Former President Donald Trump was seen outside his Trump Tower building on New York City’s 5th Avenue on Sunday night, according to photos published by several news outlets.
The trip to the Trump Tower marks Trump’s first trip to New York City since he left office. Trump was seen pulling up to the building at around 9 p.m. in a black SUV and appeared to wave, reported the New York Post and according to a video published by Freedom News TV.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) started providing additional security around the skyscraper on Saturday, it confirmed to WABC. The video footage showed a large presence of armed police officers and police vehicles situated around the building.
In February, the NYPD started removing barriers in front of the Trump Tower, where Trump used to reside. Those were set up about four years ago after Trump was inaugurated.
The building, which features the former president’s name in gold lettering, had previously drawn protests when Trump was in office, including a Black Lives Matter protest last year in the midst of riots across numerous U.S. cities.
Trump, who was born in the borough of Queens, switched his residency from Manhattan to Florida in October 2019. Trump currently lives at his Palm Beach resort Mar-a-Lago.
It comes as an aide to the former president, Jason Miller, told Mediaite that it’s likely Trump will “return to social media” after he was banned by Facebook, Twitter, and other Big Tech firms. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki appeared to suggest that Trump could return last week.
“I do want to confirm that we will lift the suspension of the channel… when we determine that the risk of violence has decreased,” Wojcicki said, according to CNBC. “Where we stand today, it’s hard for me to say when that’s going to be. But it’s pretty clear right now where we stand that there still is an elevated risk of violence.”
Miller, over the weekend, also disputed a Bloomberg News report that Trump was looking to run in 2024 without former Vice President Mike Pence on the ticket. The Bloomberg report cited anonymous sources.
“I can tell you, as someone who probably speaks with him on the political side as much, if not more than anybody else, never once has there been a conversation internally or in a group about doing something different for the VP position for 2024 if he decides to go that route,” Miller said. “President Trump and Vice President Pence have had a couple of really good conversations since President Trump left office.”
