‘The worst thing I have ever seen’: Traumatized Trump fans react in horror as man sets himself on fire outside hush money trial

Traumatized Trump fans who witnessed a man gruesomely set himself on fire outside the former president’s hush-money trial on Friday shared their shocked reactions.

Maxwell Azzarello, 37, doused himself with an alcohol substance before taking a lighter to his clothes near Manhattan Criminal Court.

Fred Gates of Astoria was in a nearby park. He said: ‘I saw him take off a backpack, take out two cans of petrol and then take one can and pour it on himself on both sides.’

Gates described shouting for police to come in as people started running away – including himself.

“I got halfway to the park and then he went,” Gates recalled. ‘He threw a bunch of kites in the air… He had nothing on his t-shirt.”

Gruesome scenes unfolded outside Donald Trump’s hush money trial on Friday after a man set himself on fire in an act of extreme political protest

Maxwell Azzarello, 37, doused himself with alcohol before putting a lighter in his clothes near Manhattan Criminal Court

Kites were noticed at the self-immolation site shortly after the self-immolation. It has not been confirmed whether they belong to the victim

The shocked witness described Azzarello as “very calm” and “quiet”, adding that he said nothing as he set himself on fire.

‘At first I thought it was fake, he was doing some kind of protest using fake petrol. I didn’t think it was real. It seemed like it burned for 5 minutes. There was no help. Everyone was screaming and looking at it,” Gates said.

Kennedy Mack was visiting from South Carolina and said the shocking event “came completely out of the blue.”

“He started throwing brochures around and then poured gasoline on himself, two or three gallons,” Mack said. ‘It was horrible, why would anyone do this to themselves. I wish we never came this way now.’

Witnesses said it was a political protest and that Azzarello threw flyers over Trump and Boden before throwing gasoline on himself and setting himself on fire. According to bystanders, his sign included Trump and Biden.

Devastated eyewitnesses described hearing screams as the man burst into flames

Police officers investigate a canister of flammable liquid left where a man set himself on fire in Collect Pond Park, outside Manhattan Criminal Court

Witnesses described the incident as a ‘political protest’, although it was not clear which side he was on

Trump fans were outside the Manhattan courthouse during the traumatizing fire

Kayley Bruce, who was also on vacation from South Carolina, cried as she recalled the moment Azzarello set himself on fire.

“I saw him throwing gasoline,” she said through tears. ‘It was bad, it was the most horrific thing I have seen in my life. It was horrible. I just started praying. I didn’t know what else to do. I don’t know if he’s still alive. His body was completely charred.”

Another witness, Charles Udoaka, said: “I have never seen anything like this in my life.”

He said: ‘I was walking through the park and saw a fire, which then ignited. People were screaming and trying to use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire.”

Another witness was ordering a hot dog nearby when they turned around and heard people screaming. “It was crazy, it was scary,” they said.