ATLANTA — In the shadow of the Fulton County Jail, a community watches and waits for its most famous visitor: Former President Donald Trump is expected to turn himself into authorities at the jail Thursday, according to a social media post from Trump himself.
A man who only gave 11Alive his first name, Donald, lives close to the jail. He said he was ready for the spotlight a presidential visit will bring.
"On the world stage, it's pretty significant," Donald said. "But in reality of the operations of what's happening, it's pretty insignificant. The traffic in this neighborhood, it gets backed up on a holiday or a movie being produced very easily, but then it kind of resolves pretty quickly, as well."
Trump is one of 19 people charged in a case centered on an alleged conspiracy to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results. He recently had his bond set by a superior court judge at $200,000, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis gave Trump and the other co-defendants until noon Friday to surrender themselves at the Fulton County Jail.
Ray Moore, a retired secret service agent who has served eight current and former presidents, expects major roads and interstates to shut down for the president's visit. He said the FBI and Georgia Bureau of Investigation are currently gathering intelligence, looking online and assessing any threats that may come with Trump's visit.
"We employ the same protocols and procedures in protecting him when he's at home, on the road, at a concert, when he's at court," Moore explained. “When former President Trump comes into Atlanta to be processed, the motorcade route that he’s going to come into is going to be secured. When he arrives at the jail, there will be no one, no prisoners or anyone like that in close proximity to him.
"You won’t see prisoners, inmates walking around, not even sheriff [office] employees walking around who do not have an actual role in his processing. That’s how they’ll close that down," Moore continued. "They will take him to the processing room, where there will be limited people in that room, also. They will process him, fingerprint him, photograph him, and then he’ll be sent on his way."
Moore expects the entire process to last about an hour-and-a-half. Lines of law enforcement vehicles could be seen outside the jail Tuesday, and the sheriff's office said there would be a hard lockdown of the jail when Trump arrives. No one will be able to get in or out of the jail during that time. MARTA said bus routes 1 and 26 would be rerouted on Thursday as a result of the former president's visit.
Donald said he would likely check out the action, no matter how limited his view might be, due to the historical nature. That process will play out essentially in his backyard.
"I'll walk the dog, I'll probably see some of the hoo-hah down the street, because that's near where I walk my dog," Donald said. "I may go further just to see what all is there."