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Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene joined former President Donald Trump’s supporters as they protested his arraignment in New York before he arrived at criminal court on Tuesday, April 4. Trump supporters gathered outside of the courthouse to object to his indictment for an alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. Ahead of Trump’s arrival, the Georgia representative was seen outside the courthouse, speaking into a megaphone as Trump supporters gathered around her.
In the lead-up to Trump’s arraignment, Greene announced that she would be going to New York to show support to the former president. “Under our constitutional rights, we WILL support President Trump and protest the tyrants,” she tweeted on Friday.
On social media, Greene complained about counter-protesters being loud and accused them of committing assault. “I’m here in NY to protest with my voice against the weaponization of the justice system on innocent President Trump, but the counter protestors are coming to commit assault that can cause audible damage to everyone’s ears including NYPD,” she wrote. “If counter protestors are violating freedom of speech and committing assault, they should be arrested.”
Ahead of the arraignment, Mayor Eric Adams warned protesters against getting out of hand, while also naming Greene specifically. “While there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, a message is clear and simple: control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger,” he said in a press conference. “We will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind, and if one is caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested and held accountable. No matter who you are.”
NYC Mayor Eric Adams told Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to “be on your best behavior” while visiting the city during a press conference on security measures ahead of Donald Trump’s expected arraignment Tuesday.https://t.co/gQj2QxYACt pic.twitter.com/XomzrB3XjP
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 3, 2023
During her speech into a megaphone, Greene responded to Adams, with accusations against counter-protesters. “As you can see, I’m standing here peacefully protesting, but you called me out by name. While you allow crime in your streets, and you send your henchman to assault against people by making loud noises, assault against police officers who are doing their jobs trying to keep things civil, trying to keep things peace, trying to prevent violence,” she said.
Trump was indicted on Thursday, March 30. When Trump, who is also running for president in 2024, announced that he was expecting to be arrested following news from an alleged “illegal leak,” he called on his supporters to “take our nation back” on his Truth Social platform. Following his claims that he would be arrested, he seemed to try to drum up demonstrations from his supporters. “We just can’t allow this anymore. They’re killing our nation as we sit back and watch,” he wrote in all-caps. “We must save America. Protest, Protest, Protest!”
Shortly before his arraignment, Trump suggested that the trial was going to be held in a “very unfair venue” and suggested moving to Staten Island, a more conservative borough. He also called out the judge overseeing the trial on his Truth Social platform. “The highly partisan judge and his family are well known Trump haters,” he wrote in all caps.
Trump was not arrested when he was expected to be, but a small protest was organized in New York City, following his announcement that he would be arrested on March 21. The former president wasn’t arrested on that day, and his indictment wasn’t announced until after a week later.
This is far from the first time that Trump has riled up his supporters to protest. When he addressed the crowd during a “Stop The Steal” rally on January 6, he called on his supporters to march to Congress. After his speech, the protest progressed into a violent attack on the United States Capitol. “We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore,” he said in part during his speech.
Following the attack on the Capitol, the House Select Committee investigating January 6 has held multiple hearings to show how Trump was responsible for the attack by spreading lies about the 2020 election and not acting fast enough to deter insurrectionists to stop. The committee has since recommended four criminal charges against Trump to the Justice Department. The bipartisan committee referred him for obstructing an official proceeding, attempting to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to make false statements, and insurrection.
In the two years since the 2021 attack on the Capitol, many people on both sides of the aisle have called out Trump for his actions on January 6, including former Vice President Mike Pence, who was targeted by some of the insurrectionists raiding the Capitol. He recalled being angered after seeing one of Trump’s tweets placing blame on him in a November 2022 interview with ABC. “It angered me, but I turned to my daughter who was standing nearby, and I said, ‘It doesn’t take courage to break the law. It takes courage to uphold the law,’” he said. The president’s words were reckless. It’s clear he decided to be part of the problem.”
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