Former United States President Donald Trump has made a flamboyant return to the social media arena, rejoining the platform X, previously known as Twitter.
In a characteristic move, Trump posted his mug shot from his booking at Fulton County Jail in Georgia, which occurred earlier the same day.
This marked his official return to direct communication with the public after his banishment from the platform following the attack on the US Congress by his supporters on January 6, 2021.
The revival of his account on X was facilitated by Elon Musk, who reinstated Trump’s access last year after acquiring the platform, subsequently rebranding it as X.
https://t.co/MlIKklPSJT pic.twitter.com/Mcbf2xozsY
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2023
Trump, who has already launched his campaign for the 2024 presidential election, now becomes the first former US president to face not just one, but four sets of criminal charges.
The latest arrest at the Atlanta jail also led to his first-ever booking photo, an image of a scowling Trump taken just moments after his booking on multiple felony counts.
Also Read: Historic Trump Mugshot Released After Arrest in Atlanta
In a departure from previous instances, Georgia authorities subjected Trump to the standard procedures of a criminal defendant, including fingerprinting and the capturing of a mug shot.
The process lasted around 20 minutes, after which Trump exited the jail and disappeared into a waiting motorcade. He had been released on a $200,000 bond agreement, the highest among his co-defendants.
Before leaving the Atlanta airport, Trump addressed reporters with a brief statement, reiterating his denial of any wrongdoing and emphasizing his right to challenge the outcome of the 2020 election.
He said, “We have every right – every single right – to challenge an election that we think is dishonest,” offering a glimpse into his defense strategy.
Trump’s decision to personally share the booking photo resonates with his penchant for dramatic political maneuvers.
He has previously used such indictments as opportunities to spotlight his campaigns and advance the narrative of being unfairly targeted by authorities. This rallying cry has garnered support from his followers.
Notably, Trump wasted no time in utilizing the mug shot for fundraising efforts, posting it both on X and on his newly launched social media platform, Truth Social. He included a link to his website, urging visitors to contribute to his campaign. His website emphasized his viewpoint: “Today, at the notoriously violent jail in Fulton County, Georgia, I was ARRESTED despite having committed NO CRIME.”
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