Donald Trump reveals why his campaign started selling mugshot merchandise: ‘I want you to…’

Donald Trump's team claimed that the former US President was "tortured" in Fulton County Jail in Georgia.

Published on: Jun 25, 2024, 19:17:38 IST

By Shweta Kukreti

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Donald Trump's team claimed that the former US President was "tortured" in Fulton County Jail in Georgia after his surrender in August on charges of meddling with the 2020 presidential election.

Donald Trump turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail last August as required by the terms of his criminal indictment in Georgia. (via Reuters)

“I want you to remember what they did to me. They tortured me in the Fulton County Jail, and TOOK MY MUGSHOT. So guess what?” stated a Trump's campaign in fundraising email as it sold coffee cups featuring his historic mugshot at the jail, as per the Hill.

“I put it on a mug for the WHOLE WORLD TO SEE!”

Trump and 2020 election interference case

Trump turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail last August as required by the terms of his criminal indictment in Georgia, where he is accused of 13 crimes related to his attempts to rig the 2020 election.

Following his arrival, Trump was photographed for a mug shot and his fingerprints were also taken. After completing the roughly 20-minute process, Trump became the first American president to have his mug shot taken and be booked in prison for a criminal case.

Trump's campaign successfully raised an incredible $4.18 million in the next 24 hours after his booking. It started selling T-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers and other memorabilia, featuring mugshot with the phrase “Never surrender”.

Also Read: Donald Trump responds to media portrayal of him as ‘cognitively impaired’

Trump campaign breaks previous fundraising records

According to Trump's campaign, his team broke that record last month when it brought in an astounding $53 million in a day following his conviction in the hush money case in New York.

Trump, as per the numbers from both presidential campaigns, crushed President Biden on the fundraising circuit in May, generating an astounding $141 million between his campaign and the Republican National Committee.

In comparison, the Democratic National Committee and Biden's team claimed to have generated $85 million in May.

During his campaign tour, the 45th president boasted about having more criminal charges against him than American gangster Al Capone and criticised the prosecution for pursuing these cases.

There are currently 54 pending criminal counts against Trump, covering three indictments. He has entered not guilty pleas and denied any wrongdoing.

He will be sentenced on July 11 in a hush money case ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 15–18.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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