By ERIC TUCKER, KATE BRUMBACK and JILL COLVIN (Associated Press)
ATLANTA (AP) — A scowling Donald Trump posed for a mug shot Thursday as he surrendered inside a jail in Atlanta on prices that he illegally schemed to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, making a historic and humbling visible underscoring the previous president’s escalating authorized troubles.
The reserving photograph immediately turns into a part of the previous president’s legacy as he confronts felony prices in 4 American cities whereas searching for to reclaim the White House. His aides swiftly seized on the picture, fundraising off the primary mug shot in American historical past of a former president as consultant of the unfair persecution they contend Trump is encountering. His opponents, in the meantime, are probably to make use of it to remind voters of risks in electing a president dealing with dozens of felony prices.
Trump was launched on $200,000 bond and headed again to the airport for his return flight residence to New Jersey, flashing a thumbs-up by means of the window of his sport utility automobile as his motorcade left. Unrepentant however subdued after the temporary jail go to, he once more insisted that he “did nothing wrong” and referred to as the case accusing him of subverting election outcomes a “travesty of justice.”
“If you challenge an election, you should be able to challenge an election,” he advised reporters on the airport tarmac.
Trump’s give up to legislation enforcement authorities, the fourth time this 12 months, has by now develop into a well-recognized election-season routine in a method that belies the unprecedented spectacle of a former president, and present candidate, being booked on felony prices. But his go to to Atlanta was notably completely different from the three previous surrenders, unfolding at evening and requiring him to go to a problem-plagued jail — somewhat than a courthouse.
And in contrast to in different cities that didn’t require him to pose for a mug shot, a reserving photograph of him was taken. It depicts Trump, carrying a navy swimsuit and pink tie, angrily scowling on the digicam, his brows furrowed as he stares into the lens.
Before Trump’s airplane had crossed North Carolina, his marketing campaign was already utilizing the picture to solicit contributions on a fundraising web site. And for the primary time since Jan. 8, 2021, he made a submit on X, the web site previously generally known as Twitter, issuing a fundraising plea on the platform that prevented him from utilizing his account after he helped spark the violent rebel on the U.S. Capitol.
“This mugshot will forever go down in history as a symbol of America’s defiance of tyranny,” mentioned a Trump marketing campaign fundraising electronic mail.
He additionally referred to as into conservative TV channel Newsmax to speak about what he mentioned had been a “terrible experience.”
“It’s a very sad experience and it’s a very sad day for our country,” he mentioned.
His jail go to created a exceptional split-screen visible throughout a 2024 Republican major contest wherein he stays the main candidate, swiping the highlight at the very least briefly from his opponents and coming someday after a debate in Milwaukee the place eight of his main rivals sought to use Trump’s absence by making an attempt to face out from the pack.
Trump landed in Atlanta round 7 p.m. and was pushed to jail for the reserving course of. He supplied a wave and thumbs-up as he descended the steps of his personal airplane.
He accomplished the method in a brisk 20 minutes, offering officers as is customary together with his bodily measurements: 6 foot 3 inches. 215 kilos. Blond or strawberry hair. And Trump, who for 4 years within the White House reveled within the title of “Mr. President,” was given the inmate variety of P01135809.
The Fulton County prosecution is the fourth felony case in opposition to Trump since March, when he grew to become the primary former president in U.S. historical past to be indicted. Since then, he’s confronted federal prices in Florida and Washington, and this month he was indicted in Atlanta with 18 others — together with his ex-chief of employees, Mark Meadows, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani — beneath a racketeering statute usually related to gang members and arranged crime.
District Attorney Fani Willis had given the entire defendants till Friday afternoon to show themselves in on the fundamental Fulton County jail.
Just forward of his give up, Trump employed a brand new lead legal professional for the Georgia case.
Prominent Atlanta felony protection legal professional Steve Sadow changed one other high-profile felony protection legal professional, Drew Findling, who had represented Trump as just lately as Monday when his bond phrases have been negotiated. But by Thursday Findling was not a part of the workforce, in line with an individual with data of the change who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to debate the matter publicly.
Sadow mentioned in a press release that “the president should never have been indicted. He is innocent of all the charges brought against him.”
Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. He mentioned in a social media submit this week that he was being prosecuted for what he described in capital letters as a “perfect phone call” wherein he requested the Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, to assist him “find 11,780 votes” for him to overturn his loss within the state to Democrat Joe Biden.
The Fulton County jail the place Trump surrendered has lengthy been a troubled facility. The Justice Department final month opened a civil rights investigation into circumstances, citing filthy cells, violence and the demise final 12 months of a person whose physique was discovered coated in bugs in the principle jail’s psychiatric wing. Three folks have died in Fulton County custody up to now month.
He didn’t spend a lot time there. His attorneys and prosecutors had already agreed to a $200,000 bond, plus circumstances that embrace barring the previous president from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims within the case.
Charles Shaw, CEO of Foster Bail Bonds in metro Atlanta, mentioned his firm put up Trump’s $200,000 bond. Shaw mentioned Trump paid his firm 10% — or $20,000 — which is customary for bail bondsmen to cost. Shaw mentioned he doesn’t know Trump, however that Trump’s Atlanta protection attorneys have a detailed enterprise relationship together with his firm.
Unlike in different jurisdictions, in Fulton County, arraignments — wherein a defendant seems in court docket for the primary time — typically occur after a defendant surrenders on the jail and completes the reserving course of, not on the identical day.
That means Trump could need to make one other journey to Georgia within the coming weeks although the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has mentioned some arraignments within the case could occur nearly if the choose permits. Or Trump’s arraignment might be waived.
____
Tucker reported from Washington, Colvin from New York. Associated Press writers Sudhin Thanawala, Jeff Amy and Jeff Martin in Atlanta and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Ga. contributed to this report.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”