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A federal courthouse near the foot of the U.S. Capitol was ringed with law enforcement Thursday, prepared to welcome Donald Trump back to a neighborhood where he rallied thousands of angry supporters toward the seat of government less than three years ago. But this time, he’ll come not as the president, but as a criminal defendant.
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As Trump’s team prepares to travel from Bedminster, N.J., to Washington — where he will face charges that he conspired to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election — federal and local law enforcement officials in the District have been coordinating security measures for his arrival.
As of about 7:30 a.m. Thursday, police had closed D Street between 3rd and 6th Streets in Northwest, while dozens of officers stood on guard in the area. Tow trucks were removing parked cars, and trucks with plow blades were poised to form a barrier.
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The U.S. Marshals Service has stepped up protection for judges assigned to the case, and metal bike rack barriers with yellow tape that bore the phrase “U.S. Marshal Do Not Cross” were placed near the court’s entrance to control pedestrian traffic. At the federal courthouse overnight and in the early morning, nearly 100 journalists and spectators stood in line, waiting for a spot inside.
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Trump Jan. 6 indictment
Trump has been indicted for a raft of alleged crimes stemming from his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Follow live updates.
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The D.C. Police Department said it was working with a host of federal agencies and anticipated “rolling road closures and short-term traffic implications,” in addition to parking restrictions in the blocks surrounding the federal courthouse.
In Miami and New York, two cities where the former president has recently appeared to face federal charges, local officials publicly urged calm — and there was ultimately no unrest. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) declined to comment on what she expects Thursday, and statements from the D.C. police and the U.S. Secret Service did not offer significant details.
Trump has been indicted before. Historians say this time is different.
At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, which Capitol Police called to address false reports of an active shooter inside the Capitol building, Chief Tom Manger said he had been talking to other agency heads about a possible indictment for “about a week” and had “a couple of calls today.”
“We’re prepared for tomorrow,” Manger said, though he declined to elaborate on what that preparation involves.
Washington is battle-tested when it comes to preparing for protests and appearances of high-profile officials. Since the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, law enforcement officials have repeatedly installed and removed fencing around the Capitol, positioned cement barriers at intersections across the city, and deployed teams of officers on foot, bike and even on horse to patrol the streets of the nation’s capital. At times, police have far outnumbered protesters.
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Trump is scheduled to appear in the same courthouse where more than 1,000 people arrested and accused of federal crimes at the Capitol on Jan. 6 have been presented, entered pleas or gone to trial. As of July 6, about 700 have been found guilty and more than 560 sentenced to terms of up to 18 years in prison.
In part because of their prosecutions, experts say, many right-wing organizers have decided that coming to D.C. is too risky. Some in far-right chatrooms have expressed fear that any event in D.C. is a “trap” set up by federal officials to arrest them, relying on a long-standing accusation that the Capitol riot was an “inside job.”
“Folks who showed up on Trump’s command in the past and sparked an insurrection, there have been consequences,” said Melissa Ryan, author of the Ctrl Alt-Right Delete newsletter that tracks online extremism. “There’s a cost for that now. And for groups like the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, this has been a huge hit to their infrastructure. Their leadership were convicted of high crimes.”
Since the Tuesday afternoon indictment, some online users called for a “civil war” and the need for an “armed revolution,” according to SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks online extremism. Others directed their anger toward grand jury members, special counsel Jack Smith and U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who will oversee Trump’s case. One user openly asked for Chutkan’s personal address, according to SITE.
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On the pro-Trump “The Donald” forum, a user posted screenshots of the former president’s messages on Truth Social decrying the “Fake indictment.” Comments poured in, characterizing America as a nation falling apart under an “illegitimate government.” Then, as a recent SITE report notes, one commenter wrote: “And yet no one is willing to fight back.”
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Ongoing investigations involving Donald Trump arrow left arrow right
Donald Trump is facing historic legal scrutiny for a former president. He has been indicted in Florida and Manhattan and is under investigation elsewhere. He has denied all wrongdoing. Here is a list of the key probes and where they stand.
Manhattan district attorney’s investigation
District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) investigated business matters involving Trump, including his alleged role in hush money payments to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign. A grand jury voted to indict Trump on 34 felony charges. The trial has been scheduled for March 2024.
Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation
FBI agents found more than 100 classified documents during a search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence on Aug. 8 as part of a criminal probe into possible mishandling of classified information. On June 8, Trump was indicted in the case and has pleaded not guilty to 37 charges. The trial has been scheduled for May 2024.
Justice Dept. criminal probe of Jan. 6
Prosecutors are looking at the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and whether Trump or his aides conspired to obstruct Congress’s certification of the 2020 election or committed fraud to block the peaceful transfer of power. Trump said he was notified that he is a target of the investigation. Veteran prosecutor Jack Smith is overseeing this and the Mar-a-Lago investigation.
Georgia election results investigation
Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) is investigating whether Trump and his allies illegally interfered in the 2020 election in Georgia. On Feb. 15, a judge released parts of a special-purpose grand jury report, and authorities will decide whether to ask a new grand jury to vote on criminal charges. A decision is expected in August.
Lawsuit over Trump business practices in New York
Attorney General Letitia James (D) filed a lawsuit Sept. 21 against Trump, some of his children and the Trump Organization, accusing them of flagrantly manipulating property valuations to get tax breaks and better terms on loans and insurance policies. A trial is scheduled for October.
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Save for the media tents and the false reports of an active shooter at the Capitol, there was little evidence in D.C. on Wednesday of the former president’s impending appearance. A farmers market was bustling midday near the Ronald Reagan building, with vendors selling kettle corn and fresh-pressed orange juice. Tourists who just finished a tour of the Capitol said no one mentioned the indictment. And one artist selling photographs from D.C. protests had not heard that Trump was arriving this week.
Michael Thornhill, a 57-year-old historian visiting D.C. from Oxford, England, snapped a picture of his teenage sons smiling in front of the U.S. District Court, scores of journalists taking a lunch break behind him.
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“It’s kind of bemusing, looking at America at the moment,” Thornhill said. “You only have to walk around this area to see how wrong Trump is.” He gestured to the Capitol and toward the nearby Justice Department. “It’s the separation of power.”
Thornhill said his family had just visited the National Archives, where they laid eyes on the Constitution, and were heading to the Capitol. The courthouse seemed an appropriate place to stop along the way.
More on the Trump Jan. 6 indictment The latest: A grand jury indicted former president Donald Trump on Tuesday for a raft of alleged crimes in his brazen efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Follow live updates.
The charges: Trump faces four charges in connection with what prosecutors allege was a plan to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Here’s a breakdown of the charges against Trump and what they mean and things that stand out from the Trump indictment. Read the full text of the 45-page indictment, which references Pence or vice presidency more than 100 times.
The case: The special counsel’s office has been investigating whether Trump or those close to him violated the law by interfering with the lawful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election or with Congress’s confirmation of the results on Jan. 6, 2021. Here’s what happens next in the Jan. 6 case.
Can Trump still run for president? While it has never been attempted by a candidate from a major party before, Trump is allowed to run for president while under indictment — or even if he is convicted of a crime.
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Special counsel's Jan. 6 investigation
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