NEW YORK—Former President Donald Trump arrived in Manhattan on the afternoon of April 3 and waved at his supporters before entering his namesake tower, where he will spend the night before his arraignment on Tuesday, when charges from a New York grand jury indictment will be unveiled.

Trump walked into the building from the side door on 56th Street, away from the throngs of reporters and dozens of supporters waiting for him at the main entrances. Three black helicopters hovered over the building ahead of his arrival to the 58-story skyscraper, where his motorcade pulled up not long after 4:00 p.m. local time.

Stephanie Lu, a Chinese American was among a small group of Trump supporters who waved American flags and chanted “we love Trump” as the former president passed with his son Eric Trump, said she felt excited for the chance to express her support.

“At least he saw us waving the flags,” she told The Epoch Times. “We love him so much, because he’s fighting for our country.”

Trump faces charges relating to the payment of hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is expected to bring charges alleging that Trump illegally classified the payment in violation of federal campaign finance laws. Trump has denied all wrongdoing in the matter.

Security has ramped up near the tower and the New York County Supreme Court ahead of the April 4 arraignment, with police erecting metal barriers and blocking access to part of the courthouse in lower Manhattan where court proceedings are set to take place.

Paul Ingrassia, a member of the New York Young Republican Club showing his support outside Trump Tower, dismissed the charges against Trump as “bogus” and said that he hopes his presence could help show that “Donald Trump still has supporters, even in the most liberal part of the country.”

Echoing some political analysts, he believes the indictment is only going to give Trump a boost in the 2024 presidential race, noting that Trump was able to raise $4 million over 24 hours after the indictment news broke about.

New York City mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, has urged people planning to travel to the city to protest to exercise control and “be on your best behavior.”

“While there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: control yourselves,” Adams said on Monday. “New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger.

Karen Lichtbraun, a 62-year-old preschool teacher in New York, rebuffed Adams’s warning, pointing to the rising crime rate in the city.

“Why doesn’t he tell the people on the streets who are shooting up our city to behave themselves? We’re not violent, we protest peacefully,” Lichtbraun, another supporter outside Trump’s Manhattan residence, told The Epoch Times. “The city is going up in flames, and he tells MAGA supporters to behave?”

Lichtbraun, who is Jewish, said she was especially appreciative of Trump’s pro-Israel policy during his presidency.

Robert Hoatson was also among a handful of counter-protesters waiting near Trump Tower.

On his hand were two signs reading “lock him up” and “throw away the key,” a reference to the chant “lock her up” that Trump helped popularize during the 2016 presidential campaign, targeting his Democrat presidential rival, Hilary Clinton, on her handling of classified information.

“We’ve got to neutralize them to the point where he can have no part in any determination of American policy ever again,” he said.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is set to host a pro-Trump rally at a park near the Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday morning, which Ingrassia, who is attending, believes will have a large turnout.

“I’m sure many other supporters will be coming out from across not just New York state, but really across the country, they’re going to be coming out to rally on behalf of President Trump and show that, his base is strong, and we’re behind him,” he said.