Donald Trump has officially become the first American president to have his mug shot taken.
The former prez voluntarily surrendered to booking at Fulton County Jail in Georgia on felony charges in connection with alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the Peach State. In a first for his legal troubles, now totaling 4 indictments this year, Trump had his mug shot taken, which was released by the jail after the 2024 presidential candidate left after booking. He had utilized a local Georgia bail bondsman to post bond, which the bondsman told the media was paid in full up front.
Donald Trump Arrested At Georgia Jail On Thursday; Released On Bond
Former president Donald Trump voluntarily turned himself in on Thursday night at Fulton County Jail in Georgia on felony charges stemming from the results of the 2020 election. He left fairly soon after the same evening, once his mug shot was taken and he had officially posted his $200,000 bond.
In an interview soon after the arrest with television network Newsmax, he detailed his experience being booked at Fulton County. "I came in, I was treated very nicely," Trump told host Greg Kelly. "But it is what it is. I took a mug shot. I never heard the words 'mug shot'; that wasn't—they didn't teach me that at the Wharton School of Finance." The former president added, "It’s a very sad experience, and it’s a very sad day. For me, this is a weaponized Justice Department." After leaving the jail, Trump immediately headed to Newark Liberty International Airport via private plane, and is expected to be present at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
18 Other Trump Associates Also Arrested On RICO Charges Regarding 2020 Election
Trump and 18 associates, including his former attorney (and former "America's Mayor") Rudy Giuliani and his former chief of staff Mark Meadows, face racketeering charges in the state for their alleged scheme to overturn the contentious election results. Of co-defendant Rudy Guiliani, Trump had only positive things to say. "[Guiliani's] the one, and we all are the ones that question the election," he stated. "The ones they should go after [are] the ones that rigged the election." Of the prosecutors in the case, the former Apprentice host railed, "These are animals. These are vicious animals that have destroyed the lives of these people," referring to the 18 associates also arrested in Georgia.
Each of the associates voluntarily surrendered for arrest earlier in the week, having their own mug shots taken. Giuliani, for example, is charged with 13 felony counts in the case, including violating the Georgia RICO Act, a.k.a. racketeering, and giving false statements in both speech and writing. Discussing the situation with journalists in New York on Wednesday prior to the surrender, the former NYC mayor said he was "feeling very, very good about it because I feel like I am defending the rights of all Americans, as I did so many times as a United States attorney." The situation is especially ironic for Giuliani, as he famously popularized the use of RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) in the Big Apple to round up mobsters back in the 1980s, even earning an award by the Italian government for his efforts.
For Donald Trump's part, the once and future candidate decided to skip the first GOP presidential debate in the midst of all the arrest uproar, saying that he didn't need to participate as he is currently so far ahead in the polls. Trump also faces other federal charges for allegedly mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House, again attempting to overturn the 2020 election results, and purported secret hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
