Trump's jailhouse mug shot makes history after Atlanta surrender

ATLANTA — Glowering at the camera with a defiant stare, Donald Trump's mug shot is a true classic of the genre.

The former president of the United States was arrested at a Georgia jail on Thursday for racketeering and conspiracy charges, and released on a $200,000 bond after having a historic mug shot taken.

Wearing his usual red tie and business suit, he was photographed under harsh lighting against a dull gray background with a watermark of the local sheriff's badge.

Trump had avoided the indignity of a mug shot during his three previous arrests this year. But this time, officials in Georgia insisted that standard procedure must be followed.

Thursday's picture could be the most famous booking photo in history — it is a first for a former US president — and it immediately became a defining image for both his supporters and critics.

Mug shots often mark a moment of public humiliation, but Trump embraced the image, reposting it on his social media platform Truth Social with the caption "Election Interference" and a link to his campaign website.

Trump was given the inmate number "PO1135809" by the Fulton County Jail, which listed his height as 6 feet 3 inches (1.9 meters), his weight as 215 pounds (97 kilograms) and his hair color as "Blond or Strawberry".

A short while later, he also posted it on X — formerly Twitter, which was Trump's favorite bullhorn until he was banned from it after the Jan 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol by a mob of his supporters.

New owner Elon Musk reinstated Trump on X in November, but Trump stayed away and posted instead on Truth Social. This was Trump's first post since 2021.

Before boarding his plane back home, Trump told reporters that he did nothing wrong.

"We did nothing wrong at all. And we have every right, every single right to challenge an election that we think is dishonest," he said.

He repeated his previous claims that the 2020 presidential election was "rigged" and "stolen".

Trump's arrest came one day after he spurned a televised debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, featuring eight of his rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination — all of whom lag well behind him in the polls.

He still stole the spotlight though, with six candidates saying they would support him as the party's nominee even if he were a convicted felon.

Agencies—Xinhua