Donald Trump surrenders and has mugshot taken at Fulton county jail in Georgia election case – live | US politics

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

Fulton county authorities took mugshot of Trump – report

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.

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.

Trump booked into Fulton county jail

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

Fran Lawther