Business owners in Fort Pierce, Florida, say they're worried about what might happen to their small town when former President Donald Trump's criminal trial begins with a preliminary hearing Aug. 14 at the nearby Alto Lee Adams Sr. United States Courthouse.
Ndiaga Niang sweeps the sidewalk in front of his African goods shop every day but told USA Today that he plans to clean his windows, make a path through his store, and dust his wares when the former president's trial starts.
"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."
Calling his store a "piece of Africa brought to South Florida," Niang said it's more than just a business.
"You can go from the 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 Shop of Fort Pierce, owner Mel Liebman said the trial will create pandemonium downtown.
"I wish [Fort Pierce] wasn't the host, but I'm proud of it," Liebman, who has owned the clock repair shop since 1980, told USA Today. "We're going to get every nut there is in the country."
Liebman worries that customers won't be able to find parking because some days he can't find his own.
"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 the shop or lock the door during the trial.
Lisa Spagnuolo, who owns the Pot Belli Deli, told USA Today that she's considering reserving a table for Trump and may offer a still-to-be-determined "Trump lunch" special. The former president could also join the wall of celebrity photos showing to eat at the deli.
While she's hopeful for more customers, Spagnuolo said she's worried about service.
"It's been difficult, since the pandemic, keeping the staff," she said.
Mind Body Soulutions owner Gina Campala offers massage and sound therapy and is worried her clients won't be able to hear her flute and ocean soundtracks over the clamor at 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 locking our streets and a big parade in the building next door."
Campala told USA Today she moved to Fort Pierce because of its small-town vibe and is worried the national spotlight will ruin it.
"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."
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.