Florida business owners worry about Trump criminal trial at US courthouse next door
FORT PIERCE, Fla. – Steps away from the federal courthouse where Donald Trump will face criminal charges, Ndiaga Niang sweeps the sidewalk in front of his African goods shop every day. Colorful wooden elk and elephants lean over him as he collects leaves and debris along U.S. 1 and Orange Avenue.
Whenever the former president's trial starts, Niang plans to clean his windows, clear a path through his store, and dust his candles, woven bags and carved statues. He said as part of the community, he wants to represent it well.
“I don’t want to fail my city,” said Niang, owner of African Art, Antiques and Gifts. “Not just for the money aspect – I’m going to maybe make a little bit more – but for the image of the city. I don’t want people to, through me … say bad stuff about my city.”
Some owners of businesses near the Alto Lee Adams Sr. United States Courthouse agreed, although most had mixed feelings about the trial.
Niang's store is what he calls a “piece of Africa brought to South Florida.” Beyond selling art, he wants to educate customers.
“You can go from the (Florida) Keys to Maine along the East Coast, you’re not going to find a store like this, like a museum,” he said. “We're not just selling items, we're sharing the culture.”
At the clock repair shop next door, over the sound of ticking clocks and cuckoo bird chirps, owner Mel Liebman said the downtown area will be a zoo during the trial.
“I wish (Fort Pierce) wasn’t the host, but I’m proud of it,” said Liebman, who has owned The Clock Shop of Fort Pierce since 1980. “We're going to get every nut there is in the country.”
He said some days, he can’t find parking himself and is worried customers won't be able to park at Kraaz Square, better known locally as the historic Arcade Building, built in 1926.
“It will affect my business to the negative because there’ll be no parking around here,” Liebman said. “They have to carry (clocks) into my store.”
He said he plans to close shop or lock the door during the court proceedings.
Five days a week, Liebman eats breakfast in the right corner of the Pot Belli Deli, also in the Arcade Building. He gathers with two other regulars, usually orders a half bagel and coffee, and sees the same people every day.
During the trial, he expects the restaurant to be flooded with people.
Owner Lisa Spagnuolo said she may reserve a table for Trump and offer a “Trump lunch” special, which has yet to be determined. Trump could join the wall of photos showing celebrities who've eaten at the deli, such as American zookeeper Jack Hanna.
Spagnuolo said she feels hopeful for more customers, but she is also worried about parking and service.
“It's been difficult, since the pandemic, keeping the staff,” she said.
Down the corridor, Gina Campala offers massage and sound therapy at Mind Body Soulutions. She said her business requires quiet, so she's worried her clients won't be able to hear her flute and ocean soundtracks over the din being generated around the federal courthouse.
“I think it’s going to be a freak show,” she said. “We just want to work. We don’t need security blocking our streets and a big parade in the building next door."
Campala said she doesn’t want to lay hands on any protesters or supporters who want to patronize her shop.
“If you are under a lot of stress and tension, fighting a fight, whether it's in a courtroom or a gunbattle, the energy is the same,” she said. “Do you want to sit there for an hour and a half, two hours with that? I don’t.”
She moved to Fort Pierce for its small-town feel and is worried the national attention will uncover what a hidden treasure the area is.
“When I first found out yesterday the trial was set for here, my initial reaction was anger,” she said. “You put that trial here, now everybody in the world knows about Fort Pierce. … It’s not going to be a small town.”
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The city is already known for attracting politicians, such as Gov. Ron DeSantis, said The Cake Lady Customs Cakes owner Staci Dunn.
Dunn keeps a bobblehead of Trump toting the American flag beside a U.S. Rep. Brian Mast sticker in the shop.
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“I think my clients can rise above our political differences and support a small, local business that provides a superior product and service,” she said. “What does my political beliefs have to do with the taste of my cakes?”
She said she hopes Trump will come into her shop, and she promises to give him anything he wants, including two dozen cupcakes – for free.
Katie Delk is an environmental reporter for TCPalm. Contact her at katie.delk@tcpalm.com or 772-408-5301. Check for updates at @katie_delk.