The Infamous Arrest of 45: Donald Trump's mugshot released, marking a historic first
Former President Donald Trump is shown in a police booking mug shot released by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, on Thursday.Credit...Fulton County Sheriff's Office
It’s not the finest historical moment in America, but it is history nonetheless. After former president Donald Trump was booked at an Atlanta jail on more than a dozen felony charges, his mug shot was released on Thursday evening marking a historic first.
What is the world—or America—coming to?
The unsmiling photograph of inmate no. P01135809 immortalizes the hullabaloo surrounding the criminal case against the 77-year-old politician stemming from his attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia. Trump had not been previously required to submit to a photograph when making appearances in his three other criminal cases.
While some may hang their heads in shame after being arrested, in true flamboyant Trump style, he touted his arrest, sharing the mug shot on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, and his own social media site, Truth Social. His campaign website featured the mug shot along with a message from Trump defending his actions and asking for donations.
The X post appeared to be Trump's first on the site since his account was banned after a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. X owner Elon Musk reinstated Trump's account late last year.
To no one’s surprise, Trump’s first tweet since returning went viral. Currently, the X post has scored a million likes and nearly 300,000 shares making it clear that Trump supporters remain firmly in his corner. However, it remains to be seen if social media traction will convert to votes in 2024’s presidential election, provided he runs.
Trump spent only about 20 minutes at the jail before boarding his private plane at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport and repeating his claim that the prosecution, along with the others he faces, is politically motivated.
"What has taken place here is a travesty of justice," he told reporters. "I did nothing wrong, and everybody knows it."
Despite what Trump characterizes as a political hit job, his most avid supporters believe in the possibility of another Trump term. Almost every day since early April, Donald Trump has drawn at least 50% support in aggregated polls of GOP voters nationally, an indication that the criminal charges are not hurting but helping him among his base.
Thursday dozens of advocates waving Trump banners and American flags jostled for a glimpse as Trump arrived at the jail. Among the Trump backers gathered outside was Georgia U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the former president's most loyal congressional allies.
Trump’s support and legal troubles seem to be simultaneously mounting. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed the first case, accusing Trump of falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to a sex worker who claims to have had a sexual encounter with him years ago.
Trump also faces two sets of federal charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith - one case in Washington involving election interference and one in Miami involving classified documents he retained after leaving office in 2021. He faces 91 criminal counts in total.
In response to his most recent charges resulting in arrest, Trump agreed to post $200,000 bond and accepted bail conditions that would bar him from threatening witnesses or his co-defendants in the Georgia case.
