Atlanta, Georgia

In the latest addition to many 'firsts' in former US president Donald Trump's name, he became the first sitting or former president to suffer the fate of having to pose for a prison mugshot. On Thursday (August 24), Trump surrendered at an Atlanta jail and was booked on more than a dozen felony charges. These are part of a wide-ranging criminal case stemming out of Trump's attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia.

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The mugshot in Fulton County jail records showed an unsmiling Trump - inmate no. P01135809. He was clicked glaring at the camera in the mug shot. Notably, Trump did not have to submit to a photograph while making appearances in his three other criminal cases.

In an apparent attempt to turn the entire thing to his advantage, Trump posted the mugshot on X (formerly Twitter), in addition to Truth Social, his own social media site. Trump's campaign website also featured the mug shot with a message from Trump defending his actions while asking for donations.

Trump was banned from Twitter after his supporters attacked the US Capitol Building in 2021. The platform, now owned by Elon Musk and renamed to X, reinstated Trump's account late last year.

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Trump spent about 20 minutes at the jail and headed to his New Jersey golf club. He then boarded his private plane at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport.

He has reiterated his claim that whatever was happening was politically motivated.

"What has taken place here is a travesty of justice," he told reporters. "I did nothing wrong, and everybody knows it."

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Trump, who became the first US president to be impeached twice, has already become the first former US president to face criminal charges. He is aiming to get re-elected in the US Presidential Election in 2024.

Notably, the cases filed against him are helping boost his standing. Within the Republican Party, he is currently holding a commanding lead to win the party nomination.

On Thursday, dozens of Trump supporters were present outside the Fulton County jail with the American flag. Among the Trump backers gathered outside was Georgia US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the former president's most loyal congressional allies. 

"Yeah, I'm hoping he sees me waving the flags, showing support," said Lyle Rayworth (49), a Trump supporter who works in the aviation industry and waited 10 hours to see Trump. "He needs us."

He was quoted by Reuters.

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