{"id":7734,"date":"2023-04-04T11:05:51","date_gmt":"2023-04-04T11:05:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petersantilli.com\/?p=7734"},"modified":"2023-04-04T11:05:54","modified_gmt":"2023-04-04T11:05:54","slug":"president-trump-arrives-at-trump-tower-ahead-of-arraignment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petersantilli.com\/?p=7734","title":{"rendered":"President Trump Arrives at Trump Tower Ahead of Arraignment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former President Arrives at Trump Tower Ahead of Arraignment<\/a><\/p>\n

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‘He’s fighting for our country’: supporters rally behind Trump outside his Manhattan home<\/p>\n

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NEW YORK\u2014Former President Donald Trump waved to supporters on April 3 before entering his namesake tower in New York City, where he will spend the night before his arraignment on April 4, when charges from a grand jury indictment will be unsealed.<\/p>\n

Trump walked into the building through a side door on 56th Street, away from the throngs of reporters and dozens of supporters waiting for him at the main entrances. Three black helicopters hovered over the building ahead of his arrival at the 58-story skyscraper, where his motorcade pulled up not long after 4 p.m. local time.<\/p>\n

Stephanie Lu, a Chinese American, was among a small group of Trump supporters who waved U.S. flags and chanted \u201cwe love Trump\u201d as the former president walked by with his son Eric Trump. She said she felt excited for the chance to express her support.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least he saw us waving the flags,\u201d she told The Epoch Times. \u201cWe love him so much, because he\u2019s fighting for our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Epoch<\/a>
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\"Epoch<\/div>\n<\/figcaption>Stephanie Lu outside Trump Tower in New York City on April 3, 2023. Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to be arraigned April 4 at the Manhattan\u00a0Supreme Court following his indictment by a grand jury on March 30, 2023. (Samira Bouaou\/The Epoch Times)<\/figure>\n

Trump faces charges relating to the payment of hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is expected to bring charges alleging that Trump illegally classified the payment in violation of federal campaign finance laws. Trump has denied all wrongdoing in the matter.<\/p>\n

Security has ramped up near the tower and the Manhattan Supreme Court ahead of the April 4 arraignment, with police erecting metal barriers and blocking access to part of the courthouse in lower Manhattan where court proceedings are set to take place.<\/p>\n

During the course of the afternoon, drivers of several black vans passing by beeped their car horns to signal support for Trump, eliciting cheers from the crowd.<\/p>\n

At one point, a driver of a truck shouted obscenities directed at the former president, prompting supporters to shout back \u201cwe love Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul Ingrassia, a member of the New York Young Republican Club who was showing his support outside Trump Tower, dismissed the charges against Trump as \u201cbogus\u201d and said that he hopes his presence could help show that \u201cDonald Trump still has supporters, even in the most liberal part of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Epoch<\/a>
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\"Epoch<\/div>\n<\/figcaption>Police near Trump Tower in New York City on April 3, 2023. Former President Donald Trump is scheduled for an arraignment on April 4 at\u00a0Manhattan Supreme Court following his indictment by a grand jury on March 30, 2023. (Samira Bouaou\/The Epoch Times)<\/figure>\n

Echoing some political analysts,\u00a0Ingrassia believes the indictment is only going to give Trump a boost in the 2024 presidential race, noting that Trump was able to raise $4 million<\/a>\u00a0within 24 hours after the indictment was reported.<\/p>\n

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, has urged people who are planning to travel to the city to protest to exercise control and \u201cbe on your best behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: control yourselves,\u201d Adams said on April 3. \u201cNew York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Karen Lichtbraun, a 62-year-old preschool teacher in New York, rebuffed Adams\u2019s warning, pointing to the rising crime rate in the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy doesn\u2019t he tell the people on the streets who are shooting up our city to behave themselves? We\u2019re not violent, we protest peacefully,\u201d Lichtbraun, another supporter outside Trump\u2019s Manhattan residence, told The Epoch Times. \u201cThe city is going up in flames, and he tells MAGA supporters to behave?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Epoch<\/a>
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\"Epoch<\/div>\n<\/figcaption>Media gather near Trump Tower in New York City on April 3, 2023. Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to be arraigned on April 4 at Manhattan Supreme Court following his indictment by a grand jury on March 30, 2023.(Samira Bouaou\/The Epoch Times)<\/figure>\n

