Dozens of Trump supporters cheer him on as former president turns himself in at Georgia jail

As the morning began, the crowd gathered at the hour of booking Trump. Both groups were outnumbered by the media, but there were more supporters of Trump braving the intense summer heat in Georgia than opponents. Demonstrators lined the security barricades near the main entrance on Rice Street, which was on Trump’s way to the jail. The word spread that Trump was approaching.

The police had blocked off the entrance where Trump entered on the opposite side of Jefferson Street. Meanwhile, deputies from Fulton County Sheriff’s Office blocked one end of the block with an empty prisoner bus, while the other end was blocked by a county dump truck.

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia and a strong supporter of Trump, addressed the crowd for a short time shortly after 6 p.M. Numerous individuals in the audience donned T-shirts expressing their support for Trump and enthusiastically waved sizable flags, with one boldly stating “TRUMP WON.”

She informed reporters just before Trump’s arrival that ordinary Americans are observing this, and they are appalled and furious, I’m informing you at this moment.

He had a booking photo taken in another departure. At this time, he had notoriously turned to a troubled jail in himself. Unlike his previous arrests, which happened in just courthouses before initial appearances before a judge, he was booked on criminal charges. It was the fourth time this year, and he was the early frontrunner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, in front of Trump.

18 others, including Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis, were indicted last week. They were accused by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis of participating in a sprawling scheme to undermine the will of Georgia voters, who had narrowly rejected the Republican incumbent in favor of Democrat Joe Biden. Many of the charged individuals turned themselves in at the jail earlier this week, with John Eastman surrendering on Tuesday and Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, and Rudy Giuliani surrendering on Wednesday.

“Unless someone informs me otherwise, we are adhering to our usual procedures, and thus your status is irrelevant; we will have a photograph ready for you,” stated Pat Labat, the Sheriff of Fulton County. Labat had previously stated that Trump and the other individuals involved in this matter would be treated no differently than anyone else. This statement was notably made during a press conference earlier this month.

However, the view outside the prison was far from ordinary on Thursday.

“It included supporters of the former president, Trump, who held a flag that read ‘Save America’ in Naples, Florida, specifically at MacMorris Cliff, with a total of 66 people attending.”

He and his spouse, Georgine, stayed overnight in Atlanta.

“You do not have the authority to unfairly persecute someone,” Cliff MacMorris stated.

According to his wife, the charges against the ex-president were driven by political motives due to the period of “prosperity, security, and liberty” that Trump accomplished during his tenure in the White House.

“They must be concerned about him for some reason,” she stated.

She had spent the night in a vehicle with Sharon Anderson, a 67-year-old woman from east Tennessee, outside the detention center for a consecutive second day, while operating the air conditioning.

I want to see some millions of people show up at the polls to support Donald J. Trump here.

She said that she only had Trump to support her against the indictments. The former president questioned the election results, stating that it was not a crime.

Trump was indicted, and she also mentioned that he had traveled to other places. She called Trump a traitor and read out the conviction against him, including the signs that more than 50 of her supporters, mostly Trump’s 64-year-old supporter Laurie Arbeiter, carried with them. The crowd was predominantly made up of Trump supporters, while she wore a shirt that said “Trump Arrest.”

As the mercury soared to approximately 90 degrees during midday, the sheriff’s department deputies mopped their brows and sought refuge beneath a tree.

The main street in Fulton County, known as Jail Street Rice and also referred to as Jail Street, is located in the northwest part of Atlanta where warehouses are currently being redeveloped for residential and retail use. The street is lined with a long, tree-lined driveway that leads to a parking lot in front of an impressive facade.

On most days, the entrance to the main street in front of the jail has been closed off, with no cameras or reporters allowed within viewing distance. However, many high-profile people who have been booked into the jail, including a former president, have been captured on news cameras as they depart or arrive. The news media and the public are free to drive right up to the front of the jail and capture the arrivals and departures.

On Thursday, there was increased security measures implemented. Deputies from the sheriff’s office reduced the number of vehicles allowed on Rice Street, which runs alongside the jail. Some deputies were seen wearing black masks and vests. They also formed a line along the street.

The protest stayed peaceful, but members of a group called Blacks for Trump hurled racial slurs at Black sheriff’s deputies.

Based on information provided by the sheriff’s department, the detention center accommodated 2,618 individuals on Thursday morning, surpassing its maximum capacity of 2,254. The facility is burdened with deteriorating infrastructure and excessive overcrowding. Trump departed the jail shortly after turning himself in, whereas others who are detained there endure months or even years in the facility awaiting charges or trial.