Trump formally booked at Fulton county jail over Georgia election interference case – live

Donald Trump mug shot released

Here is the mug shot of Donald Trump that was taken when he was arrested at the Fulton county jail in Atlanta:

Donald Trump mugshot released today. Photograph: Fulton County Sheriff’s Office/Reuters

No former US president has ever had his mug shot taken.

Updated at 20.53 EDT

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For all the spectacle the arrest of Donald Trump and his co-defendants provided in Georgia, the Guardian’s Sam Levine reports that it is unlikely to change the basic dynamics of next year’s presidential election:

One by one this week, they’ve made their way to 901 Rice Street, the address of the notorious Fulton county jail. Lawyers, government officials, a former state party chair and others have all surrendered to authorities after being charged as part of an alleged criminal effort to overturn the 2020 election.

On Thursday, the head of that enterprise, Donald Trump, himself surrendered, marking another historic moment for a president who has reshaped the rules of American politics. This is the closest that Trump has been to a jail cell to date and serves as a blunt reminder that no American or former president is above the law.

Like nearly everything Trump does, his surrender was orchestrated to be a spectacle. He deliberately timed his surrender, 7.30pm, to maximize cable news coverage. Reporters camped outside the jail all day on Thursday as temperatures reached mid-90s F and Trump supporters gathered for a demonstration. There was wall-to-wall news coverage of Trump’s motorcade and arrival at the jail. While politicians typically try and shift attention away from their criminal legal troubles, Trump has embraced it, feeding into the circuit by advertising his surrender time.

Trump glares at camera in mugshot released by Fulton county jail

Donald Trump’s hostility shines through in the mugshot taken at the Fulton county jail as he was booked on charges of trying to steal the 2020 presidential election.

The former president turns his eyes up to glare toward the camera above him.

Dressed in a blue suit, white shirt and red tie, he makes no attempt to put on a smile like some of his co-accused in their booking photos. Instead, his mouth is taught and downturned.

The picture does not flatter, but it does convey the message many of Trump’s supporters want to hear – one of belligerence.

The six-pointed star of the Fulton county sheriff’s office badge and the name of the sheriff, Patrick Labat, sits in the top left-hand corner of the picture. But some will be disappointed that Trump is not seen in the classic pose holding a board in front of his chest with his name and date of arrest.

For all that, the former president’s supporters are already embracing the booking photo as a badge of honour and defiance. It will be held up as evidence that their man will not give up the fight against a system his followers see as ever more determined to bring him down and prevent him returning to the White House. The mugshot’s rapid appearance on T-shirts, posters and, well, mugs glorifying a martyred Trump can be expected.

The president’s detractors, on the other hand, will see the booking photo as evidence that even a man who was once the most powerful person in the land cannot escape the might of the justice system.

Some will welcome anything that makes him look even a little bit more criminal as a confirmation that sooner or later he is going to prison. The accused may be innocent until a plea or a jury says otherwise, but mugshots can have a way of conveying guilt.

Trump’s mugshot released by Fulton county officials. Photograph: Fulton County

Updated at 21.11 EDT

Donald Trump’s plane has now departed Atlanta, but the former president will undoubtedly be back.

The question is: when? Expect Trump’s lawyers to do everything they can to delay his trial on the indictment brought by Fulton county district attorney Fani Willis.

For a taste of his likely strategy, take a look at the pre-trial motions in the federal case brought against him for trying to overturn the 2020 election, where Trump’s lawyers have proposed a trial date in 2026. A judge has yet to decide the matter.

Donald Trump mug shot released

Here is the mug shot of Donald Trump that was taken when he was arrested at the Fulton county jail in Atlanta:

Donald Trump mugshot released today. Photograph: Fulton County Sheriff’s Office/Reuters

No former US president has ever had his mug shot taken.

Updated at 20.53 EDT

Here’s a video clip of Donald Trump’s brief remarks to reporters before departing Atlanta:

Before boarding his plane at Atlanta’s airport, Donald Trump spoke briefly to reporters about his arrest.

“What has taken place here is a travesty of justice. We did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong, and everybody knows that,” Trump said, hewing to the line he has taken repeatedly as the investigations into his attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat have unfolded.

“What they’re doing is election interference,” he added, in a nod to his ongoing campaign to return to the White House in the 2024 polls.

