WATCH: The Bizarre Scenes Outside Courthouse After Trump Found Guilty in Hush Money Trial
When I learned that a verdict had been reached in former President Donald Trump’s hush money-election fraud trial, I knew I had to go to the courthouse.
I mean, how often can one witness such a historic moment in person — not only the first criminal trial of a former president in history, but also a seminal moment in the future of presidential politics — given Trump is running again. Fortunately, I live nearby enough that I could bike there in 15 minutes.
I’ve lived in New York City for over 30 years, mostly in Lower Manhattan and nearby Brooklyn, near the Federal Court buildings. I am, as a result, familiar with the freak shows that accompany those buildings. In fact, it’s one of the reasons I love this city so much. What I found when I arrived on Thursday evening was a perfect metaphor for the current state of the day’s political media landscape.
First of all, despite what Trump has suggested, it’s not an armed encampment. I biked right up to the park, locked my steed to a bench, and started walking around and capturing footage.
The park was packed, but there were hardly any protestors there. I’m no good at guestimation games, but I’d say there were maybe a 1,000 people in the park directly across from the courthouse and adjacent to the media row on Centre Street.
What I found was sort of what I expected: a freak show. There was a guy walking around with his pet dog on his shoulders as one does. There was a man I initially mistook as a satirist because of his “Father Teresa” sign, but I later learned was actually a Trump supporter who told me he was sad over the verdict.
Yes, a handful of protestors were very happy with the verdict, but to be honest, they seemed far happier to be getting the camera time from the throngs of media in attendance, eager to give them the attention they craved.
I’d say over half of the people there were media reporters like myself, eager to capture scenes of this historic event. The other half were local observers and tourists keen to witness history in person. I found maybe a half dozen pro-Trump MAGA supporters and maybe twice as many anti-Trump protestors celebrating the verdict.
So, the dynamic at play? Hordes of media reporters captured a few fringe partisans’ angry or celebratory reactions, none of whom appeared to be someone you’d trust with major decisions. And yes, I was among that very horde, evidenced by the footage I shot in the video above.
It’s no different from the vast majority of cable news fare: amplify the voices of the extremes to make them seem normal, when in fact, most normal people were pretty dispassionate about the whole thing and opted not to immediately see this verdict in any sort of horse racing political frame.
Who knows what will come of this entire ordeal? But I can say from my personal experience that I am happy that this chapter is closing and that we can move forward to something else.
Watch above via Youtube.com/Mediaite
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
