Jubilant Couples Get Married Amid Trump’s Arraignment at Manhattan Courthouse
As former U.S. President Donald Trump faced his arraignment at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Tuesday, a few blocks away, love was in the air for New York City couples. Peter Don and Monique Beckford Khalia were the first in line at the New York City Marriage Bureau to tie the knot, unfazed by the historic event happening just around the corner. “It’s funny, but it’s not going to ruin our day,” said Don, 30, while Khalia, 25, added, “This is our day.”
Meanwhile, Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia, who was at the courthouse to show support for the ex-president, faced an angry anti-Trump crowd, and hastily retreated back to her SUV. At a pro-Trump protest outside the courthouse, Rep. George Santos from New York also made a brief appearance, calling the unfolding drama “media chaos.”
As the two groups yelled at each other, New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned Trump supporters that the police would not hesitate to arrest anyone who broke the law while protesting the former president’s arraignment. He dispatched a small army of police officers to keep the peace and to ensure the safety of the protesters.
Despite the chaos outside, couples like Jason Mcfarland and Dominic Lamarco, who had picked out Tuesday as their wedding day months ago, were beaming. Although they were initially panicked about their nuptials coinciding with Trump’s indictment, they later relaxed, knowing they would be saying “I do” hours before the former president arrived at the courthouse.
Martin Sefranek, 43, and Jared Kronenberg, 42, who were also waiting in line to get hitched, shared a similar sentiment. “It’ll be a nice little anecdote to add to our story,” said Sefranek, while Kronenberg said, “Either way, we had a story.”
In the end, love reigned supreme, as couples exchanged vows and celebrated their special day, while the rest of the world watched the historic events unfold.
