‘I really do have Covid’: Trump supporter’s vile line amid wild scuffle outside court

Bizarre scenes erupted outside a New York court as Donald Trump handed himself into authorities, with one MAGA supporter whispering an ominous threat.

Wild scenes broke out on Tuesday outside a New York courthouse, as Donald Trump handed himself into authorities following his bombshell indictment by a grand jury.

As the former US president made his way to and from court, two camps – Trump supporters and anti-Trump protesters – clashed outside the Manhattan courthouse.

Trump supporters sported familiar Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats and attire emblazoned with the US flag, while waving a flag that said, “Trump or death” and yelling slurs at their opponents.

Meanwhile the anti-Trump camp unfurled a large banner that read, “Trump lies all the time” and chanted “Lock him up!”

Anti-Trump protesters with the banner saying, ‘Trump lies all the time’. Picture: @itsreallyreallytrue/Reddit

But any signs of peaceful protesting were deserted when one Trump supporter tried to destroy the opposition’s banner.

In a video shared to Reddit, one woman – wearing a black dress, denim jacket and red MAGA hat – walked into the middle of the banner before attempting to pick it up.

Supporters of the former president were heard screaming and cheering the woman on while the anti-Trump camp calmly tried to remove her from their sign.

The woman then took a tumble as a man tried to encourage her to peacefully leave.

In response, the woman pulled up the corner of the banner which tripped the man over, prompting more anti-Trump supporters to circle in on the woman.

Fellow Trump supporters were heard egging the woman on. Picture: @itsreallyreallytrue/Reddit

The pro-Trump protester then screamed in a member of the opposition’s face, ‘I have Covid.’ Picture: @itsreallyreallytrue/Reddit

A version of tug of war broke out between the woman and the anti-Trump camp, as dozens of media personnel crowded in around them.

“You’re on the wrong side,” the woman shouted as she got into a verbal altercation with an anti-Trump member.

“I have Covid. I really do have Covid,” she ominously whispered to a woman trying to calm her down, appearing to push her face as close as possible to her.

From the sidelines, the crowd of Trump supporters screamed insults at their opponents, forcing police officers to intervene.

“You’re on the wrong side,” one person yelled repeatedly.

“Get out of here you old bag of bones,” another Trump supporter said.

Another screamed: “Burn that flag b**ch, tear it up! Tear that sh*t up.”

The scuffle ended with police closing in on the woman and anti-Trump protesters who were holding the banner as dozens of photographers, videographers and journalists surrounded them.

“I’ve been jumped several times now,” a regular anti-Trump protester, Laurie Biter, told AFP.

Members of the NYPD were forced to intervene. Picture: @itsreallyreallytrue/Reddit

The former president arrived in the early afternoon for a 2.15pm hearing (4.15am AEST) where he pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.

Among the crowd of people waiting outside the Manhattan Criminal Court were a crush of reporters taking up most of the space.

Video of the large media presence showed reporters spanning several metres behind metal fencing, with cameras, lighting gear and equipment in tow.

Meanwhile, George Santos, the New York Republican congressman accused of lying his way into office, made a brief appearance in the park where the extreme right representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was due to hold a rally for Mr Trump.

The swarms of media waiting outside of Trump Tower for former President Donald Trump's arrest
by u/Papppi-56 in interestingasfuck

Another woman, Paulina Farr, travelled into the city from suburban Long Island to “show support to our president Trump”.

The retired nurse told AFP she was also at the January 6 storming of the Capitol building in Washington D.C. by Trump supporters, and called Tuesday’s protest “tremendously different”.

She said: “We know the truth. I’m not afraid.”

Mr Trump, 76, remains a frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination, though the still sealed charges that will be unveiled imminently potentially threaten to throw his viability as a candidate into question.

He is also using the case to energise his support base and raise millions of dollars for his bid to reclaim the White House next year.

Ms Biter, 64, praised the charges against Mr Trump but added: “It’s not just an indictment going through a court.

“It’s an indictment that we, as people of good conscience, have to bring.”

– with AFP