Lichtbraun, who is Jewish, said she was especially appreciative of Trump\u2019s pro-Israel policy during his presidency.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Robert Hoatson was among a handful of counterprotesters waiting near Trump Tower.<\/p>\n

He was toting signs reading \u201cLock him up\u201d and \u201cThrow away the key,\u201d a reference to the \u201cLock her up\u201d chant that Trump helped popularize during the 2016 presidential campaign, which focused on Democrat rival Hillary Clinton\u2019s handling of classified information.<\/p>\n

\"Epochimages-5454505786<\/a>
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\"Epochimages-5454505786<\/div>\n<\/figcaption>Robert Hoatson outside Trump Tower in New York City on April 3, 2023. Former President Donald Trump is scheduled for an arraignment on April 4 at Manhattan Supreme Court following his indictment by a grand jury on March 30, 2023.(Samira Bouaou\/The Epoch Times)<\/figure>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to neutralize him to the point where he can have no part in any determination of American policy ever again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is set to host a pro-Trump rally at a park near the Manhattan courthouse on the morning of April 4; Ingrassia, who is attending, thinks it will have a large turnout.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure many other supporters will be coming out from across not just New York state, but really across the country,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re going to be coming out to rally on behalf of President Trump and show that his base is strong, and we\u2019re behind him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

via www.theepochtimes.com<\/p>\n

April 4, 2023 at 07:00AM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former President Arrives at Trump Tower Ahead of Arraignment ‘He’s fighting for our country’: supporters rally behind Trump outside his Manhattan home NEW YORK\u2014Former President Donald Trump waved to supporters on April 3 before entering his namesake tower in New York City, where he will spend the night before his arraignment on April 4, when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7736,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[278,8,264],"tags":[103],"class_list":["post-7734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-am-headline","category-featured-stories","category-trump","tag-sbn"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/petersantilli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screen-Shot-2023-04-04-at-7.01.03-AM.png?fit=1634%2C968&ssl=1",1634,968,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/petersantilli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screen-Shot-2023-04-04-at-7.01.03-AM.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/petersantilli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screen-Shot-2023-04-04-at-7.01.03-AM.png?fit=300%2C178&ssl=1",300,178,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/petersantilli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screen-Shot-2023-04-04-at-7.01.03-AM.png?fit=768%2C455&ssl=1",768,455,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/petersantilli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screen-Shot-2023-04-04-at-7.01.03-AM.png?fit=1024%2C607&ssl=1",1024,607,true],"rpg_gallery_admin_thumb":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/petersantilli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screen-Shot-2023-04-04-at-7.01.03-AM.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"rpg_gallery_thumb":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/petersantilli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screen-Shot-2023-04-04-at-7.01.03-AM.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/petersantilli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screen-Shot-2023-04-04-at-7.01.03-AM.png?fit=1536%2C910&ssl=1",1536,910,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/petersantilli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screen-Shot-2023-04-04-at-7.01.03-AM.png?fit=1634%2C968&ssl=1",1634,968,true]},"author_info":{"info":["Peter Santilli"]},"category_info":"AM Headline<\/a> Featured Stories<\/a> Trump<\/a>","tag_info":"Trump","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/petersantilli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Screen-Shot-2023-04-04-at-7.01.03-AM.png?fit=1634%2C968&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/plD2r-20K","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/petersantilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/petersantilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/petersantilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petersantilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petersantilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7734"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/petersantilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7737,"href":"https:\/\/petersantilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7734\/revisions\/7737"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petersantilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/petersantilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petersantilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petersantilli.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}