Topline
Former President Donald Trump’s allies shared fake mug shots of themselves online in “solidarity”, after he was booked at the Fulton County jail Thursday for charges stemming from election interference efforts in Georgia and his mug shot was released.
Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks as the arrival of former President Donald Trump outside the Fulton ... [+]
Key Facts
The trend appears to have been started by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), one of Trump’s closest allies in Congress, as she spoke to the media outside the Fulton County Jail and said she made her own mug shot “to stand in solidarity” with Trump.
Greene shared this image with a superimposed Fulton County Sherriff’s Office logo on her X profile—also making it her profile picture—and urged other Trump supporters to share their “own MAGA mug shot.”
Rightwing political commentator and Turning Point USA chief creative officer Benny Johnson also did the same, writing: “I’m sorry Mom, they got me.”
Jim Hoft, the founder of the far-right outlet Gateway Pundit and Brandon Straka, a right-wing online campaigner also shared fake images of themselves.
One of the fake mug shots shared by Amy Kremer, the chair of the Women for America First group, apparently convinced her followers that she was among the list of indicted, forcing her to clarify that the image was “photoshopped” and she had not been indicted “for the time being.”
Surprising Fact
Some supporters have shared real mug shots of themselves from unrelated cases. Former West Virginia lawmaker and convicted felon Derrick Evans shared his real mug shot on X, which was taken after he was arrested for taking part in the January 6 riots. The former West Virginia House of Delegates member also shared the same thing on Trump’s Truth Social platform with the text: “My #J6 mugshot beside of President Trump’s mug shot. I’m proud to have stood with him then, and I’m proud to stand with Donald Trump today.” Trump reshared the post from his own handle. Evans pleaded guilty to a felony charge of civil disorder and served three months in prison last year. Since his release, he has rebranded himself as a ‘J6 Patriot’ and claimed he was a victim of political persecution.
Crucial Quote
Trump’s mug shot has also been added to his official 2024 campaign website, beside the message: “Today, at the notoriously violent jail in Fulton County, Georgia, I was ARRESTED despite having committed NO CRIME.”
Tangent
Trump’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., took to X to promote new merchandise on his personal storefront featuring his father’s mug shot. The so-called “Free Trump” collection is made up of t-shirts, posters, and mugs featuring the mug shot with text like “Free Trump” or “Wanted. For Four More Years.” In his post, Don Jr. wrote that all profits from his web store will be “donated to the Legal Defense Fund to fight the tyranny & insanity we’re seeing before us,” adding “Unlike many, I won’t try to profit from this but will do what I can to help.”
Further Reading
Supporters Lined Up To See Trump’s Booking At Fulton County Jail—See Photos (Forbes)
