‘Enough of That’: Jake Tapper Cuts Away From Trump’s Cheerful Restaurant Visit Post-Arraignment, Turning it ‘Into a Campaign Ad’

Former President Donald Trump stopped at a restaurant on Tuesday following his arraignment at a Miami courthouse on 37 criminal federal charges. Trump pleaded “not guilty” to allegations he violated the Espionage Act by mishandling classified documents, which he tried to retain.

CNN’s Randi Kaye was inside the restaurant and explained to anchor Jake Tapper what she saw. “I am at Versailles, a Cuban restaurant in Little Havana. And there is such a crowd here, the motorcade has just arrived from federal court in Miami. And this was an unannounced visit.”

“That is the crowd cheering,” Kaye said as “USA, USA, USA” could be heard in the background.

“If you could hear me over them. There are just dozens of people here all with their phones all waiting for a glimpse of the former president. This is a very, very popular community restaurant in the Cuban community. It has been here since 1971. This is a place where almost every presidential candidate comes for the last few decades to reap the Cuban vote,” Kaye continued, adding:

These people are very excited. We’re talking to some of them off camera that he may be making a stop here today. And they are in full support of him. They don’t buy the indictment. They don’t believe it…

But the scene here, the entire road is closed off. There are dozens of police and secret service and a lot of very, very passionate supporters.

The crowd in the restaurant also sang Trump happy birthday (his 77th birthday is June 14) and the former president could be seen praying with supporters and taking pictures. Tapper later in the broadcast told “the folks in the control room” that “I don’t need to see any more of that.”

“He’s trying to turn it into a spectacle and into a campaign ad. That is enough of that. We’ve seen it already,” Tapper concluded.

Watch the full clip above via CNN.