Former President Donald Trump turned down the chance to have a low-key arraignment over Zoom, instead preferring a high-profile booking he hopes will fire up his supporters, Rolling Stone reported Monday.
Sources told the magazine Trump refused the offers of a quiet surrender and demanded a midday, in-person appearance..
“He wanted a perp walk; he wanted daylight hours,” said the law enforcement official, who’s involved in aspects of the security planning.“He wants to get out of the vehicle and walk up the stairs. This is a nightmare for Secret Service, but they can only strongly suggest — not order — that Trump enter through the secure tunnels. Trump wants to greet the crowd. This should be a surprise to no one — especially not his detail,” the official told Rolling Stone.
"Trump wants to greet the crowd. This should be a surprise to no one — especially not his detail."
“It’s kind of a Jesus Christ thing. He is saying ‘I’m absorbing all this pain from all around from everywhere so you don’t have to,’ ” a source close to the legal team said.
Trump hopes to continue to promote his message, “‘If they can do this to me they can do this to you,’ and that’s a powerful message," the source said.
The report also explains a little more about the timeline of the grand jury. Last week, Trump proclaimed on his social media account that he would be arrested on Tuesday. Rolling Stone revealed that the Trump team had been negotiating with the district attorney's office "for the last couple of weeks regarding safety and security concerns" – suggesting there was an understanding that an indictment was imminent earlier than thought.
The Rolling Stones report also said that Secret Service officials told New York City law enforcement they would not allow any handcuffs.
ABC News crafted a timeline of the surrender. While it was scheduled for 2:30 p.m. EST, Trump now wants to arrive at the courthouse at 11:30 a.m. The floor above and below will be secure. Trump is also pushing for cameras to be kept from the courtroom.
“It will be a s--tshow,” the law enforcement official told Rolling Stone. The source also joked that the Secret Service is going to press for surrounding Trump to such a degree "we may have a group mugshot. I wish I was joking, I’m not.”
A Trump source loved the idea of that, telling Rolling Stone, “What a great cartoon. They have to be close to him, so what? Trump’s mug shot will be the former president surrounded by 12 guys in suits with guns wearing sunglasses?”
