Rage and dismay, relief and joy: SoCal reacts to Trump’s indictment

Protesters line a sidewalk. One carries a cross. Another carries a U.S. flag and a large mask of Donald Trump's face.

, Anh Do, Benjamin Oreskes and Susanne Rust

April 4, 2023 7:14 PM PT

In the wake of former President Trump’s historic indictment in a New York court on Tuesday, reactions from residents of Southern California echoed the wide political rift apparent elsewhere in the nation — with some raging and many rejoicing.

On Tuesday afternoon, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts. He became the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges after an investigation that initially focused on a $130,000 payment made by his former attorney Michael D. Cohen to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. That payment was allegedly made to prevent Daniels from publicly disclosing an affair she had with him while Trump was campaigning for president.

At rush hour, seven people appeared outside the Federal Building in West L.A. They held signs and screamed at passing traffic about the indictment and supposed misdeeds committed by President Biden.

One used a megaphone to say: “We are all one nation under God, not one nation under Joe Biden.”

Another then yelled: “If we lose this country, we’ll have nowhere else to go.”

Several vehicles honked as they passed along Wilshire Boulevard; it was unclear if drivers were depressing their horns in support — or disgust.

In the Orange County city of Laguna Hills, about 50 gathered outside an In-N-Out Burger, waving Trump flags and yelling, “Free Trump!” and “USA!” They sang along to “God Bless the USA” and “Macho Man” playing from a speaker.

Rally attendee J.R. Olvera said the indictment was “ridiculous” and blamed the news media for “covering up the truth” about a stolen 2020 election. “America is being destroyed right now,” he said. “We want to preserve America.”

Marilyn Fischer, 77, of Laguna Woods stood among the crowd holding a “Wanted for president” poster with Trump’s photo. She was motivated to come out to show her support for the former president because she said he’s being targeted unfairly.

“They want to get rid of Trump any way they can. It’s a lot of lies,” she said.

They were sentiments echoed earlier in the day by Mike Bordas, who was walking his fox terrier mix, Murray, behind Grand Central Market. He said he was outraged authorities continued to target “a great person like the president.”

Elsewhere, residents greeted the news with hope and satisfaction.

Raquel and Ignacio Delgadillo, on their way to the Broad Museum with their daughter, paused to absorb the news after Trump’s courthouse appearance.

The couple, from South Los Angeles, applauded Tuesday’s developments, yet Raquel Delgadillo, an IT employee at a credit union, said she wouldn’t be fully satisfied until Jan. 6 “crimes are included with all the other crimes.”

“I think it will hold more weight when they add everything together. These are situations that speak to his character. All of them should be taken into account,” she said.

Ignacio Delgadillo agreed, saying: “The country needs to move on. The sooner he is held accountable, the sooner we can do that.”

Taking a break from jury duty and strolling along Spring Street in downtown L.A. to find food, Kate Gill said she was “gratified” to hear the former president was being held accountable.

“Trump was a terrible president and a terrible thing to happen to our country. I’m glad he’s gone from office,” she said.

The Silver Lake resident, who works in creative development in the television industry, is hoping more charges will emerge against him, such as those involving the Jan. 6 insurrection.

“It’s finally catching up to him,” she said. “People have been waiting for action and they have been so patient.”

Full coverage: Former President Trump pleads not guilty to classified documents charges

Curated by the L.A. Times staff

California

Hannah Fry

Hannah Fry covers breaking news for the Los Angeles Times. She most recently covered Orange County for The Times and has written extensively about criminal trials, housing, politics and government. In 2020, Fry was part of the team that was a Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of a boat fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara. Fry came to The Times from the Daily Pilot, where she covered coastal cities, education and crime. An Orange County native, Fry started her career as an intern at the Orange County Register.

Anh Do

Anh Do, deputy editor for culture and talent, helps manage our internship, fellowship, recruitment and training programs. Before this job, she worked as community engagement editor, and as Metro reporter covering Asian American issues and general assignments for 11 years. Do has reported for the Seattle Times, the Orange County Register and Nguoi Viet Daily News, the largest Vietnamese publication in the U.S. Born in Saigon, she is a graduate of USC with degrees in journalism and English. Her writing on culture and trauma has won awards from Columbia University and AAJA and she received Yale’s Poynter Fellowship in Journalism. In 2016, she was part of the Times team that won a Pulitzer Prize for breaking news coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attacks, and in 2024, part of the team named a Pulitzer finalist for breaking news coverage of the Monterey Park shootings. Her passion is dog rescue, having volunteered on missions around the globe.

Benjamin Oreskes

Benjamin Oreskes is a former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. He covered state and national politics, City Hall, homelessness and wrote the Essential California newsletter. Before coming to The Times in February 2017, he covered foreign policy at Politico in Washington, D.C.