A circus-like atmosphere spread across the grounds of the federal courthouse where former President Donald J. Trump was scheduled to appear on Tuesday, with hundreds of reporters in downtown Miami standing alongside those who wanted to be seen and heard.
The small but colorful crowd included dozens of Trump supporters and a handful of critics, many dressed eccentrically to deliver their message on camera.
There was the Uncle Sam who zipped around the courthouse grounds on a two-wheeled hoverboard singing pro-Trump songs, the woman with a unicorn horn on her forehead who wore an “Aunt-ifa” shirt and sang mockingly about the former president , and the man in a black and white prison jumpsuit with a sign that says “lock him up.”
Alongside the buzz of the sunlit scene — temperatures had reached 88 degrees by lunchtime — were trucks with flags and loudspeakers, and several people on foot with selfie sticks broadcasting live video streams to thousands of viewers as they squeezed in and out of the crowd.
“This is crazy,” cried a pro-Trump streamer, Rafael Gomez, as he walked among the palm trees in front of the tall, glittering courthouse. “Welcome to the banana republic of Miami!”
More established conservative figures also tried to draw audiences, such as Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who held a press conference outside the courthouse to defend Mr Trump and said he would pardon his campaign rival if elected.
In an interview after his press conference, Mr Ramaswamy said that despite his defence, he would not have done what Mr Trump is accused of doing. “I wouldn’t have brought the boxes,” he said. ‘I’m not a souvenir man. Not my style.”
There were some brief verbal arguments between Trump supporters and critics, but by lunchtime there were no serious confrontations. Police largely stayed out of the way, observing closely as a helicopter circled overhead.
At some point, however, Homeland Security and Miami police officers rushed closer and began clearing much of the courthouse grounds. They examined a large TV mounted on a pole on the sidewalk that carried a message criticizing what it called “the communist-controlled news media”. About an hour later, police removed the television and reopened the area.
Nearby, Carlos Brito, 66, sold American flags for $5. Mr Brito, who emigrated from Cuba in 1980, said he supported Mr Trump and criticized President Biden for sending money to support Ukraine while the Americans were struggling financially. “Look how much a cup of coffee costs here,” he said. “We need help here at home.”
A Trump critic, Scott Linnen, 61, of Miami, said he came to the courthouse because he had become distraught about the country’s direction. As a gay man, he said he has seen an increase in anti-LGBT rhetoric, hate speech and extremist behavior on the right.
“This man was trying to overthrow the 247-year-old American experiment,” he said of Mr Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election. “I don’t understand why more people’s hair isn’t on fire.”