Wild scenes took hold of the streets outside Manhattan Criminal Court as the world awaits a jury’s verdict in the former president’s hush money trial.
A heavily pro-Trump crowd descended on the courthouse to witness the moment, with a smaller group of anti-MAGA protestors squared off with them early Thursday.
In one crazed moment during the scuffle, a woman exposed her breasts and flashed them in the face of a protestor while they were being hauled away by police.
A nervous energy filled the space ahead of a potential conviction, as one Trump supporter, Lily Qi, 60, told DailyMail.com: ‘We are praying to God he is not guilty. This case is totally wrong.’
It comes as news broke of the jury landing on a verdict late Thursday afternoon, ahead of the groundbreaking moment that could see the presidential front runner become a convicted felon.
When the clashes broke out in front of the courthouse, the two sides of protestors wrestled over signs and hurled insults at each other, culminating in the bizarre flashing episode when NYPD officers got involved.
A second fight broke out shortly after where a male anti-Trump protestor accused another of assaulting him, before he too was taken out of the park by police.
One protestor holding signs reading ‘Trump is the definition of depravity’ and ‘dump Trump’ was encircled by supporters of the former president, before her placards were ripped from her hands.
Many in the pro-Trump crowd were seen in zany getups and eccentric costumes showing their love for the former president, with one in a clown suit going by the name ‘Pitchfork Pete’ saying he related to Trump’s challenges.
‘No one ever stood up for me,’ he told DailyMail.com. ‘This man has stuck his neck out for us over and over again over the last eight years.’
Echoing much of Trump’s rhetoric over his criminal case, he continued: ‘I have never experienced anything like this in my life where an innocent man has been put on trial.
‘I’ll probably be in jail right next to Donald Trump if they put him in jail,’ he admitted. ‘He’s an inspiration to my family, his father built my neighborhood.’
He added that his clown costume was in honor of New York Governor Kathy Hochul, because she ‘calls us clowns so I am here to tell her all clowns MAGA.’
His friend, who only gave his name as Hungry Santa, said: ‘It’s important for me to be here today because the constitution matters.
‘Judges can’t just do what they want, the constitution supersedes what the majority wants.’
The supporter said that he believes the whole case it to ‘keep Trump off the campaign trail… Biden has divided the country more than ever.’
Earlier in the day, a British woman and her partner were accosted by furious Trump fans as anticipation built for the day, forcing police to step in as the couple scurried away.
While the space outside the courthouse was majority Trump supporters, Diane Barney, one of only a handful of anti-MAGA protestors, told DailyMail.com she felt it was important for her to be there.
‘I am very interested in this case and finally seeing some justice and seeing held to it,’ she said.
‘He has gotten away everything his entire life has never had to account for anything.
‘People may say this is the weakest case, but it is the only one we are going to get before this election… I am optimistic he will be found guilty.’
Nadine Seiler, who traveled all the way from Maryland to be there, added: ‘The America we live in is an upside-down world. Unfortunately, I can only see Trump getting more support.’
‘I am hoping the jury takes their task seriously, assess the evidence and I hope it is a guilty verdict… Even if he is convicted, I don’t see him going to jail.’
Street performer Naked Cowboy also briefly turned up to show his support for Trump outside the courthouse.
He said: ‘This is more exciting, this is America, it should be entertaining. The whole world’s watching one man — Donald Trump.
‘I love Donald Trump. I hope he wins and brings this country back to being prosperous.’
He then performed a song with the lyrics: ‘So indict him, convict him, throw him in jail it doesn’t matter what you do Trump will still prevail.’
Not all protestors outside the courthouse came in eye-catching getups, with Qi saying she has been camped outside the trial every day to show her support.
‘We are praying to god he is not guilty. This case is totally wrong,’ she said.
‘They want all the newspapers to come here and say Trump is doing something but they broke this country.
‘This is America not another country can you believe this… I have been coming here everyday and will do until Trump wins and America wins.’
Another Trump fan who says she has been at the trial every day, Stephanie Lu, 58, said she is staying because ‘we know the truth and that is Trump is fighting for us.’
‘He is a billionaire and doesn’t need this. He can go anywhere,’ she said.
‘He’s the one that saw through this country and its lies. Trump cares about this country. We appreciate him.
‘We came everyday. We didn’t know each other but the love of this country brought us together.’