Former US President Donald Trump was arrested in a Georgia jail on racketeering and conspiracy charges on Thursday and freed on a $200,000 (nearly R3.78 million) bail after a historic mug shot was taken.
Trump, who is charged with conspiring with 18 other defendants to reverse the outcome of the 2020 election in Georgia, spent less than 30 minutes in Atlanta’s Fulton County Prison before leaving in a motorcade for the airport.
The 77-year-old Trump, like the other defendants in the case who have surrendered so far, had his mug shot taken during the booking procedure, a first for any serving or former US president.
He stared at the camera in the photo posted by the sheriff’s office, wearing a dark blue suit, white shirt and red tie.
Speaking to reporters after his arrest, Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said it was a “very sad day for America.”
“What has taken place here is a travesty of justice,” he said. “I did nothing wrong.”
Trump posted the mug shot on his own Truth Social platform with the caption “Election Interference” and a link to his campaign website.
A short time later, he also put it on X — previously Twitter, which was Trump’s favourite megaphone until he was barred from it following a mob of his fans’ January 6, 2021 insurgency at the US Capitol.
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Elon Musk, the new owner, restored Trump on X in November of last year, but Trump stayed away and instead posted on Truth Social. This was Trump’s first post since 2021 on what was previously known as Twitter.
https://t.co/MlIKklPSJT pic.twitter.com/Mcbf2xozsY
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2023
Trump was given the inmate number “PO1135809” by the Fulton County Jail, which listed his height as six foot three inches (1.9 meters), his weight as 215 pounds (97 kilograms) and his hair colour as “Blond or Strawberry.”
The billionaire has been criminally indicted four times since April, setting the stage for a year of unprecedented drama as he tries to juggle multiple court appearances and another White House campaign.
