WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former president Donald Trump was arraigned on Thursday for the third time since leaving office, this time in the nation’s capital, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol building.
The charges against Trump arose from his alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential Election and stop Congress from counting and certifying electoral votes on January 6, 2021.
The Dallas Express was at the federal courthouse, which was surrounded by both supporters and detractors of the former president, as well as throngs of tourists curious about the historic event.
The entire block was surrounded by onlookers and members of the media, with the exception of the rear of the courthouse, which police had cleared and cordoned off so that Trump could enter the building.
Many supporters wore the familiar red MAGA hats, and some carried banners promoting Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
A man dressed as a Revolutionary soldier with a microphone and speaker setup stood across the street from the courthouse. He gave speeches defending Trump and occasionally debated with people opposed to the former president.
However, Trump supporters appeared to be outnumbered, or at least out-shouted, by a vocal contingent of anti-Trump demonstrators. One woman used a megaphone to taunt the MAGA flag-wavers with expletives. Another group of older women stood on a ledge adjacent to the courthouse, continuously chanting “F*** Donald Trump!”
Photo from the scene of Trump’s arraignment | Image by Andrew Afifian/The Dallas Express
The Dallas Express spoke with Stewart McLeod from Dallas, Texas, who was visiting the capital with his family.
“Total coincidence,” McLeod said of his family’s presence at the courthouse as they passed through on their way from the Capitol to the National Archives building.
When asked for his thoughts on the indictment, McLeod said, “It makes sense. Yeah, I feel this is probably going to come to a head somehow. … it felt like at some point [he] was going to be sitting in front of a court.”
The Dallas Express also interviewed a pro-Trump demonstrator from Boston, Daniel Demoura, who gave his opinion on what the case against Trump is really about.
“We know that President Trump is framed by a left that is attacking him politically. They are trying to frame him throughout his campaign and make him unelectable, ” Demoura said. “And with that, they are also trying to censor our freedom of speech — which they are; it’s their main goal.”
He suggested that the right to peaceful assembly was under siege.
“Trump called us to peacefully protest and they are using his calling for us to protest as if it was something against the Constitution,” Demoura claimed.
Though onlookers and media gathered early to stake out the best vantage point, Trump himself arrived at 3 p.m. with a motorcade and left around 5 p.m. During the arraignment, the former president entered a plea of “not guilty” to the charges in the indictment, as reported by The Dallas Express.Â
