violence and obstructing traffic.
Among those who arrived early Tuesday in Miami were father and son Florencio and Kevin Rodriguez, who came to the U.S. 15 years ago as asylum seekers fleeing Cuba. Wearing a shirt bearing the slogan "Jesus is my savior, Trump my president," the younger Rodriguez, Kevin, said it is possible that Trump is guilty of illegally retaining classified documents.
But he questioned the fairness of the proceedings in light of what he said was prosecutors’ lax attitude toward President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. They’ve both been accused of mishandling classified intelligence and not appeared in court, though they also have not faced accusations of intentionally hiding their actions, like Trump has.
"Even if he’s guilty, we will still support him," Rodriguez said, noting the Trump administration’s staunch opposition to Cuba’s government, “We never abandon our amigos — those who love this country and our liberty."
Scenes from Donald Trump's 1st-ever federal arraignment
Jack Kaplan said he drove two hours from Fort Pierce, where the judge assigned to the case is based, to counter the large number of Trump supporters who had already started showing up outside the federal courthouse in Miami.
Toting a copy of the indictment affixed to a clipboard and a sign reading "Trump is Toast," the 68-year-old retired car dealer said he’ll celebrate with a $1,400 bottle of Mouton Rothschild red wine if the former president goes to prison.
"I’ve already get the bottle sitting in my wine cooler," said Kaplan as a Trump supporter carrying a sign reading "Keep America Great" walked by coolly. "I’m going to have a big party."
Madelin Munilla, 67, who came to Miami a child when her parents fled Fidel Castro’s revolution in Cuba, carried a sign with a photo of Biden alongside other leaders such as Castro, comparing the U.S. president with those who had their opposition put in jail.
“This is what they do in Latin America,” she said.
What led to the indictment?
Here's a timeline of the events that led to Trump's history-making indictment:
Republican 2024 presidential primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was among those gathered outside the courthouse to support Trump. Ramaswamy echoed what other high-profile Republicans including Trump rivals like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have said in calling the Trump indictment politicized.
Meanwhile, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, wearing a T-shirt with a police logo, toured the nearby media encampment and said he didn’t expect any disturbances.
“So far, so good,” Suarez said. “It’s still early, but the crowd seems to be under control and everyone respectful and peaceful. Let’s hope it remains that way.”
Suarez is considering a presidential run and has suggested he could make his intentions known during a speech Thursday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.
Authorities had a massive presence at and around the courthouse, with multiple agencies on the ground including Department of Homeland Security Officials.
Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales said his department was ready whether 5,000 or 50,000 people show up on Tuesday.
“Make no mistake about it, we are taking this event extremely serious," Morales said at a news conference Monday. "We know that there is a potential of things taking a turn for the worst but that’s not the Miami way.”
At one point Tuesday morning, police said they responded to a suspicious object that was found not far from the courthouse. Authorities were seen closing off an area with what appeared to be a flat screen TV with an anti-media message on it sitting on a sidewalk.
Police later gave an all-clear for the item.
