Donald Trump’s pre-election circus is the hottest ticket in New York

It’s 7am in Manhattan and a group of professional line sitters have camped overnight outside the court that’s hearing Donald Trump’s hush money trial, to reserve spots for people willing to pay hundreds of dollars for a front-row seat to history.

Behind them, the crowd has swelled rapidly and now stretches down an entire block: some are in New York on holidays, many are journalists reporting on the case, and others are taking time out from work or school to be part of the spectacle.

Former Democrat voter Moni Mohan has been here almost every day to support Trump, who she believes is being “politically persecuted” to help President Joe Biden win the election in November.

New York resident John McIntosh has been standing in line since 3am, armed with a suitcase full of clothes and a giant notebook, determined to see for himself “what Trump is up against”.

And Californian lawyer Bradley Bradshaw caught a six-hour overnight flight from the West Coast, “because this is the first president of the United States to be on trial for a crime”.

“It’s weird to think that, if he is convicted, he could still be president,” Bradshaw says.

“It’s history in the making. But it makes me feel sad for my country.”

Welcome to The People v Donald J. Trump, a pre-election circus that has bizarrely become one of the hottest tickets in town.

The line for Michael Cohen’s second day of testimony at Donald Trump’s hush money trial, filled with paid line sitters in the front and the crowd swelling at the back.Credit: Farrah Tomazin

Even in a country that has had its share of epic court cases – from footballer O.J. Simpson to Hollywood predator Harvey Weinstein – this one has it all: sex, politics, money, power … and a blockbuster cast.

There’s porn star Stormy Daniels, who testified in explicit detail about her 2006 tryst with Trump: from the time she met him at a celebrity golf tournament to when she dared to spank him “on the butt” with a rolled up magazine.

There’s tabloid king David Pecker and Australian journalist Dylan Howard, who agreed to bury damaging stories about Trump to help his chances of winning the 2016 election.

And there’s fixer-turned-felon Michael Cohen, who paid Daniels $US130,000, which he claims Trump directed and later reimbursed by falsifying business records.

It’s worth remembering, too, that this is only one of four trials Trump faces as he braces for a rematch against Biden.

Former US president Donald Trump at Manhattan criminal court before the start of Thursday’s proceedings.Credit: AP

The former president also faces charges in Washington, DC, for trying to stop Biden’s 2020 election victory from being certified; charges in Georgia for election subversion in that state; and charges in Florida for his handling of classified documents.

“But Trump’s strategy has been to delay everything,” says Columbia Law School professor John Coffee.

“Of all the trials he is facing, this is arguably the least important and is kind of a sideshow, but it may be the only trial that comes to pass before the election in November.”

Cohen was the last witness for the prosecution. Next in the trial, Trump’s defence team will present its case. They have not yet decided if Trump will testify.

With the stakes this high, it’s little wonder the area outside 100 Centre Street in Manhattan has become a mecca for Trump supporters and haters alike.

Unlike Georgia, where high-profile cases are allowed to be televised, recording is not permitted in New York’s antiquated courtrooms.

That means to witness or report on Trump’s hush money trial, one has to generally wake up before dawn and queue for hours on the pavement to secure one of the coveted seats on the 15th floor.

Robert Samuel who runs professional line business Same Ole Line Dudes, outside the Manhattan courtroom where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is being held.Credit: Farrah Tomazin

At around 8.30am, the first five to nine members of the public in the queue are usually rewarded with a spot at the back of Room 1530, where they have to peer past a slew of Secret Service agents and court guards to catch a glimpse of the day’s witness and the back of Trump’s head.

The rest of the room is reserved for a few reporters, lawyers and other guests such as the Republican allies and running mate hopefuls who flew to New York this week vying for Trump’s attention: House Speaker Mike Johnson, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy; right-wing congressman Matt Gaetz among them.

Another 30 members of the public are then allowed into the overflow room down the hall to watch the live proceedings on closed-circuit TVs with about 80 journalists from all over the world, who are also lucky enough to get inside.

It’s a test of endurance, which is why many people have opted to hire professional queue sitters to wait on their behalf for hours at a time.

“We’ve been here as early as 10pm for some our clients,” says manager Robert Samuel, whose business, Same Ole Line Dudes, has queued at everything from discount fashion sales in Manhattan to sought-after restaurants in Brooklyn.

“It’s $US50 [$75] specifically for the Trump trial, but our regular fee is $US25. We charge extra only because we have the fear of MAGA supporters or homeless people harassing us.”

Fortunately, there haven’t been too many incidents around the legal precinct. The most horrific scene took place about a week into the trial, when a man entered the park opposite the court, doused himself with liquid after throwing anti-government pamphlets in the air, and then set himself on fire. The man – who turned out to be a conspiracy theorist from Florida – died in hospital a few hours later.

For the most part, however, it’s been safe. Barricades and police line the pavements, stretching several blocks. Helicopters fly overhead as Trump’s motorcade makes its morning journey from his Fifth Avenue penthouse to the courtroom.

And in Collect Pond Park opposite the court, which has been cordoned off specifically for protesters and counterprotesters, people come from far and wide to air their grievances or conduct curious rituals.

One man, dressed in a black jacket with Trump’s name pinned to the back, comes every few days to perform a prayer service, ringing a loud bell and using a crucifix to make the sign of the cross over and over as he stares towards the 15th floor.

And this week, a new trend emerged, as Republicans began attending the trial – many dressed in the same dark suit and red tie that has become Trump’s trademark attire – to echo his sentiments.

“This is the fifth week that president Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson. “I’m disgusted by what’s happening here.”

Back in the line, however, those who have waited patiently over the past few weeks have mixed views.

Some, like former Democrat-voter-turned-Trump fan Mohan believes that, even if Trump slept with Daniels, it doesn’t mean he falsified business records to cover up the affair.

“I don’t believe he’s guilty,” she says, sporting a red, white and blue MAGA cap.

Others, like McIntosh are equally unconvinced.

“It doesn’t seem like a great case,” he says. “I mean, it seems he put down some money as a legal expense and gave it to his attorney – is that so bad?”

Owen Berenbom and Hope Harrington, both aged 14, are among those lining up each day to witness history.Credit: Farrah Tomazin

And some, like 14-year-old students Hope Harrington and Owen Berenbom have an open mind.

“We’re here because we both find it so interesting,” Hope says. “I want to be a lawyer and he wants to be a politician, so this is a really good experience.”

“And we both feel that this is going to be one of the most important trials in our lifetimes,” adds Owen. “We didn’t want to miss out on the chance to be a part of it.”

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