Former President Donald Trump called on his supporters to "rally behind MAGA" and protest outside courthouses across the country just hours before opening statements in his New York criminal trial began.
Trump drew a contrast in a post on Social Media between his own supporters and those who have participated in demonstrations calling for an end to the war in Gaza.
People who "truly LOVE our Country, and want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, are not allowed to 'Peacefully Protest,' and are rudely and systematically shut down and ushered off to far away 'holding areas,' essentially denying them their Constitutional Rights," Trump claimed in his post — though he provided no examples or evidence..
"America Loving Protesters should be allowed to protest at the front steps of Courthouses, all over the Country," he continued. "GO OUT AND PEACEFULLY PROTEST. RALLY BEHIND MAGA. SAVE OUR COUNTRY!"
Trump had previously called for protests outside the courthouse in lower Manhattan where his hush-money trial is underway. Relatively few Trump supporters turned up to protest outside the trial last week or Monday, according to several reports..
Yet Trump noted in another post that "Lower Manhattan surrounding the Courthouse, where I am heading now, is completely CLOSED DOWN. SO UNFAIR."
Though there were barricades outside the building, lower Manhattan was not shut down and protestors are allowed to peacefully assemble outside the courthouse.
Trump is being tried on 34 felony charges involving hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with with. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs has accused Trump of falisfying his business records to secretly pay Daniels to keep her quiet shortly before the 2016 presidential election
