‘We did nothing wrong’: Donald Trump has thanked his supporters after being charged and released from jail
Donald Trump’s scathing mugshot expression may indicate what unfolded in the hours after he became the first US President to pose for a jailhouse close up.
Former president Donald Trump has been charged and released from Fulton County Jail, describing the events as a “travesty of justice”.
The 77-year-old was released from Fulton County Jail following his arrest on 13 state felony charges for attempting to reverse his 2020 election loss in Georgia.
“I really believe it’s a very sad day for America,” Trump told the media and gathering crowds. “This should never happen. We should be able to challenge an election, I thought the election was a rigged election, a stolen election.
“What has taken place here is a travesty of justice, we did nothing wrong, I did nothing wrong, and everybody knows it.”
It is the fourth time this year the former president has faced criminal charges.
Trump had paid his US$200,000 (AUD $312,000) bond before arriving, according to MSNBC.
In a historic moment, Trump’s mugshot and fingerprints were taken.
However, Leading body language expert Professor Louise Mahler said Trump’s demeanour in the photo may have demonstrated more sinister feelings.
She described him as having the ‘look of hate’ in his mugshot, with his eyes filled with hatred, his lips sealed and jaw held tight.
“This is an angry man, furious at his treatment and holding a hatred for those that have dragged him to the prison,” she said.
“He held the ‘look of hate’ with the whites of his eyes clear, lips sealed and jaw tightened.
“There is fury here with the hate combining with an angry individual who feels greatly wronged for what he is facing.”
Professor Mahler went on to say those close to the former president may have been on the receiving end of his negative feelings.
“If I was an associate of Trump, I would steer clear of him for the rest of the day as there will likely be a volcanic outburst at some point – so those Twitter watches best be on high alert,” she said.
Trump’s release conditions also include not using social media to target the co-defendants and witnesses in the case.
Opponents and supporters of Trump were gathered at the notorious Fulton County Jail, when he arrived to turn himself in.
The former US president announced he would surrender at 9.30am AEST (7.30pm local time) to be “arrested by a Radical Left, Lowlife District Attorney, Fani Willis, for A PERFECT PHONE CALL,” he said in a social media post.
“I have to start getting ready to head down to Atlanta, Georgia, where Murder and other Violent Crimes have reached levels never seen before,” he added.
The timing of his surrender had been negotiated to take place during “prime time” for cable news networks, according to two people briefed on the matter.
Both prosecutors and Trump made last-minute changes ahead of the appearance, with the former president replacing his defence lawyer and the District Attorney asking a judge to move the trial start date to October 23 – roughly five months earlier than the original request of March 2024.
While his fourth indictment, it is the first that could allow news cameras inside the courtroom and the first that would require a mugshot of the former US president.
It comes a day after Trump sat out the Republican presidential primary debates in favour of an interview on X, formerly Twitter, in which he canned the charges “nonsense”.
Trump is looking to extend the Georgia spectacle by potentially speaking afterwards, as he did after his third indictment in Washington DC, insiders told reporters.
Trump’s first three federal indictments did not allow cameras in the courtroom or require a mugshot, making the prospect in the state-based indictment a standout among the ex-president’s four legal cases.
He is accused of 13 offences under Fulton County DA Fani Willis’ election interference investigation, including violation of the state’s racketeering act, solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, and conspiracy to commit forgery.
Several of Trump’s 18 other co-defendants have already turned themselves in and had mug shots taken, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and ex-attorneys John Eastman, Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis.
“Unless somebody tells me differently, we are following our normal practices, and so it doesn’t matter your status, we’ll have a mugshot ready for you,” Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat confirmed.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, meanwhile, granted a request from four local television stations to bring in live cameras and other recording devices in his courtroom, through to September 8.
The broadcast crews permitted to bring cameras include Fox affiliate WAGA TV, as well as WSB-TV, WANF TV, and WXIA TV.
Several groups of protesters and counter-protesters began forming outside the Fulton County Jail, a notoriously decrepit facility where Trump will be booked.
Trump will arrive in his motorcade flanked by the US Secret Service in a made-for-TV dash from the airport in Atlanta.
He will be travelling from his golf club in New Jersey, hours after more co-defendants handed themselves in earlier on Thursday. Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows reached USD $100,000 bond agreement, according to court documents.
The Fulton County prosecution is the fourth criminal case against Trump since March, when he became the first former president in U.S. history to be indicted. Since then, he’s faced federal charges in Florida and Washington.
Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, claiming in social media posts he was being prosecuted for a “perfect phone call” in which he asked the Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, to help him “find 11,780 votes” for him to overturn his loss in the state to Democrat Joe Biden.
The indictments against me should be viewed as a campaign contribution to crooked Joe Biden and his radical left thugs,” he said in a Truth Social post.
“This will be their updated form of cheating and election interference. Remember, these are Biden indictments, pure and simple!”
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