Shruti Suman
Former US President Donald Trump was arrested at a Georgia jail on Thursday, facing racketeering and conspiracy charges. He was released on a $200,000 bond after having his historic mug shot taken. Trump, along with 18 other defendants, is accused of colluding to overturn the 2020 election result in the state. He spent less than half an hour in Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail before departing in a motorcade for the airport.
Similar to the other defendants, Trump had his mug shot taken during the booking process, marking the first instance of such a photo for a serving or former US president. In the released photograph from the sheriff’s office, he scowled at the camera while dressed in a dark blue suit, white shirt, and red tie.
After his arrest, Trump, who is a frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, told reporters that it was a “very sad day for America.” He asserted his innocence, stating, “What has taken place here is a travesty of justice. I did nothing wrong.”
Trump posted the mug shot on his own Truth Social platform, adding the caption “Election Interference” along with a link to his campaign website. He was assigned the inmate number “PO1135809” by the Fulton County Jail, which listed his height as six feet three inches (1.9 meters), weight as 215 pounds (97 kilograms), and hair color as “Blond or Strawberry.”
Having faced four criminal indictments since April, Trump is navigating a year marked by court appearances and his pursuit of another White House campaign. Notably, he managed to avoid having a mug shot taken during his previous arrests this year, which included charges in New York, Florida, and Washington.
Trump’s arrest followed his decision to skip a televised debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, involving eight other contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Despite this, most of the candidates expressed their support for him as the party’s nominee, even if he were to be convicted.
As for court dates, his trials may coincide with the Republican presidential primary season in early 2024 and the campaign for the November 2024 White House election. A proposed trial date for charges related to overturning the 2020 election is in January 2024, while Trump’s attorneys have suggested a later start date in April 2026.
The Georgia district attorney, Fani Willis, has proposed different trial start dates, with one in October this year after initially suggesting March next year. Additionally, the Florida case involving secret government documents is scheduled for May.
