LOS ALAMITOS, CA — With Donald Trump’s indictment last Thursday, the nation has been anxiously watching this historic event take place. As with most events involving Trump, people are split and vocal about their opinions.

On the day of the hearing, there was a protest in New York, as many people assumed there would be. Right outside the courthouse where Trump was going to be there were hundreds of people, both in support and opposition of the case. The two groups were in their own sections and any who tried to go into the other group’s area were met with verbal and sometimes physical resistance. There was constant police and journalist presence, so much so that it seemed like half the people were protesters and the other half were journalists of some kind trying to get a story.

Republican House of Representatives member Marjorie Taylor Greene, a devoted Trump supporter and conspiracy theorist, promoted the protest in New York and made a brief appearance before police escorted her away. Greene has been a vocal supporter of Trump, even comparing him to both Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesus Christ.

People involved with the case have also been facing harassment and hate. Both the district attorney that brought up the case and the judge presiding over the case have been dealing with public scrutiny, including death threats. Even the family of the judge are not safe from death threats from Trump supporters.

Along with the strong reactions from the public, there have also been some strange happenings concerning the event.

One major act that didn’t happen is that Trump did not take a mug shot. The mugshot was arguably the most anticipated part of Tuesday’s events, and it is very strange that Trump didn’t have to take one considering most people have to take one. Both parties desired the mugshot. Republicans wanted to use it to campaign for Trump, and Democrats wanted it to paint Trump in a negative light. Paul Mauro, an attorney, and former NYPD inspector described the mugshot as the pot of gold for the indictment. CBS news consultant and former deputy commissioner of NYPD described how strange this was.

“You might be hard pressed to find a past case like this in Manhattan,” Mauro said.

The most likely reason for the lack of a mugshot is to prevent Trump from using it to promote himself. Another reason is that a mugshot is used for identification, and Trump is one of the most famous people in the world so not having one isn’t that big of a deal.

While there was no mugshot taken, Trump is still using this as an opportunity to promote and sell merchandise. On the day of the first court hearing, Trump started selling a shirt with a fake mugshot and the words “NOT GUILTY” for $36 or for “free” with a $47 campaign donation.

With such a historic and controversial case happening in 2023 America, it was destined to cause a stir. The extent and severity of this case remain to be seen, but all of America is certain to anxiously await the outcome.