Donald Trump's mug shot is released
Donald Trump had his mug shot taken at a local jailhouse in Fulton County, Georgia, on Thursday as part of a wide-ranging criminal case stemming from the former US president's attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia.
The businessman- and celebrity reality star-turned-politician will join the ranks of gangster Al Capone, crooner Frank Sinatra and other high-profile Americans who have posed for jailhouse photographs.
The image is certain to be circulated widely by Trump's foes and supporters alike.
One of the most recognizable people in the world, Trump has not had to submit to a photo in three other criminal cases brought against him in Miami, New York and Washington. But fake mug shots have circulated online since shortly after he was first indicted in Manhattan in March on charges involving hush money paid to a porn star ahead of the 2016 election he won.
Trump left Atlanta after being booked on Thursday on more than a dozen felony charges as part of a wide-ranging criminal case stemming from the former US president's attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia.
Trump - inmate no. P01135809, according to Fulton County Jail records - spent about 20 minutes inside the jailhouse.
Before boarding his private plane at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport after the booking, Trump repeated his claim that the prosecution - along with prosecutors in the other indictments he faces - is politically motivated.
Trump, 77, already has entered uncharted territory as the first former US president to face criminal charges, even as he mounts another campaign for the White House next year.
"I really believe this is a very sad day for America. It should never happen. If you challenge an election, you should be able to challenge an election. I thought the election was a rigged election, a stolen election. And I should have every right to do that. As you know, you have many people that you've been watching over the years do the same thing, whether it's Hillary Clinton or Stacey Abrams or many others. When you have that great freedom to challenge, you have to be able to, otherwise you can have very dishonest elections. What has taken place here is a travesty of justice. We did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. And everybody knows it. I've never had such support. And that goes with the other ones, too. What they're doing is election interference, trying to interfere with an election. There's never been anything like it in our country before. This is their way of campaigning and this is one instance, but you have three other instances. It's election interference. So I want to thank you for being here. We did nothing wrong at all. And we have every right, every single right to challenge an election that we think is dishonest, that we think it's very dishonest. So thank you all very much, and I'll see you very soon. Thank you very much," Trump said.
