Meet the Trump supporters protesting his impeachment

Supporters of former President Donald Trump protested his impeachment in New York City on Monday, just a day before he is due to be indicted in Manhattan.

A Manhattan grand jury last week voted to indict Trump over an alleged silence payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign in connection with an alleged affair. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels and has maintained his innocence in the case, accusing prosecutors of involvement in a politically motivated “witch hunt.”

Trump’s constituency, which has enthusiastically supported him through legal troubles and political scandals, rallied around the former president at a protest in Manhattan Monday afternoon, offering him a show of support as he arrived in New York City for the impeachment.

Several of these Trump supporters shared news week their reasons for protesting the charges.

Stephanie Lu, a Queens resident, said she came out to protest because she believes the charges are a sign the country is losing its “law and order” and that District Attorney Bragg is “abusing his power” . She said she believes the probe is aimed at harming Trump’s 2024 presidential bid.

“They want to stop him from walking because he knows they are corrupt on both sides. Trump is the one who tried to save this country,” Lu said. “He doesn’t have to. Do you know that? He’s a billionaire. He could have a better life without being president. Why did he choose to do this? Because he knows that this land was stolen and sold by both parties.”

Lu moved to the United States from China more than 20 years ago. She was largely apolitical in recent years but was motivated to become more politically active after Trump was first elected in 2016 as she supported Trump’s policies on border security and the economy, she said.

Lu attended other protests to support Trump after news of his impeachment broke last Thursday, she said.

“I woke up later than other people,” she said. “I wasn’t interested in politics at all. I’ve seen that no matter who’s in control, who gets elected president, they’re not going to do good things.”

Lu’s experiences as an immigrant from a communist country shaped her support for Trump, she said.

“I came here from China 20 years ago. We know very well what communist is, and now the democrats are doing what communists are doing,” she said.

Like Lu, Alan Gottlieb voted for Trump for the first time in the 2020 presidential election, he said news week. He said he saw politics “like an ongoing soap opera” but only felt compelled to vote because of Trump.

Gottlieb also sees the prosecutor’s treatment of Trump as unfair. He particularly criticized reports that Trump could be placed under a gag order that would limit his ability to speak publicly about the investigation.

Trump has frequently posted about the investigation on his social media platform Truth Social. Republicans have outraged the possibility, although legal experts note these orders are common in criminal cases.

“So we can arrest you for 34 things 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 expression? They can’t talk about it or are you going to jail?”

Another protester, Queens’ Aura Moody, narrated news week She protested to show her support for Trump, whom she called “the best president in the world.” [her] lifetime.” She said she plans to return on Tuesday to protest the charges.

“Stop this nonsense. He hasn’t committed any crimes. People who commit crimes will be released,” she said.

While Trump supporters say he is being treated unfairly in the justice system, Trump critics have backed 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 ramifications. Critics say Trump’s status as a former president shouldn’t affect legal matters and downplay allegations that the Manhattan probe was politically motivated.

Trump flew into Manhattan Monday afternoon from his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, ahead of the expected indictment, which is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. ET Tuesday and will make history as Trump becomes the first president to be indicted by a felon will investigation.

Monday’s protests were peaceful, but New York authorities have spent weeks preparing for possible violence after Trump called for protests against the charges last month. New York City Mayor Eric Adams urged all protesters to show their best behavior Monday.

“Our message is clear and simple,” he said during a press conference. “Control yourself.”