New York’s Collect Pond Park was awash with Trump T-shirts and Make America Great Again hats on Monday. There was a giant flag waving in the wind, emblazoned with the words “TRUMP 2024: SAVE AMERICA” and another with a photo of Donald Trump.
A jacked-up truck drove around the block playing pro-Trump parody songs while flying a Thin Blue Line flag, a Trump flag and two American flags.
A few blocks away, a separate group of protesters, wearing black shirts with phrases like “Trump lies all the time,” expressed their disdain for the former president’s legal troubles. There was a banner nearby that said “NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.”
Trump’s first day Criminal trial in New York it had all the signs of a 2024 election event that was also part of a historic event taking place in a Manhattan courthouse.
For most of the country, this trial is perhaps the last time they will see Trump in court before the general election. The outcome of this trial could have an impact on the election and how voters view Trump, even though Monday’s crowd had already made up its mind a long time ago.
So I decided to talk to the people present about why they were there. They were all from New York.
Trump fans won’t change their minds
“It’s an illegitimate case,” Steve Merczynski said. “President Trump has done a lot for New York City. I’m a New Yorker and he protects us with a lot of things.”
Merczynski wore a knitted scarf that said “MAGA AGAIN” and “TRUMP 2024.” He told me it’s made by his company, MAGA Networks.
Trump is a hero: Thank you, Donald Trump, for fighting for my right to be involved in a hush money scandal
It’s not common to see Trump supporters hanging out in New York, where I live, but those who showed up on Monday said they wanted to express their support.
“They’re scared because he’s going to win,” Bijaya Acsalia said of Trump haters. “That’s the reason why there are all these lawsuits.”
Trump Haters Will Never See Him Any Differently
A block away, an anti-Trump group called Stand up and resist held a press conference.
“This symbolizes what Trump does all the time,” said Jackie Rudin, one of the anti-Trump protesters. “He uses the laws for his own good. What we are finding is that our judicial system – everything that guides and creates our statutes – is not sufficient to deal with someone like Donald Trump.”
Another woman told me that several of the Rise and Resist protesters were involved in the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, a grassroots organization known for its direct action at the height of the AIDS epidemic. Equal to Actthe Rise and Resist crowd is focused on non-violent action.
“Even though this isn’t a major case, it’s important because this is when he was running,” Debra O’Brien said. “This was the beginning of his first lie.”
O’Brien held a sign that read: “This isn’t about sex (that’s Melania’s problem). It’s about fraud.”
Trump’s judgment is upon us. What will it take to convince Republicans that he is not fit for office?
How much does all this matter to the rest of us?
The dueling scenes took place without much fanfare, except for occasional counter-protesters trying to agitate both sides.
It’s the kind of scene that has flooded the country’s political discourse for a decade – Trump supporters and Trump haters stand next to each other, shout about what they believe in, and then go home or log off on social media. .
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The crowds outside the courthouse on Monday were relatively small. Only the most dedicated from both sides were in New York to express their feelings about Trump. For everyone else, life in New York continued as normal.
For much of America, Trump’s legal battle is just another harbinger of a busy election year. So I wonder if the rest of the country is paying attention to this trial and what comes next in the same way that the people I met on Monday are paying attention. Probably not.
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This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: Trump’s hush money trial is underway. MAGA doesn’t care. Somebody?
