Miami braces for massive protests ahead of Trump’s arraignment

Donald Trump’s plane touched down in Miami on Monday, a day ahead of his court appearance regarding charges of alleged mishandling of national secret documents. His motorcade made its way to a nearby club Trump National Doral, owned by Trump, where he plans to stay overnight. Before departing from New Jersey Monday morning, Trump wrote on his Truth Social mobile app, “I HOPE THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS WATCHING WHAT THE RADICAL LEFT ARE DOING TO AMERICA."

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While entering his golf club in Miami, Trump was greeted by a crowd of his supporters to whom the former president asked, “How are you all doing? Everyone OK?”

Pro-Trump supporters to hold rally

Washington Post reported that several pro-Trump rallies have been planned by Trump’s supporters in Miami on Tuesday, with one being organised outside the federal courthouse. The Post reported that a local chapter of the Proud Boys, referred to as a far-right extremist group in American mainstream media, is behind the rally, triggering fears of violence and disturbance. However, Trump has appealed to his supporters to express their dissatisfaction through peaceful protest.

On the other hand, Miami police have beefed up security arrangements in the courthouse area ahead of Trump’s arraignment. Miami Police Chief Manny Morales said Monday that his force was ready to deal with any protest or rally. “We are prepared. We have experience in handling large demonstrations. This is the city of Miami,” he said, adding that they could deal with crowd sizes from 5,000 to 50,000.

“There is no reason to fear,” he further said.

White House keeping mum on Trump’s indictment

White House officials have chosen to remain silent regarding the second indictment of former President Donald Trump, which accuses him of mishandling national defence documents and attempting to hide them from federal officials following his departure from office.

Watch:Trump's indictment could trigger violence?

During a press briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby refrained from commenting on Trump's indictment.

When asked about the matter, Jean-Pierre stated, "I'm not going to speak directly to the case. What I can say, and you've heard us say this over and over again — this is a President that respects the rule of law."

Media demand greater access to the courtroom

Meanwhile, a coalition of media groups, including CNN, is seeking increased access to the forthcoming historic indictment against Trump by filing a request with a federal court. While federal courts generally do not permit photography inside the courtroom (relying on sketch artists instead) or real-time audio/video access, the media organisations argue that exceptions should be made in this case.

The coalition is specifically requesting the court to grant photo and video access within the courtroom and the surrounding corridor prior to the arraignment. Additionally, they are urging the immediate release of audio recordings of the arraignment as soon as it concludes.

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