Supporters have been rooting for former President Donald Trump and protesting his indictment outside of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
The FBI raided Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, where they uncovered the former president had over 100 classified documents.
Despite the allegations, Trump's loyal fan base has been a pillar to his success in politics. The public has come to expect statements of loyalty from Trump's most die-hard supporters in moments like these.
While Mar-a-Lago is calm Tuesday morning, it saw a gathering of about 70 people over the weekend. The estate has been a popular spot for Trump supporters to gather, whether he is there or not.
And on Monday when Trump's motorcade arrived in Doral, Florida — where the former president has a golf course and stayed the evening — demonstrators lined the street as he drove by.
As Trump's court appearance approaches, supporters are also expected to descend upon the Miami courthouse where his hearing will be held Tuesday afternoon. City officials said they have resources to handle a crowd of up to 50,000, if necessary.
A group in Central Florida is planning to bus people down to Miami for the hearing.
What happens during and after Trump’s arraignment?
To go from trial to arraignment could take months — if not over a year — as both sides prepare for a drawn-out legal battle.
Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said Trump loyalists could pose an interesting challenge for prosecutors should the case move forward to a jury.
"As far the prosecution, it's not easy to convict someone as polarizing as Donald Trump because you're going to have people on the jury who will be Trump supporters, and you have to convince them to put their biases aside and follow the evidence and the law," Aronberg said. "It's not impossible — this happens all the time in high-profile cases. Can it happen with someone as polarizing as Donald Trump? We shall see."
While that reality may be a while from now, Trump's initial hearing will happen at 3 p.m. He is expected to deliver remarks from New Jersey later in the evening, around 8:15 p.m.
TIMELINE: What led to Trump's federal indictment in documents case
Former President Donald Trump said he is now facing federal criminal charges, but the investigation has been underway for some time.
