Former US President Donald Trump appears in court for his arraignment on charges of falsifying business records. Photo / AP
Former US President Donald Trump appears in court for his arraignment on charges of falsifying business records. Photo / AP
OPINION
Donald Trump wanted a circus surrounding his arrest, and a circus was what he got.
For days, even the never-ending noise of New York was drowned out by helicopters whirring above, keeping an eye on the former US president, while a forest of barricades sprang up along Fifth Ave near Trump Tower and downtown around the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse.
Inside that court, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide affairs with a former porn actor.
If he looked out of the window of the austere courthouse, where his fingerprints were taken, he might have been cheered by the preponderance of flags and red MAGA hats.
He may have seen a banner that bellowed “Trump or die” or a flag that had an image of him atop a tank brandishing a gun.
But the brutal truth for Trump, during his 24-hour New York adventure, is that, despite his all-caps pleas online, not many of his supporters came out to barrack for their man.
If you’d moved just a single block from the court, you’d be hard-pressed to know a protest was occurring at all. Of the perhaps 100 Trump loyalists outside the court, many had left before he even exited the building.
Trump may fancy himself as the shoo-in for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, maybe even for the White House itself. But even his most ardent supporters, when pressed, seemed almost ambivalent.
“I do like DeSantis,” Pam Roehl, decked out in Trump memorabilia, told news.com.au outside Trump Tower.
She was referring to Ron DeSantis, the firebrand Florida governor whose war on “woke” has enthused Republican voters tired of the Trump drama.
“I don’t like to be entirely focused on one person. It’s good to listen to other people too. But I’ll always support the conservative candidate.”
That level-headed lack of blind passion is likely not what Trump wanted to muster when, two weeks ago, he urged his supporters to “PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK,” through a post on his Truth Social network.
Another post implored people to “SAVE AMERICA! PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!”
Last week he said any attempt to charge him could lead to “potential death and destruction”.
Trump fan and New Yorker Alan had brought his dog, named Anarchy, to Trump Tower. But Anarchy, a small white shaggy-haired pooch, seemed more interested in snoozing than causing death and destruction.
“It’s been peaceful and patriotic. Unless I get punched in the head, then it won’t be so peaceful,” said Alan, who explained he had come out to say, “Welcome home, Mr President.”
He believed, like many on Trump’s side, that the charges are, well, trumped up. A ploy by a New York justice system hijacked by the Democrats to prevent him for running for president.
A group of Trump supporters gather in front of Trump Tower days before his court appearance. Photo / Getty
Loud protesters – but not that many of them
In a park opposite the Manhattan court today, things were testier. New York police had set up a barrier separating large clumps of pro-Trump supporters, mostly wearing red caps and matching T-shirts, from anti-Trump protesters, largely clad in black.
At times, the two foes swore at each other. At others, maybe knackered from shouting, they good-naturedly swapped notes on their various neighbourhoods.
But this barrier was no Berlin Wall. Supporters and protesters ended up at either end.
“Donald Trump is not your friend,” said one, quietly, almost chillingly, to someone in a MAGA hat.
Meanwhile, a military veteran got into an argument with a fan of the former president. “Thank you for your service,” the Trump supporter said. “Now f... off.”
At one point, wildly controversial Republican politician Marjorie Taylor Greene, from Georgia, turned up. The QAnon conspiracy theory-quoting Congresswoman attempted to lead a rally in support of Trump, whom she compared this week to Jesus. But drowned out by jeers and drumming, she left after 10 minutes. It wasn’t the slam-dunk rally success she assumed it would be.
The 100 or so Trump loyalists were equalled by a similar number against Trump. Together they were outnumbered by bemused tourists and journalists.
It was far from an overwhelming display of Trump’s awesome power in pulling a crowd.
For some time, commentators have suggested that Trump’s popularity may well be on the wane; that his glory days are behind him.
They point not just to his defeat at the 2020 election but last year’s midterm elections, where many high-profile candidates hand-picked by Trump failed to get elected and the Republicans scraped only a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.
Protesters gather in Collect Pond Park across the street from the Manhattan district attorney's office. Photo / AP
Yet it’s too early to write off Trump. A recent poll for Newsweek stated 56.2 per cent of Republicans wanted him as the party’s presidential candidate, up from 44 per cent in March.
“Trump will win again. For the third time,” said Alan, dismissing the losses.
“For sure the case will help his re-election campaign,” said Roehl, who had flown in from Chicago to support the billionaire.
“He’s a strong leader but he’s getting a lot of heat, so we’ll see what happens.
“But I do like DeSantis and I’m going to see him talk in Michigan. But it will only help other candidates if they support Trump as well.”
Other analyses paint a weaker picture of Trump. While there is an “Always Trump” faction of the Republican Party, it may not be strong enough to propel him to the White House.
A December poll by Quinnipiac University found 20 per cent of Republicans viewed Trump unfavourably, his lowest figure since March 2016. When it comes to all voters, almost 60 per cent view him unfavourably.
A poll last week found 56 per cent of Americans said the charges against Trump were fair. But 80 per cent of Republicans believed he was in the midst of a “witch hunt”.
Right now, Trump’s future is on a knife edge.
This court case is an opportunity. An opportunity to once again grab the headlines, push his vision of America and rally the Republican Party behind him. But in particular, to demonstrate the length and breadth of his grassroots support.
New York streets lined with thousands of people in MAGA hats cheering on their leader would make any potential rival to the Republican throne think again. That didn’t happen.
If this was Trump’s show of force, if this was his army of supporters galvanised, he may have work to do.
