Tale Of Two Arrivals In Palm Beach For President Trump
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PALM BEACH (CBSMiami) – It was a tale of two arrivals in Palm Beach County for President Donald Trump on Friday.
As he departed Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport Friday afternoon he was greeted with cheers and applause. Similarly, a crowd of several dozen people waited along Southern Boulevard as the presidential motorcade headed towards the Mar-a-Lago resort.
Miriam Esposito was one of the supporters.
"We appreciate what President Trump is doing for Americans," she said. "If we want to all go back to work and if we want our borders secure and if we want the inner cities to have good schools and have employment, then we all need to come together behind him and support him."
It was a much different scene several hours later as a crowd of protesters gathered outside the Four Seasons Resort on Palm Beach, where the president was expected at the resort for a meeting of the Republican National Committee.
A vocal and angry crowd of about 60 people shouted slogans like "No Donald Trump," "No KKK," "No fascist USA." They also carried signs blasting the president for a lack of ethics and his alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. They also took aim at his policies.
"I think he's putting people in charge of our government and our country that are not qualified and he's not qualified," said Caren Peters, of Palm Beach.
As the president's arrival at the Four Seasons became imminent, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies demanded that the crowd move back.
"I hereby declare this to be an unlawful assembly," a PBSO sergeant blared over a loudspeaker. "You have one minute to move down the road 100 yards or you will be arrested."
Deputies in riot gear walked toward the crowd and forced them back to an area where the Secret Service said they could set up.
"Why are you always protecting the bad guys?" said protester John Pope to the deputies.
CBS4 cameras captured one woman being arrested. CBS4's Carey Codd was told another woman was detained. A short time later the presidential motorcade arrived as deputies made sure the protesters remained back.
Charles Holbrook from Delray Beach fears the president will gut environmental regulations, bow to Russia and take America backwards.
"He's just turning back the clock," Holbrook said. "Every time he's down here myself and my friends will be here to let him know that we're here and we're watching him and we're concerned."
It's likely there will be more of these Presidential sightings in South Florida.
According to CBS News, by the end of the weekend the president will have spent 31 percent of his days in office thus far at Mar-a-Lago.
