Former President Donald Trump attends Monday hearing at federal courthouse in Fort Pierce

FORT PIERCE — Supporters of Donald Trump gathered Monday morning outside the federal courthouse in downtown Fort Pierce to catch a glimpse of the former president as he arrived for a hearing related to charges of mishandling classified documents.

A crowd of about 200 people lined Fifth Street behind the Alto Lee Adams Sr. U.S. Courthouse ahead of a 9:30 a.m. hearing before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.

A huge cheer rang out from a group of excited Trump supporters as his motorcade of police motorcycles and several black SUVs passed the courthouse just before 9:30 a.m.

Loud shouts of “USA!” “USA!” rang out as Trump briefly waved at people from a heavily tinted window before the SUV disappeared into an underground garage. Trump did not get out of the car in a public area, and could not be seen getting out of his SUV.

Trump and his attorneys were at the courthouse to attend a “sealed” hearing to in part discuss with Cannon the classified documents involved in the case. The hearing, expected to last five hours, was not open to the public or the media

This was the first time Trump has attended a hearing in this case.

Capture the excitement: Here's a timestamped blog about Trump's Monday visit to Fort Pierce

Trump and his two codefendants, Walt Nauta, his valet and bodyguard, and Carlos de Oliveira, property manager at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, are criminally charged with mishandling federal documents uncovered on Aug. 8, 2022, at Mar-a-Lago.

All three have pleaded not guilty.

Around 2:30 p.m., when Trump’s motorcade left the courthouse, more cheers rose up from the crowd that waited about five hours to watch him exit.

He didn’t address the throngs of supporters who stood along a barricaded sidewalk, but a hand waved briefly through a rolled down window of his black SUV.

'Trump country'

People came from all over, to catch a glimpse of Trump.

The crowd took on a festival atmosphere as music blared from a truck and a vendor sold Trump hats on the sidewalk and supporters swapped stories and shared their adoration for the former president.

St. Lucie County residents Tina Valentin, 57, and Bob Burke, 73, said they were at the courthouse to advocate for Trump’s charges to be dropped, saying he “broke no laws like Biden did.”

Valentin said they were there to praise “his dying efforts to save this nation.

“We have a great nation here and it's really being just torn apart by the Democrats,” she said, “and we really need to save it.”

Trump flags dominated the scene along Fifth Street, along with signs that read “Florida is Trump Country” and “Witch Hunt.”

Justin Navarez, 37, came from Lake Worth toting huge Trump flags he attached to the outside of his car.

He came to the courthouse, he said, to stand with Trump like he has since he first ran for president in 2016.

“We support him anytime he gets indicted or announces that he’s running and goes to the rallies,” Navarez said. “So yeah, we've been with them since the beginning.”

Kenny Nail, chairman of the St. Lucie County Republican Executive Committee, said Monday they urged local members of the GOP to gather at the courthouse ahead of Trump’s arrival.

“President Trump is an amazing person with a vision on what's before this country. We need to go and stand behind him 100%,” Nail said standing with a crowd of flag-toting Trump enthusiasts. “To see just a little over 200 people that showed up here in less than 12- or 13-hour notice is absolutely impressive … I'm proud of Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County to go ahead and come together. We even have friends from Indian River here.”

Though, not everyone who attended Monday was enamored with Trump.

Standing alone at the corner of U.S. 1 and Boston Avenue, Biden supporter Paul Zobel, dressed in a “Biden 2020” shirt, held up a handwritten sign that stated, “Don the con. Lock him up!”

“The flags of the Trump supporters are almost traumatizing,” Zobel said.

Jean Corioland, of Fort Pierce, a supporter of President Joe Biden, unfurled a large blue and white banner thanking him for his “humanitarian program.”

“As a Haitian, I’m proud to have a President that can make us come here legally for a better life,” said Corioland, 44, who immigrated from Haiti about a year ago.

Around 1 p.m. along the southwest corner of U.S. 1 and Orange Avenue, an argument erupted between a woman holding a sign reading “Trump won, Biden treason” and a man with a sign that read “justice delayed is justice denied.”

The woman declined comment.

Robert Hall, 70, a 40-year Fort Pierce resident, who described himself politically as an independent voter, said he opposed Trump’s stances on NATO and Russia, and wanted the documents trial resolved before elections.

“It’s important for America to know the truth. America doesn’t need to be guessing during an election,” Hall said. “Biden’s not my favorite person, but anyone over a traitor to the United States, anyone that would sell out Ukraine to Putin. We’re lucky that NATO wasn’t disbanded.”

Reporters Nick Slater, Corey Arwood and Gianna Montesano contributed to this report.

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Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at  melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Former President Donald Trump attends his first hearing in Fort Pierce