First Read

'Everything is safe,' Francis Suarez says amid Trump arraignment in Miami

The city's mayor (and a likely presidential contender) posted a video about public safety while the former president was in town.

A real pig head on a stake outside the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami, Fla. on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. Former President Donald Trump appeared in court to face federal criminal charges.

A real pig head on a stake outside the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami, Fla. on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. Former President Donald Trump appeared in court to face federal criminal charges. Photo by Thomas Simonetti for The Washington Post via Getty Images

By Jim Rosica

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Jim Rosica
By Jim Rosica
Editor-in-Chief

Francis Suarez, the mayor of Miami and a likely presidential candidate, took a victory lap Tuesday in the wake of Donald Trump’s appearance at the city’s federal courthouse. In a minute-long video posted online, Suarez can be seen meeting with law enforcement officials, greeting bike cops and walking outside in sunglasses as he was interviewed by reporters and others, surrounded by cameras and smartphones. 

“I think it's (been) up to now a peaceful demonstration for people exercising their constitutional rights, to express themselves, which is what we love about this country, what people have died for in this country,” Suarez said in the video. One woman came up to him and said, “Thank you for everything.” He replied, “You're welcome. Everything is safe.”

Miami Chief of Police Manuel Morales (left) looks on as Miami Mayor Francis Suarez speaks during a Monday press conference regarding the city's preparations for a court appearance by former President Donald Trump on June 13. (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)

The city “prepared for anywhere from 5,000 to upward of 50,000 protesters” ahead of the arraignment of the former president, “who faces a 37-count federal indictment over classified documents he allegedly stored at his (Palm Beach) residence, Mar-a-Lago, after leaving the White House,” the Miami Herald explained. He pleaded not guilty. The crowd “peaked at nearly 1,500,” one police officer later told the Herald, which also reported there were “some skirmishes that police had to break up.”

At one point in the video, Suarez was asked, “How do you feel about security and safety so far today?” He said, “I feel good. The crowd is manageable. We've obviously anticipated any possibility and we had significant contingency plans … Today is about keeping my city safe.”

This is First Up, an excerpt from City & State's daily morning newsletter, First Read. To subscribe for free, please visit our newsletters page. 

NEXT STORY: Alexis Calatayud, other Floridians named to political group's 'honor roll'

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