Donald Trump returned to the Big Apple on Monday to appear in civil court, drawing demonstrators on both sides of the aisle — some there to denounce the embattled former president, others there to defend him.
Although the crowds’ numbers paled in comparison to former President Trump’s April court appearance in New York City, those looking to have their voices heard filed both outside of Midtown’s Trump Tower and Lower Manhattan’s federal court.
Trump supporters dwindled in the single digits outside of 60 Centre Street, waving Trump flags and donning “the Donald’s” reelection merchandise as the 45th president scurried into court.
Last month, a Supreme Court judge found Trump liable for inflating asset valuations on financial statements, something the former president railed against, stating, “there was no crime.”
“The crime was against me,” Trump told journalists after entering the court building.
“We have a corrupt district attorney but a corrupt attorney general, and it all comes down from the DOJ,” he added, inferring that he is only being prosecuted due to his bid for the presidency.
Attorney General Letitia James countered this, arguing that Trump illegally tried to enrich himself.
“For years, Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth to enrich himself and cheat the system,” James said. “We won the foundation of our case last week and proved that his purported net worth has long been rooted in incredible fraud. In this country, there are consequences for this type of persistent fraud, and we look forward to demonstrating the full extent of his fraud and illegality during trial.”
In an attempt to showcase their ire over Trump, several protesters briefly blocked the road outside the courthouse, while others stood in the shadow of the supreme building with signs reading “How many lawyers does it take to screw a democracy?”
Other anti-Trump demonstrators dug their feet outside of Trump Tower, the former president’s place of residency while staying in the city. Brandishing a sign simply reading “lies,” protester Bill Christeson told amNewYork Metro that he took to the streets to brand Trump a liar the same way Christeson believes Trump branded Hillary Clinton “crooked Hillary.”
Christeson added that he is hoping to dissuade individuals from once again voting for the republican frontrunner.
“It’s not likely he will be reelected,” Christeson said. “But that’s sort of like saying it’s not likely we’re going to have a nuclear war, or it’s not likely we’re going to have an attack on Japan, but we still stationed troops in Japan to make sure it doesn’t happen.”
Trump is expected to remain in New York throughout the day on Oct. 3.
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