In advance of former President Donald Trump‘s arraignment in the investigation into his handling of secret papers, protesters thronged the perimeter of a federal court in Miami.
Thousands of Trump supporters and detractors were anticipated to congregate Tuesday surrounding the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. US Courthouse in advance of the former president’s scheduled appearance at 3pm. Hundreds of Trump fans, media personnel, and detractors were present as of early afternoon.
Trump faces 37 felony charges related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents he kept after leaving the White House and took to his Mar-a-Lago home. Thirty-one of the counts relate to secret or top secret classified records. Trump has also been charged with obstructing justice, making false statements, conspiracy and concealment.
Law enforcement officials have erected steel barricades around the courthouse and helicopters flew overhead to monitor the scene.
Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales said they have deployed enough manpower to deal with a crowd from 5,000 to 50,000 people.
‘We are ready, and we’re ready for it to be over and done,’ said Morales.
Cops in riot gear arrived in trucks, the Daily Mail reported.
Trump’s arraignment and trial will unfold in the US District Court in the Southern District of Florida.
The former president will be ‘processed’ in loose custody of the US Marshals instead of ‘arrested’, an official with knowledge on the preparations told CBS News. Trump will not have a mugshot taken, officials said. He will be fingerprinted and have his date of birth, Social Security number and address taken.
Trump is not expected to be handcuffed.
It will mark the first time that the Justice Department has charged a former president with a crime.
Trump will have been charged with a crime twice. In April, he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into a hush payment to a porn star.
The former president told Fox News that he plans to plead not guilty in the classified documents case.
Both Trump and special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the investigation, arrived in Miami on Monday.
The ex-president spent the night at his Trump National Doral resort. After his court appearance, Trump will fly to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he is expected to deliver remarks at 8.15pm.
‘ONE OF THE SADDEST DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY,’ wrote Trump on his Truth Social platform about an hour-and-a-half before his scheduled court appearance. ‘WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE!!!’