Long Island Trump supporters remain divided over former President Donald Trump's arraignment
JERICHO, Nassau County (WABC) -- In Suffolk County, where Donald Trump won favorably in the 2020 election, one would expect supporters to come out in full force during his arraignment Tuesday.
In what was supposed to be a turnout of about 200 supporters in Jericho, just seven people took part in a Long Island "caravan" making its way to New York City in support of the former president.
Some say the lack of showing is because pro-Trump demonstrators are fearful after the arrests following Jan. 6. Others say support for Trump has been dwindling long before his arraignment.
"I think he's done a lot of good things but his mouth is terrible, and I think he should just retire," said Elaine, a resident from Roslyn Heights.
"Just the idea that on television he said he could touch a woman's crotch and get away with it, I mean that to me speaks of a person's morality," said Westbury resident Anne Alexander.
Fervent Trump supporters, however, remain optimistic and continue to support him.
"We're going to win, and we're going to win the election in 2024. God Bless America, it's going to be great today," said Thomas Mundy, a Trump supporter from Long Beach.
Trump's most staunch supporters will use the case to bolster his campaign to become president next year, but the Republican establishment on Long Island remains divided.
Although former Republican congressman Peter King will not support Trump in his party's upcoming primary, he believes the case against the reality TV star turned criminal defendant is a miscarriage of justice.
"The idea of having a local D.A. somehow turning a state misdemeanor into a felony by interpreting a federal election law, seven years, six years after it occurred is really dangerous," King said.
Despite concerns for his political future, Trump supporters will continue to fundraise for his presidential campaign, but the question that remains to be answered is: will these efforts pay off?
RELATED | Trump indictment unsealed: Former president accused of violating election laws
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