$50 an hour to wait in line? How Trump's arraignment became a windfall for line-sitting gig workers

Ahead of former President Donald Trump’s arraignment on charges that he tried to steal the 2020 election, members of the media, supporters of the former president and his critics flocked to the courthouse where he would plead not guilty to the accusations.

Even on Wednesday, the day before the arraignment, a line began to form for members of the media hoping to access the courtroom in the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse. But the line wasn’t entirely reporters camped out for coverage.

Same Ole Line Dudes, a company that provides professional line sitters, confirmed to USA TODAY that it secured “7 assignments from 3 major outlets" beginning at 9 p.m. the night before Trump's appearance.

Robert Samuel, who founded Same Ole Line Dudes in 2012, declined to say which outlets the company worked with ahead of the arraignment.

“We are very proud to help the press be on the front lines of history-making events to report accurately and timely,” he told USA TODAY.

Samuel explained that the company usually charges $25 per hour, but they charged news outlets $50 for the arraignment, given the possibility of protesters at the courthouse − both those supporting and criticizing Trump.

The company usually provides line sitters for more cultural events and trends, ranging from the once-viral cronuts to Broadway shows and popular restaurants.

But not all of the line sitters for Trump's arraignment worked with specific companies. Kai Pischke, an incoming Ph.D. student at Oxford University, sat in a line on Wednesday night with his cousin, an employee at ABC News.

Pischke said his group started at about 5:30 p.m. and finished by 10:30 p.m., but there was already a buzz in the air.

"It was quite exciting," he told USA TODAY, though he said he doubted he would sit in line "for like concert tickets or something for that long."

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Line sitters aren't the only tactic reporters have used to cover major news events. Earlier this year, reporters weren't allowed to use electronics in parts of the federal courthouse in Miami where Trump pleaded not guilty to charges related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents.

The USA TODAY Network, CNN and other media outlets devised a range of plans to cover the former president’s plea, including using the court’s pay phones – which could only dial local phone numbers.

“In all my years of field producing, never have I been involved in an operation as complex as this literal game of professional telephone,” Noah Gray, CNN’s senior coordinating producer for special events, said after the hearing.

Professional line standers aren’t a new institution in Washington, either. Lawmakers have previously proposed requiring lobbyists to certify they haven't paid anyone to save a seat at congressional hearings. The Supreme Court has also requested members of the Supreme Court Bar not use “line standers” to attend arguments, according to their website.