New York (AFP) - Donald Trump has spent years cultivating a reputation as a "wedding crasher" -- surprising couples tying the knot at his golf courses with impromptu speeches on election fraud, his personal grievances and, if they were lucky, the bride and groom.
The former president proved that old habits die hard Tuesday as his appearance at a New York courthouse touched off a media circus that completely overshadowed the weddings taking place at a marriage bureau across the street.
Trump was in Manhattan to answer charges related to a hush-money payment to a porn star, and crowds of protesters, reporters and curious tourists thronged the streets as would-be newlyweds waited for their turn to get hitched.
"I didn't realize it was happening right here," Peter Don, 30, told NBC as he prepared to declare "I do" at the New York City Marriage Bureau to Monique Beckford Khalia. "It's funny, but it's not going to ruin our day."
"This is our day," added 25-year-old Khalia.
Dominic Lamarco and his spouse had also picked their special day some time in advance and could not have anticipated the spectacle that would play out around them.
Lamarco told NBC Trump being formally charged on their wedding day only made the occasion "more joyful."
The Republican billionaire's star turns appear to have outlived his presidency, as videos and anecdotes of his off-the-cuff speeches at weddings at his residence in Florida have continued to go viral since he left office in 2021.
