Four more years
During a visit to a bodega in West Harlem, former President Donald Trump was greeted with enthusiastic cheers and chants of “four more years” on Tuesday evening.
Obligated
Trump is currently obligated to attend each day of his ongoing trial in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s controversial case, which is anticipated to span six to eight weeks.
Criticized
The former president has criticized this requirement as “election interference,” expressing concerns about its impact on his campaigning efforts.
West Harlem
While in West Harlem on Tuesday, Trump stopped by a bodega that gained notoriety during Bragg’s tenure.
Murder charges
In 2022, a clerk at the store faced murder charges after an altercation with an ex-convict who had leaped over the counter to engage in a fight.
Self-defense
Following a confrontation in which he stabbed a man in self-defense, Jose Alba, a Dominican immigrant and store clerk, was charged with murder. Despite being the one who was stabbed by the attacker, Alba was taken into custody at Riker’s Island after District Attorney Bragg decided to press charges.
Public outcry
However, the charges were eventually dropped following significant public outcry.
Sanaa Convenient Store
After his court proceedings on Tuesday, Trump made a visit to the Sanaa Convenient Store, previously known as the Blue Moon Convenient Store, in Harlem.
Maad Ahmed
There, he met with Maad Ahmed, the store’s co-owner, and Francisco Marte, an advocate for small businesses, as reported by the New York Post.
Supporters
Upon his arrival, Trump was met with a large crowd of supporters who enthusiastically chanted “USA” and “four more years.” The president took the time to greet attendees, shake hands, and take pictures with them.
Election interference
“The whole world is watching this New York legal system. This is really election interference, at the highest level,” Trump told reporters as the crowd sang the Star Spangled Banner in the background. “It all comes out of Washington, because they are losing badly in the polls.”
Confidence
The former president expressed confidence that his approval ratings would soar following the trial, despite widespread criticism from legal experts.
Controversial
In a controversial move, Bragg leveraged COVID-related policies to extend the statute of limitations for an administrative payment error, typically considered a misdemeanor offense.
Felony
Subsequently, Bragg escalated the charge to a felony, alleging a “conspiracy” to commit an unspecified crime. Employing a repetitive tactic, he duplicated this charge 33 times, corresponding to each administrative error, resulting in a total of 37 felony charges against the former president.
Guilty
If found guilty in the New York proceedings alone, Trump could potentially face a cumulative sentence exceeding 100 years behind bars.
Even higher
“I think you’re gonna see some numbers coming out now even higher. People don’t like the persecution, they don’t like what’s going on. They don’t like these fake prosecutors, deranged Jack Smith, the group of them. And I think you’re going to see some big changes being made,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.