WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Following the announcement of the indictment of former President Donald Trump on Thursday, a crowd of people swarmed outside of his Mar-a-Lago Club.
Trump was at the club on Thursday evening after the announcement was made, and dozens of his supporters showed up to give their support.
“When I heard what happened, we had to come here. We’re not protesting; we’re supporting Donald J. Trump,” said Kathy Clark, a supporter of Trump. “And what they just did in New York, politicizing our legal system, that shouldn’t happen — Democrat, Republican, no matter who it is.”
A few others attended with signs in opposition of Trump and in support of his indictment.
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Palm Beach law enforcement regularly show their presence as drivers enter into Palm Beach, but News 6 reporter Troy Campbell noted that there was an even larger presence following word of the indictment.
A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict Donald Trump on charges involving payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter, the first-ever criminal case against a former U.S. president.
In bringing the charges, the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, is embracing an unusual case that had been investigated by two previous sets of prosecutors, both of whom declined to take the politically explosive step of seeking Trump’s indictment.
The indictment has garnered mixed reactions, with some believing that the indictment is warranted and others denouncing it as a political ploy.
Trump himself provided the following statement following the announcement.
“This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history. From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats - the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country - have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement. You remember it just like I do: Russia, Russia, Russia; the Mueller Hoax; Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine; Impeachment Hoax 1; Impeachment Hoax 2; the illegal and unconstitutional Mar-a-Lago raid; and now this.
“The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘Get Trump,’ but now they’ve done the unthinkable - indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference.
“Never before in our Nation’s history has this been done. The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President, has never happened before. Ever.
“Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who was hand-picked and funded by George Soros, is a disgrace. Rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, he’s doing Joe Biden’s dirty work, ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!
“I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden. The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it. So our Movement, and our Party - united and strong - will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Donald J. Trump
Trump is expected to board his private jet parked at the Palm Beach International Airport on Tuesday to fly to New York and turn himself in.
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