Senate Majority Leader Schumer Urges Protesters to Remain Peaceful After Trump Arraignment

Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, has appealed to the public to avoid violence and intimidation after the arraignment of former President Donald Trump. Trump was indicted with 34 charges for purportedly tampering with business records to conceal payments he was alleged have made to silence negative press about his personal life. On Tuesday, supporters and detractors of the former president gathered outside a Manhattan courthouse to express their views. While Trump’s supporters accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of politically charging the former president, Trump’s detractors supported the indictment and scorned the former president.

Schumer stated in a press release, “I believe that Mr. Trump will have a fair trial that follows the facts and the law… There’s no place in our justice system for any outside influence or intimidation in the legal process. As the trial proceeds, protest is an American right but all protests must be peaceful.”

Fair Trial

While Schumer expects Trump to get a fair trial, the former president accused the judge and the prosecutor of bias against him. Trump claimed that Juan Marchan, the judge of the case, hates him and exerted pressure on Trump’s organization chief financial officer to accept a guilty plea term. Additionally, Trump Jr. posted an article from Breitbart stating that Marchan’s daughter worked for a campaign tied to Democratic political candidates. Trump believes that due to strong Democratic support in New York City, he cannot get a fair trial and suggested the case be relocated to Staten Island.

Potential for unrest

On March 20, Trump called for protest from his supporters after he revealed that Manhattan District Attorney would announce charges against him. Liberals and conservatives alike are concerned about Trump’s remarks. Mary McCord, a former Obama-era Department of Justice official, warned that the use of the word “take back” can imply a willingness to use force.