Central Floridians were among the hundreds of supporters cheering on former President Donald Trump Tuesday afternoon as his motorcade left the downtown Miami courthouse where Trump was indicted on 37 federal charges.
The group was part of the Florida Republican Assembly, which departed Tuesday morning in four buses from a Walmart Super Center off John Young Parkway in Orlando.
People from all over Central Florida, including The Villages, arrived at the parking lot ready to show their support for the former president on what was titled the “America First Freedom Road Trip." Their mission was to organize a peaceful show of support and to make clear to all they wanted a fair trial for Trump, said Lou Marin, the president of the Orange County chapter of the Florida Republican Assembly who helped organize the caravan.
“We're going down to show that we support the Constitution and that we're supporters of the rule of law, and that we're innocent till proven guilty," he said. "We're not here to crash anything or break anything. But we're here to just like I said, just do what's right.”
Trump in federal court
On Thursday, a federal grand jury in Miami indicted Trump on 37 counts, 31 of which include violations of the Espionage Act. The charges were connected with Trump's removal and storage of classified documents from the White House. On Tuesday, Trump, through a lawyer, entered a plea of "not guilty" before the federal court on all charges.
Trump's first appearance in the Miami federal court documented a historic moment for the country, as Trump became the first former president to face federal charges. Two months earlier and in an unrelated case, Trump made history as the first former president to be indicted on state charges in New York regarding a case accusing him of paying hush money to a porn actress.
Chanting in Miami
The FRA members left Miami Tuesday evening with high spirits and managed to squeeze through the heavy Miami traffic —which had been brought to a crawl thanks to the court proceedings — without much delay.
Despite the reason for the trip, Marin said the mood on the bus was hyped as many were thrilled to join the hundreds, if not thousands, of supporters on the Miami streets, chanting their love for the former president.
Although, he thinks the prosecution has made a mistake in targeting Trump and could start a domino effect in American politics.
"Going after Trump could open up a Pandora's Box," he said referring to classified documents that were found in President Joe Biden's Delaware home. "'I'm seeing the judicial system, they have a two-tier system, and it's not fair to everybody. I think that's just wrong."
It is unclear if President Biden will be indicted. According to the U.S. Justice Department, a sitting president cannot be indicted. However, Special Counsel Robert Hur has previously stated that he is continuing an investigation into Biden.
Marin said he isn't sure how Trump's case will go, but he's hopeful for the best outcome.
“Innocent until proven guilty. I'm not a lawyer, we're here to support President Trump and let him know he's loved and cared for. And I wish him all the luck. And I think he'll beat this," Marin said.
Trump took to Truth Social to thank all who came and described the event as a “SAD” day for the country.
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