What do Trump supporters think about his conviction? I went to the courthouse to ask.
On Thursday afternoon, Collect Pond Park and surrounding streets were crawling with New Yorkers hoping to catch a glimpse of the first president in history to be convicted of a felony.
Just after 4 p.m. that day, Donald Trump was found guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records and the park came alive.
Like the rest of the country, I wanted to see how this will impact November’s presidential election and if this conviction will change anything. So I decided to visit the park and ask Trump supporters and opponents about where we go from here.
It became clear that many people knew how they’d feel about this verdict before it happened.
The Trump guilty verdict captures 'as big a fish as you can get'
The park was full of people in the aftermath of the verdict being announced. I stood on a park bench blocked off by a barricade to see signs in the sea of bodies hovering near the courthouse. People opposed to Trump gathered to witness history.
One banner with orange and blue paint read, "Trump convicted!" Another is dual-sided: on one, "Trump I don't trust you," on the other was a message of support for trans people. Two of those people were Marcella Silverman, 69, and Foster Maer, 74, both New York civil lawyers.
“I’m elated to see that this was equal justice for all, and I’m elated that a man who I’ve long thought was a crook and a wrongdoer has suffered consequences in this instance,” Silverman told me. She was wearing the first pink pussyhat I’d seen in years – a relic of the earliest days of Trump’s presidency.
“It’s great to see when the system works,” Maer said. “It does sometimes, and sometimes it doesn’t. He’s as big a fish as you can get, and it looks like he’s been got.”
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Nearby, members of Rise and Resist chanted “No one is above the law, Trump is not above the law.” Founded in 2016, the group has been outside the courts on multiple days of the trial.
“Most of us are older,” said member Jamie Bauer, 65, of New York City. “We know Trump from the '80s, and he’s been a despicable, racist, nasty character the entire time. So we’re just happy it finally caught up with him.”
It seems that their views on his guilt were solidified long before the trial. While I share the sentiments of the people I spoke with, I was unsure how the verdict would go. For a case of this magnitude, I knew the jurors would be looking at the law and the evidence on a microscopic level.
I also don't necessarily know if it'll change anything. I think most people had already made their minds up about this case, and the scene outside the courthouse made that clear.
MAGA stands firmly behind Trump
Throughout Trump's first criminal trial, his fan club has been situated at the park, a block from the courthouse. Its visitors have ranged from MAGA supporters carrying banners to Republicans showing support for their presumptive presidential nominee.
Trump’s supporters on Thursday marched around with flags and their signature red hats. One supporter, who would only identify himself as Hungry Santa, has been there every time I’ve been at the courthouse.
“The Democrats have opened up Pandora’s box,” he said. “They’ve learned with the Supreme Court procedure that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”
When I asked whether this would change his vote in November, he deadpanned that he was planning on voting twice for Trump, “but I’m not in Chicago.” That's a joke about voter fraud.
Other characters were making more of a scene. One man, seen on NBC News holding a sign that read “FREE FATHER THERESA,” yelled into the crowd that he now knows what it feels like to be a New York Mets fan. Another, Shawn Olivo, identified himself to me by his rap name “DVS 7.0.” Olivo called the verdict “a damn shame.”
“It’s unfortunate, but we see what’s happening next,” he told me. “Trump is winning even stronger now. A brand new little red wave has just been created.”
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Gary Phaneuf, 68, held a sign comparing Trump to famous historical figures who faced legal trouble, like Martin Luther King Jr.
“This is the January 6 of New York City, believe it or not,” he told me. “So you’re going to have to figure out which side you’re on.”
I believe that these men represent the most extreme members of Trump's party, the ones who would go so far as to protest multiple times during the trial and make veiled threats. They were always going to listen to what Trump says: If he says it's a sham, they think of it as one. They're the ones you always see waving Trump signs or complaining about the "Deep State."
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While I don't think every Republican will agree, it did surprise me that all the Trump supporters I spoke with seemed excited to come back stronger. This verdict energized them.
The fight against Trump is far from over
Personally, I know which side I fall within. I believe the court made the right decision. I also believe Trump will use this verdict to his advantage, once again making himself out to be the victim of a system designed to benefit men like him. His team will appeal, and the fight will continue. The verdict also will not bar Trump from serving office.
It seems like everyone else has made up their minds. Trump supporters have been saying for weeks that this trial was a sham – it's unlikely that they'd change their tune just because a verdict came down. The same can be said of the anti-Trump crowd. They've been calling for Trump's political end since 2016
For the rest of America, it's time to decide. Is this enough to keep Trump out of the White House?
Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Peque?o on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno and Facebook facebook.com/PequenoWrites.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Republicans turn on Trump after his guilty verdict? I asked them
