Donald Trumpand his wife,Melania Trump, were both “shocked” upon hearing the news that the former president had been indictedon roughly 30 countslast week, sources tell PEOPLE, despite understanding that possible criminal charges were looming in Manhattan.
“Melania and Donald were both shocked when they were told,” a political source tells PEOPLE. “They weren’t expecting it, but Melania will support him. That’s what she does. They are a family.”
While the former president has left the couple’s home at the private Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, the couple were as recently as last week living life as usual.
Donald and Melania dined with a group of people Thursday night after the indictment came down. According to a Palm Beach source, they appeared not to be terribly rattled.
“Like usual, drama swirls around them and they wade through it,” the source tells PEOPLE. “It’s part of their lives.”
Melania Trump attends the funeral of Donald Trump’s ex-wife, Ivana Trump.Julia Nikhinson/AP/Shutterstock
The source adds that Melania is upset andangry about the indictment— which stems from an alleged hush money payment he made to adult film starStormy Danielsin 2016 — but not devastated. Like her husband, she is more surprised.
The former president, meanwhile, has found solace in his many supporters that greet him with a thumbs-up in the halls and on the golf green at his private club. “They think it’s a political witch hunt and nothing will change their minds,” a social source says. “Even though nobody knows what is in the sealed indictment, their minds are made up.”
The source continues: “Donald’s supporters rally around them, and that buoys his spirits.”
For days, some of those supporters have held pro-Trump signs on the road leading from West Palm Beach to Mar-a-Lago.
“People showing their support for Donald make him feel that he will be fine and that this is a witch hunt,” another social and political source close to Trump tells PEOPLE.
Another political source says in Donald’s moments of confidence, he thinks the indictment will portray him as a victim.
“Donald continues to use the indictment as a way to gain prominence in his attempts to be the GOP nominee again…but is he worried? Very much so,” the political source asserts to PEOPLE. “He doesn’t think he can get a fair trial in New York, and is already blasting the judge who he said hates his company.”
Dave Aronberg, state attorney for Palm Beach County and former member of the Florida state Senate, also believes that Donald didn’t expect the indictment.
Aronberg suggests that Donald is feeling a mix of emotions since he has been the subject of many investigations over decades and managed to escape being charged.
“Trump for years has avoided criminal charges despite frequent scrutiny in gray areas,” Aronberg says. “Now he is experiencing a swirl of emotions — nervous, defiant, angry.”
Though some wondered whether Donald would surrender to authorities in the case, he made clear on Monday that he would, when he was seen boarding a private flight to New York, where his attorneys say he will appear in court on Tuesday.
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Responding to hearsay swirling around recently, a spokesperson for the former president cautioned to PEOPLE that “anyone who talks about President Trump’s mood has no idea what they’re talking about and are simply lying to make it seem like they know what’s going on.”
“In fact, they are on the outside looking in, quite sad,” the spokesperson said.
source: people.com
