The courtroom in New York is unadorned. Linoleum floors, neon lights on the ceiling, wood paneled walls. The gold-colored letters on the wall perhaps exude a little shine. “In God we trust” it says – “In God we trust”.
It’s probably not a place where Donald Trump would normally be. But he is not there voluntarily this Tuesday either. Here an indictment is read out against the ex-president – an unprecedented event in US history.
The dreary courtroom is probably the greatest possible contrast to Trump’s pompous estate in Palm Beach, Florida. There the man, who wants to move back into the White House after the 2024 election, stands on a stage just a few hours after his court date. Heavy chandeliers hang from the stucco ceiling, the walls are decorated with gold. Trump feels more comfortable here in his adopted country – but the day has not passed him by without a trace. A look back.
Trump temporarily in custody
The 76-year-old has been charged in New York – as the first ex-president of the USA. He must appear in court there in person. At his court hearing in south Manhattan, he is temporarily taken into custody and the charges are read out. It’s about hush money payments to a porn star and the 2016 presidential election. The New York prosecutor’s office accuses the Republican of falsifying business documents in 34 cases.
The date is an unparalleled spectacle – even the journey to New York the day before was a media circus. And the day of the indictment is in no way inferior. Everything about this appointment is extraordinary – including Trump’s behavior. The former TV entertainer can’t normally walk past a microphone and leaves no reporter’s question unanswered – in New York he scowls and says nothing. Probably also on the advice of his lawyers.
At around 1 p.m., the ex-president leaves Trump Tower on world-famous Fifth Avenue and gets into a dark SUV. Helicopters with TV cameras fly over the skyscraper, following the convoy. TV commentators are speculating about what might be going on in Trump’s head during the less than half-hour drive. In southern Manhattan, the Republican then disappears into the courthouse without comment. According to media reports, his fingerprints are taken there before he finally enters the vile courtroom on the 15th floor. Dozens of journalists, security forces, court draftsmen and a stenographer are waiting for him.
Beware of riots
A journalist says he has never experienced such an atmosphere in the courtroom. All electronics are forbidden there for the press – only paper and pen are allowed. When Trump finally enters the room with a tense expression, he sits down between his lawyers. It’s getting quiet. The charges are laid open to the once most powerful man in the world. “Are you going to plead guilty or not guilty?” the judge asks him. “Not guilty,” Trump replies in a clear voice. Finally he leaves the court without a word. “Lock him up,” shouted some on the street. “We love Trump,” shout two women.
New York is used to a lot – the metropolis on the east coast of the USA has seen pretty much everything. But Trump’s court date creates a state of emergency in some places. There was great concern about riots. The deadly attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 is burned into the collective memory of the United States. At that time, Trump supporters stormed the US Congress in the capital Washington because they did not want to accept his defeat by Democrat Joe Biden in the presidential election. And this time Trump had again called for protests.
In the end, only a few hundred people come to demonstrate – for and against Trump. It stays peaceful. The radical Trump loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene makes a somewhat bizarre appearance, appearing briefly, giving a speech and railing against the judiciary. After that, she quickly disappears again. While the indictment was still being read, the ranks of the demonstrators on the square in front of the courthouse thinned out. The police make sure that Trump’s opponents and fans remain separated from each other by barriers. And while the world press is standing in front of the court, life just goes on in the metropolis. Just a few steps away, a couple exchanges vows.
Public address in Florida
New York – that was once Trump’s city. This is where he spent most of his life and did his business. Here he announced his first application for the presidential candidacy. But in the meantime the Republican can no longer win a flower pot in large parts of the liberal city. He’s not exactly welcome here. So it’s no wonder that he now lives in the much more conservative Florida. From the New York court, Trump can be driven directly to the airport – from there he takes off in his plane to Palm Beach in the afternoon.
There he holds his first public speech after the indictment has been read out – the hand-picked audience cheers for him. But Trump seems tired, taunts the New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is responsible for the indictment against him. “He should at least resign,” demands Trump. And New York, that was once a great city – but not anymore. He had announced this speech in great detail. Then after about half an hour it’s over. It’s an unusual performance for a man who usually likes to talk for two hours at a time.
But Trump wouldn’t be Trump if he and his team didn’t exploit the prosecution and the fuss about it to the maximum for the election campaign. In the official Trump shop you can already buy a T-shirt with a police photo of the man who is the subject of everything here – one hundred percent cotton. “Not guilty” is written on it. The irony: according to the media, such a photo of him was not taken in New York.
