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Trump returns to X with mug shot and a statement; Elon Musk reacts
Trump's mug shot could be the most famous booking photo in history – it is a first for a former US president.
Former US President Donald Trump posted on X, formerly Twitter, for the first time since the social media firm restored his account last year. Trump posted his mug shot that was earlier released by Fulton County Sheriff’s Office following his arrest in connection with the Georgia election subversion case.
Along with his mug shot, a first for any US president, Trump posted a link to his fundraising website.
“Today, at the notoriously violent jail in Fulton County, Georgia, I was ARRESTED despite having committed NO CRIME,” Trump said in a statement.
“The American people know what’s going on. What has taken place is a travesty of justice and ELECTION INTERFERENCE.”
Trump said he walked into a “lion's den” with a simple message that “I will never surrender to save America.”
Reacting to Trump's post on X, Elon Musk, who owns the social media company, wrote, “Next-level”.
Trump was formally arrested at Fulton County Jail Thursday on racketeering and conspiracy charges and released on a $200,000 bond. He is accused of colluding with 18 other defendants to overturn the 2020 election result in Georgia.
The top Republican leader, who is running for president in the 2024 election, has already made history as the first former US president to face criminal charges - that too four times. He created another history today as he had to pose for a booking photo, which quickly went viral on social media.
In the photo, Trump confronts the camera in front of a bland gray backdrop, his eyes meeting the lens in an intense glare. He's wearing a blue suit, white shirt and red tie, his shoulders squared, his head tilted slightly toward the camera. The sheriff's logo has been digitally added above his right shoulder.
Outside the Fulton County Jail on Thursday, some Trump supporters questioned why a mug shot was needed.
"The mug shot isn't necessary and is done to hurt him. But it won't," Malcolm Davis, 19, said, according to Reuters.
Others, however, saw an opportunity.
"We want them to take a mug shot. We want to put it on a T-shirt. It will go worldwide. It will be a more popular image than the Mona Lisa," said Laura Loomer, a former Republican congressional candidate.
(With inputs from agencies)
