Former President Donald Trump surrendered to authorities in Atlanta on Thursday over charges of interfering with Georgia’s 2020 election results. The arrest produced the first-ever mugshot of a former U.S. president.
Trump was booked at the Fulton County Jail and released after posting a $200,000 bail bond. He faces trial for allegedly plotting to overturn his Georgia loss to Joe Biden.
The ex-president joined the ranks of other public figures like Al Capone and Martin Luther King Jr. in having a police mugshot. Records listed Trump as a 6-foot-3 white male with blond hair and blue eyes.
After being released, Trump blasted the case as politically motivated and an injustice. He argues he should have the right to challenge election results he claims were rigged, though no evidence supports his allegations of widespread fraud.
Trump and 18 co-defendants were charged last week with criminal meddling in Georgia’s vote counting and certification. Trump is accused of pressuring officials to “find” votes to overcome Biden’s 12,000 vote margin of victory.
The charges include racketeering, forgery and making false statements. Trump has denied wrongdoing and vowed to fight the case. His co-defendants like Rudy Giuliani have also surrendered to authorities.
Just before turning himself in, Trump made a last-minute change to his legal team. He faces restrictions on contact with co-defendants and intimidating witnesses as conditions of his bail.
The former president remains the frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination despite mounting legal woes. But the unprecedented arrest of an ex-commander-in-chief raises concerns over political persecution crossing lines.
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