“We did nothing wrong at all, and we have every right, every single right, to challenge an election that we think is dishonest.”

He declined to answer shouted questions from the press, including about whether he would pardon himself if he is again elected president.

Donald Trump is expected to speak at the Atlanta airport before he boards his private plane, CNN reports.

The former president made remarks from the tarmac in Washington DC earlier this month, after appearing in federal court to answer charges related to the plot to stop Joe Biden from taking office and the January 6 insurrection.

Just before he arrived in Atlanta, Donald Trump (or whoever writes his messages for him) sent an email to supporters that begins: “This will be my last email to you before I enter the Fulton County Jail to be ARRESTED as an innocent man.”

It’s a gripping opening line, and indeed, this was a big moment: Trump’s trip to jail was something no former president has ever gone through.

The 250-plus words that follow are filled with dire proclamations. “The people of our country will watch in shock and horror as a former President – and the LEADING OPPONENT to the current regime – gets WRONGFULLY ARRESTED in a notoriously violent jail at the hands of the ruling political party”, Trump protests in a typical line.

“I’m now about to enter Fulton County Jail. These are my last words to you before my sham arrest: I WILL NEVER SURRENDER OUR MISSION TO SAVE AMERICA” he continues.

And that’s when the message’s purpose becomes clear: “Please make a contribution to peacefully defend our movement as the Deep State tries to JAIL me for life as an innocent man all because I put AMERICA first.” The text itself is actually a hyperlink that leads to a donation page run by WinRed – a fundraising platform with a history of ripping off consumers.

Below that is a series of boxes beginning at $24 and going up to $250. Perhaps the goal is to cover the $20,000 he had to put down to bond out of the Fulton county jail.

Trump departs Fulton county jail after arrest

The motorcade carrying Donald Trump has left the Fulton county jail, about 20 minutes after he arrived to be formally arrested following his indictment by district attorney Fani Willis on charges related to trying to overturn Joe Biden’s election victory in the state.

Donald Trump seen through car window as he leaves. Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 20.06 EDT

Fulton county authorities took mugshot of Trump – report

Donald Trump had his mugshot taken during his processing into custody at the Fulton county jail in Atlanta, CNN reports, citing the county sheriff.

Updated at 19.58 EDT

It’s possible that Donald Trump will have his mugshot taken when he is processed into custody in Fulton county – as has been the case with the other co-defendants who have surrendered at the jail.

Outside the jail, rightwing Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was not involved in the case but is nonetheless an enthusiastic supporter of the former president, announced she had made her own mugshot, and encouraged other Trump fans to do the same:

She has indeed made the mugshot her Twitter (or X) profile picture.

Updated at 19.59 EDT

Donald Trump’s booking details have been posted on the Fulton county jail’s website.

Besides listing the 13 charges the former president faces, the jail provides his identifying details: white male, 6ft 3in in height, 215lbs, blond or strawberry hair, blue eyes.

Updated at 19.47 EDT

Trump surrenders at Fulton county jail

Donald Trump has been officially booked into the Fulton county jail after being indicted for trying to meddle in Georgia’s elections three years ago, Reuters reports.

The former president plans to post a $200,000 bond that will allow him to avoid spending time behind bars before trial, but it is possible he will have his mugshot taken today – the first time this has happened in the four separate criminal cases he is now facing.

Updated at 20.31 EDT

Trump arrives at Fulton county jail to be formally arrested in Georgia election case

Donald Trump has arrived at the Fulton county jail in Atlanta, where he will be formally arrested after his indictment by the district attorney Fani Willis on charges related to his efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory in the state.

The former president is not expected to spend time in jail, having reached an agreement to post a $200,000 bond that will guarantee his release as his case moves through the court system.

Updated at 19.35 EDT

Fran Lawther

Here’s the scene outside the Fulton county jail in Atlanta, where Donald Trump will soon arrive:

Supporters of Donald Trump rest near the Fulton county jail. Photograph: Ben Gray/APRightwing Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks to the media near the entrance of the jail. Photograph: Dustin Chambers/ReutersSheriffs secure the area around the jail before Trump’s arrival. Photograph: Erik S Lesser/EPADonald Trump supporters and their swag outside the county jail. Photograph: Brynn Anderson/AP