How Donald Trump Uses His “Mug Shot”.

Early Friday, Swedish time, Donald Trump turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, the capital of Georgia. There, he was formally charged with crimes on 13 counts of attempting to influence the election results in 2020. At the same time, an arrest photo was taken of the former president, who is now setting his sights on next year’s presidential elections.

Trump did not have to take such a picture during previous court sessions.

And just hours after the photo was taken, T-shirts and mugs featuring the image were being offered for sale by the Trump campaign. The photo was also widely discussed in the international media.

in the live broadcast

The question of whether Trump will have to take a photo during arrest, and how the former president will handle such a situation, has been actively discussed in the United States recently.

– “Will they take a picture?” “Oh, that might sadden him and bring him down.” That’s how it looked. Instead, he’s trying to show it doesn’t hurt him, says Elizabeth Walentin, who previously worked with Democratic campaigns.

Donald Trump chose to come to Atlanta on Thursday evening American time, just in time for the big news broadcasts. A huge media gathering was waiting outside the court.

– He did it in prime time. Valentine says he wanted it to be broadcast live for public relations purposes.

TT: What does his facial expression indicate in the photo?

– He has a somewhat neutral expression. Even some of his co-workers (and co-accused) who were photographed at the same time dared to smile. They’ve tried to get shipping out of the picture.

I opened the account

Hours after the court appearance, Trump also posted the photo and a link to his campaign page on X, formerly Twitter.

The former president was suspended on the platform after the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Last winter, new owner Elon Musk opened Trump’s account, but only now he chose to post something.

TT: What does it mean that he’s posting the photo as his first post after being suspended?

Makes headlines and gets it communicated more widely. For him, it’s very important to keep the focus on himself, whether it’s positive or negative, says Elizabeth Walentin.

Purpose: to collect money

TT: How important is fundraising?

– This is the point of everything now, because the elections will not take place until next year. Running an election campaign in the United States costs a lot. In addition, Trump bears many legal costs. Walentin says this money cannot be collected from ordinary voters, but through some side groups.

Trinidad and Tobago: Can Trump turn prosecutions into an advantage?

– we will see. It’s still early in the promotional season.