An anti-Trump protester was tackled by police after he ran out in front of former President Donald Trump’s motorcade after he left the court in Miami on Tuesday.
Dominic Santana, who was seen wearing a prison costume and was interviewed by The Epoch Times’ sister media NTD outside the courtroom, said he would try to exercise what he described as his right to protest by rushing out in front of what he hoped was Trump’s vehicle.
Santana said he unsuccessfully tried the stunt earlier in the day, while Trump was en route to the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse to his arraignment.
“I jumped, hopefully, in front of the vehicle he was traveling—which was the second Tahoe or Suburban, or whatever,” Santana said of his earlier attempt to rush Trump’s motorcade.
Santana told NTD that he was prevented from getting close to the motorcade during the failed attempt by law enforcement.
“I was attacking the first one because I broke the line and then I had like 20 cops just jump on me,” he said, adding he was just “exercising my right” to protest.
“I wanted to get some attention and I did,” said Santana, who was carrying a sign that said “Lock Him Up.”
“He’s gotten away with conning the world,” Santana alleged, referring to Trump. “He should have been locked up before he became a president.”
Some time after the interview, Santana managed to break through the lines of security and rush Trump’s motorcade.
The footage featured a man dressed in a prison costume—later confirmed to be Santana—rushing in front of a vehicle and briefly holding up a sign before being manhandled by security and quickly ushered to the side of the road.
Commotion followed after agents removed Santana from the road, with a number of other protesters giving chase to Trump’s vehicle before it sped away.
Santana’s stunt was one of a handful of protests as crowds gathered outside the Miami courtroom where Trump was arraigned on charges pertaining to his handling of classified documents.
After leaving the courthouse, Trump’s motorcade stopped at a Cuban restaurant named Versailles where he met with supporters. Several of the patrons prayed with him, while others sang happy birthday ahead of the former president’s June 14 birthday.
Trump told the crowd “food for everyone.”
The former president also lamented the state of the nation, saying: “We have a country that is in decline and we can’t let that happen.”
Trump Pleads Not Guilty
Trump pleaded not guilty in a federal court in Miami on Tuesday to 37 felony charges related to his handling of classified government documents.Trump and his Republican supporters have decried the charges as politically motivated, while others see them as evidence that no one is above the law.
The plea marks the latest step in a years-long legal battle between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the former president, one that now has serious implications for the 2024 presidential race, in which Trump is the leading Republican candidate.
The Arraignment
The former president arrived at the federal courthouse in Miami more than an hour prior to his scheduled 3 p.m. arraignment. The case is the first time a former president of the United States was formally accused of violating federal law.Trump was placed under arrest. Court staff collected his fingerprints electronically. Trump was not photographed. The booking took about 10 minutes.
A crowd of several hundred mostly Trump supporters gathered among the rows of palm trees in the spacious court plaza. A large number of local, state, and federal law enforcement officers were on hand as well.
During the arraignment, which lasted about 35 minutes, Trump appeared calm and composed in his trademark blue suit and red tie.
Trump appeared before Duty Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman, flanked by attorneys Todd Blanche, a former federal prosecutor, and Christopher Kise.
The indictment alleges that Trump unlawfully retained 31 government documents, including some classified as top secret.
It also alleges that Trump showed classified documents to others twice in 2021, a potential violation of the federal Espionage Act.
The most serious charges carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison.
When asked to enter a plea, Blanche spoke on behalf of his client: “We most certainly enter a plea of not guilty.”
Trump has steadfastly maintained his innocence, calling the charges “a travesty of justice,” “election interference,” and a “witch hunt.”
The former president was released on his own recognizance at the request of the prosecution, with most pretrial release conditions waived.
