‘It’s the Most Violent Day So Far’: Tensions Rise Outside Courthouse as Trump Supporters Denounce Robert De Niro

“F— Joe Biden,” a crowd of supporters of President Trump chanted outside Manhattan’s criminal court on Wednesday, competing with hits from decades past and the rabble of a crowd hoping to see a verdict delivered.At Manhattan’s criminal court, supporters of the former president gathered again Wednesday under supervision of police and the cameras of hundreds of news crews documenting the crowd.The main attraction Wednesday morning was a painting by Scott LoBaido, best known for his depictions of the American flag, which depicts a generously illustrated Mr. Trump knocking out a two-time Academy Award-winning actor, Robert De Niro, in a boxing ring.“The painting was previously done,” Mr. LoBaido said, explaining that he had hoped to catch Mr. De Niro at the Biden campaign press conference Tuesday. “I just put a different face on it.”Actor Robert De Niro argues with a Trump supporter after speaking to reporters in support of President Biden across the street from Trump’s criminal trial in New York, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. AP/Seth WenigOn Tuesday, Mr. De Niro, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of a boxer in “Raging Bull,” showed up outside the courthouse as an official surrogate for President Biden and denounced Mr. Trump, saying the former president “could destroy the world” and “absolutely” should go to jail.Mr. LoBaido said he thought that Mr. Trump would “100 percent” beat Mr. De Niro in a boxing match. He added that he supported Mr. Trump because he believes the former president will expose those in the inner circle of the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying of Mr. Trump that “the man is the greatest chess player that ever lived.”“I don’t give a f— about words, they’re just words,” Mr. LoBaido said of Mr. Trump’s incendiary rhetoric. “Obama — very eloquent — spoke beautifully, but didn’t get anything done.”Another supporter of the former president, John McGuigan, claimed to be a “gay gangster” and mocked Mr. De Niro in front of the painting, which was on display for most of the morning. Mr. McGuigan, who was wearing a pin reading “gays for Trump,” said he was a fan of the former president because he had “always” been a big supporter of gay rights.John McGuigan, who calls himself a ‘gay gangster’ says he’s a fan of President Trump who has ‘always’ been a big supporter of gay rights. Russell Payne/The New York SunMr. McGuigan wasn’t concerned with some of the broader Republican positions on gay rights issue, saying, “I’m supporting Donald Trump, I can’t speak for any other candidates.”“In terms of Republicans being against gay rights there are certain RINOs in office right now that I would never consider supporting,” he added.As the day wore on, supporters of Mr. Trump taunted reporters from mainstream outlets such as NBC News, while applauding reporters with far-right news organizations such as Infowars and Real America’s Voice.One woman demonstrating against Mr. Trump, Nadine Seiler, kept her distance from the supporters of Mr. Trump while holding a banner reading, “Trump Criminal Trial. Ms. Seiler said that she had been keeping her distance from the pro-Trump demonstrators, saying she was assaulted at a demonstration earlier in the trial. Trump supporters and opponents argued outside the courthouse. Russell Payne/The New York Sun“Personally, I haven’t been around them since the insurrection,” Mr. Seiler tells the Sun. “They tend to be skittish and think everything is a false flag.”One supporter of Mr. Trump, Decarlo Mohammed, expressed such an opinion to the Sun, saying that supporters of Mr. Trump are hesitant to express violent sentiments because there may be federal agents in their ranks. Mr. Mohammed had been chanting “Trump ‘24 or War” for much of the early afternoon, explaining in an interview, “What I mean by that is not an actual war, like a physical war.”When asked whether he is concerned about political violence, Mr. Mohammed said he wasn’t, adding, “I don’t think January 6 was really a big deal.”Mr. Mohammed says he thinks many supporters of Mr. Trump keep their political beliefs to themselves because they’re afraid of losing their jobs. “A lot of people that are here right now if it wasn’t for being here, you can lose your job for saying you like Trump,” he says. “I’m about peace.”Opponents of President Trump were on hand outside the courthouse on Wednesday, expressing their opinion that Mr. Trump should be incarcerated. Russell Payne/The New York SunAnother counter protester, Payne Daniels, tells the Sun that if Mr. Trump is re-elected, “You can expect all sorts of scenarios.” Mr. Daniels brought a portable public address system with him to make sure he was heard over the crowd.“What’s there to talk about these people are following after a damn felon following after an insurrectionist,” Mr. Daniels tells the Sun. “They’re pretending this is a big political. It’s like a cult following after a man who can do no wrong.”As the afternoon proceeded, tensions in the crowd rose palpably. There were multiple confrontations in which people had to be escorted out of the crowd by police. After a fight at Collect Pond Park Tuesday, police had erected a barrier through the park to create separate areas for pro-Trump and anti-Trump demonstrators, though that didn’t stop a handful of interlopers from crossing over.As of mid-afternoon, some supporters of Mr. Trump began drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon lager. Police either did not notice or decided to look the other way. Trump supporters rally outside the criminal court where President Trump is on trial on May 29, 2024 at New York City. Stephanie Keith/Getty ImagesThe park, at times, was like a pro-Trump barbecue, with supporters trading snacks, complimenting each other’s Trump-themed merchandise, and dancing to songs from “Dancing Queen” to “Try That In A Small Town.”At other times, tensions escalated to the point where police intervention was needed. One woman demonstrating against Mr. Trump, Julie DeLaurier, tells the Sun that she had been out at the protests every day since the trial began and that this was the most violent day so far.“It’s an indication of how stoked by Donald Trump they are,” Mr. DeLaurier says. “Stoked by anger and fear. When a demagogue stokes fear, when a demagogue stokes anger, this is what happens.”Ms. DeLaurier’s friend, Kathleen Zea, had her sign and American flag taken by a supporter of Mr. Trump, before someone grabbed her, resulting in some light lacerations. “As she grabbed me I got surrounded,” Ms. Zea says. “If the police hadn’t been standing there I would’ve been hurt worse. The police were there because they had asked them to leave me alone.”Trump supporters and their opponents spar outside the criminal court where former President Donald Trump is on trial on May 29, 2024 at New York City. Stephanie Keith/Getty ImagesA supporter of Mr. Trump who had grabbed the sign from Ms. Zea, Julia Germanata, tells the Sun, “I’m out here trolling because I’m bored.”Earlier in the afternoon, Ms. Germanata had shouted down a Black counter-protester in the park before following him out, saying, “I’m a white goddess,” while holding up the “OK” hand gesture, a symbol that has in recent years been co-opted by white supremacists.“I’m a supporter of America and I’m voting for Trump,” Mr. Germanata says.One onlooker, Willi Bruce, says that he stopped at the protest in the hopes of finding some common ground between the two sets of protesters.Police had to intervene multiple times as protesters squabbled. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images“I came because I haven’t come to the scene of this crime yet and I was biking through and because it’s a political arena,” Mr. Bruce says. “I like political engagement, that’s why I’m in the city.”Mr. Bruce, who says he plans to vote against Mr. Trump this November, says he found some common ground on topics like the stimulus checks sent out during the pandemic. Yet he said he was also met with people telling him, “You’re a commie, go back to Cuba.”“Where is the engagement?” Mr. Bruce asked. “They’re literally setting us up to fight. We’re in pig pens and we’re heavily policed and heavily media’d.”

‘It’s the Most Violent Day So Far’: Tensions Rise Outside Courthouse as Trump Supporters Denounce Robert De Niro

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