PALM BEACH, Fla. — Supporters of former President Donald Trump from Florida and other parts of the country were standing in solidarity outside his Mar-A-Lago home on Tuesday.
“It’s time for the end of the political witch hunts against President Trump,” said Doug Newberry, one of the dozens of Trump supporters in attendance. “We don’t have any other presidents that have had this happen to them. Why is President Trump, the one who helps the people, being persecuted? That’s not right.”
Rose Gagnon moved to Florida from New Hampshire five months ago. Tuesday, she had her flag in hand and said she believes defending President Trump from a possible arrest is the right thing to do.
“If it happens, it’s going to be the worst thing ever,” states Gagnon.
Some, even on the other side of the political aisle, said a possible indictment against Trump is helping him by having supporters feel sympathy for him.
Republican Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire shared his thoughts on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday.
“I just think that not just the media but a lot of the Democrats have misplayed this by building sympathy for the former president, and it does drastically change the paradigm as we go into the '24 election.”
However, there are others, like Illinois Democratic Representative Mike Quigley, who believe this indictment is justified based on the president’s history.
“I voted to impeach President Trump because he incited an insurrection that almost brought our country down," Representative Quigley said. "And now he possibly could get indicted for something so seemly and messy.”
He continued, “Maybe that's appropriate. Maybe that speaks more of the man. He's never been held accountable and maybe it's finally something like this that catches up to him.”
Yet steps from the former president’s home on Tuesday, supporters like 83-year-old Nancy Sparks believe this pandemonium surrounding the possibility of Trump behind bars may work in his favor.
“It’s all just politics,” shared Sparks. “What they are trying to do is railroad him like they tried before. It ain’t going to make it. It’s going to backfire and he’s going to be President, 2024.”
