Dozen Trump faithful gather in show of support at Mar-a-Lago following indictment

PALM BEACH — Just hours after former President Donald Trump revealed he has been indicted and has been summoned to the Miami federal courthouse Tuesday, a dozen of his faithful followers assembled for a familiar scene: a show of support at Mar-a-Lago.

Debbie Macchia of Boynton Beach, who frequently joins sign-waving demonstrations on Southern Boulevard to support Trump, said that this indictment is a “hit job.”

"They will do anything and everything, of course, so that the president would not be allowed to run," Macchia said.

She said the former president's supporters will continue to loyally back him and these criminal charges will boost his support just like Macchia believes happened after felony charges were filed against Trump in New York in April.

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"The people are pissed, and the people are going to speak up," she said. "It's a hit job. It's a setup hit job, plain and simple. He didn't do anything wrong."

Amnon Shalev of Boca Raton said he believes that the bureaucracy in Washington, D.C., and establishment politicians are "afraid" of Trump.

"The bureaucracy on Washington D.C. is afraid of him because he is against the rules," Shalev said.

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Immediate reactions also popped up from across Florida, and from a former member of his administration.

Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, a Palm Beach Gardens resident when he challenged Trump for the 2016 GOP nomination and then was nominated to the Cabinet post, said he was "praying" for his former boss and decried the charges.

"This isn’t about Republican or Democrat. We are a nation of laws, not a nation of vengeance. We are a nation of freedom, not persecution," Carson tweeted. "At least we were. This is not the America I grew up in and this is not the America our children should grow up in."

Democrats say they feel sad for the country, but indictment proves 'no one' is above the law

Among Florida's congressional delegation, the reaction predictably followed partisan lines.

South Florida Democratic U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson on Friday tweeted that the indictment showed the "judicial system is alive" in America.

"No one is above the law, not even a twice impeached, indicted, sued, insurrection inciter, who can’t accept he lost his election — Former President! NO ONE!," tweeted Wilson, who represents a Miami area district. "Our judicial system is alive, well, and strong. God bless America!"

The Florida Democratic Party declined to comment on Trump's indictment. A spokesperson for the party said the party's chair, Nikki Fried, was busy in meetings handling other matters and had plans to issue a statement or comment.

In a tweet, however, U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, whose district includes stretches of Palm Beach County, also posted that: "This serves as another reminder that no American is above the law."

U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, a Democrat who represents the district that includes Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, said in a Friday press conference that she thinks it's a "very sad day when a former president gets indicted."

"This is a sad moment for the country because the charges are serious," Frankel said in a statement after the conference. "I know politics are divisive, but I urge everyone to stay patient and allow the justice system to play out."

Freshman U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz said in an interview with WPTV that he expects to see response to this indictment in the U.S. House because Republicans have control of this chamber, and he said he expects them to "weaponize this."

"I don't take any glee in seeing a president of the United States indicted now for the second time," said Moskowitz, a Democrat who represents areas including Boca Raton and Parkland. "This has serious repercussions for the country, so it's just unfortunately a sad circumstance of events. But look, no one's above the law, and when you break the law, then no matter who you are, you have to be held accountable."

One of the former president's staunchest allies in Congress, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Pensacola, repeated Trump's line about the "phony Boxes Hoax" in a tweet.

"This phony Boxes Hoax indictment against President Trump reflects the most severe election interference on the part of the federal government that we have EVER seen!" Gaetz's post on Twitter read.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, who Trump has vitriolically attacked on the presidential campaign trail, stated his support for his White House rival.

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"The weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society," DeSantis tweeted. "We have for years witnessed an uneven application of the law depending upon political affiliation."

Referring to an FBI decision not to charge former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for storing government files on a separate computer server and the ongoing probe into President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, the governor asked rhetorically: "Why so zealous in pursuing Trump yet so passive about Hillary or Hunter?"

State Rep. Mike Caruso, a Republican who represents a district that includes Trump's Mar-a-Lago property, said the impending criminal charge puts "democracy at risk when justice goes wild," and he said that he believes the Justice Department and FBI have become "so politically charged."

Caruso, who endorsed DeSantis for president last month, said he drove to Southern Boulevard Thursday night to see the protestors.

"It wakes you up to going, 'Wow, this is here, this is right in my backyard, and this is ground zero for it,'" Caruso said.

Stephany Matat is a politics reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY-Florida network. Reach her at smatat@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump indicted Florida: Supporters gather near Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach