By Kerry Burke, Nicholas Williams, Leonard Greene | New York Daily News
News of Donald Trump’s conviction sparked a celebratory roar across the street from the Manhattan courthouse where the stunning verdict was delivered on Thursday.
“I’m so proud of my fellow New Yorkers,” Sonni Moon told the Daily News. “I never thought this would happen. He’s been unaccountable for so many things.”
“This decision proves that nobody is above the law, including the former president,” added Moon, a Manhattanite who works in health care.
Chants of “lock him up” filled the park after the trial.
“I’m shocked that they found him guilty but people like him will never see the inside of a jail. This whole thing is a political circus,” said Angel Aezquita. “This will boost his base. All publicity is good publicity.
“Donald Trump is going to be alright,” added the 48-year-old Harlem man.
A former lifelong Republic swayed after the 2016 election traveled from Louisiana for the guilty verdict.
“Did I expect guilty on all 34 counts? Yes, I did,” said John Michael Lockhart, 61. “[Trump is] a con artist. Alvin Bragg found charges he thought were a fit and twelve members of the jury found him guilty.
“The evidence was overwhelming,” added Lockhart, an author. “I believe in the rule of law and this was indeed the rule of law.”
A handful of Trump supporters jeered the verdict, which one New Jersey woman described as “rigged” by President Biden — echoing Trump’s baseless words inside the courthouse.
“The charges are manufactured that they’ve pulled from old data and they’re resurrected by the person claiming to be the current president of the United States,” said 57-year-old Mary Logan of Lebanon, N.J. “If [Trump] does not prevail, we will not be a sovereign nation anymore.”
Earlier in the day, protestors clashed outside the courthouse, where a supporter of the former president ripped a sign from a demonstrator’s hand.
“Go to hell, b—-h,” one Trump supporter screeched as chaos erupted across the street from the Lower Manhattan courthouse. “Knocker her down. Get out of, here b—h.”
“Tear those signs up,” added another.
The demonstrator was carrying multiple signs that ended up getting snatched away and ripped apart by angry Trump supporters.
The demonstrator had signs that said “Trump lies all the time” and “Trump is the definition of depravity.”
The demonstrator was soon removed from the park by police.
A man holding up a flag showing LGBT support of Trump said some of the demonstrators got out of line.
“They said some anti-gay s–t and then they were escorted out of here by police and now have the audacity to return, so we are not taking it anymore,” he said. “We are not going to put up with that bulls–t from that side of the fence. If you thought January 6th was bad, wait until we get through with you, Biden.”
Another scuffle between a Trump supporter and a Trump critic broke out a few minutes later.
A man holding a black “F–k Biden” sign got into the face of another demonstrator.
“You’re a loser,” the demonstrator said.
“F–k out of here, you’re a loser!” the Trump supporter shouted back.
Protester Nadine Seiler, 59, came all the way from Maryland to voice her impatience with the jury deliberations.
“Convict Trump already,” her sign stated.
“I do feel there’s a lot of evidence to support the covering up of the general election and hopefully the jurors see that and come to a complete picture,” she told the Daily News. “I’m just hoping for the best that he is convicted and the right outcome happens.”
Lily Kui, a Trump supporter from Delaware, couldn’t disagree more.
“This is the second time I’m in New York,” she said. “They’re making up stories. We people here love Trump.”
A supporter in a Make America Great Again hat said the trial is standing in the way of democracy.
“I hope the outcome is for the president to be a free man and to be a better America and a better world, better society for the younger generation,” he said.
“We have to have a country of morals and laws and dignity and respect and if we are a country and we don’t have that stuff we are going to fail.”
