We finally got a Trump mugshot

Donald Trump’s mugshot has been
released following his criminal
processing in Georgia.
Former President Donald Trump has been
indicted in four separate cases this past year,
so why are we just now getting a mugshot?
The former reality TV star will be get-
ting up close and personal with the cameras
again for his trial in Fulton County, Geor-
gia. This trial will investigate alleged at-
tempts by Trump and his 18 co-defendants
to illegally overturn the results of the 2020
Presidential Election in the state of Georgia,
where Trump lost by 11,779 votes.
There are multiple charges made against
Trump and the other defendants including,
but not limited to: violation of the Georgia
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organi-
zations Act, solicitation of violation of oath
by a public officer and conspiracy to com-
mit false statements and writings. The most
notorious piece of evidence revealed by the
indictment is the recording of a call between
Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad
Raffensperger in which the former president
told Raffensperger, “All I want to do is this.
I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is
one more than we have because we won the
state.”
The evidence of this case is very public
and entertaining and it looks like the actual
trial will follow suit. Unlike the indictments
Trump has faced at the federal level, this
case is under the jurisdiction of Georgia’s
state courts. This means the trial will be
televised for America’s viewing pleasure,
which has traditionally been prohibited
in federal courts. The fact that this trial is
occurring in the Georgia state courts also
means that if convicted, it will be difficult
for Trump to be pardoned.
If Trump were convicted in a federal
court, he could theoretically pardon himself
if elected president. However, in Georgia,
pardons cannot be issued by the president
or state governor. Instead, pardons must be
handed out by the five-person State Board
of Paroles and Pardons. The complex par-
don process in Georgia means that Trump’s
newest indictment is the most likely to lead
to him serving a sentence.
As of Aug. 24, 2023, we have started see-
ing the tangible impacts of Trump being in-
dicted by a state court. Trump was booked
and taken to the Fulton County Jail in At-
lanta, Georgia where he was processed and
had his mugshot taken. This mugshot was
quickly leaked to the public, generating
buzz among Democrats and Republicans
alike. Many Trump supporters praised the
former president’s smoldering gaze. Fox
News contributor Jesse Watters responded
to the mugshot on air with, “I say this with
an unblemished record of heterosexuality,
he looks good. And he looks hard. It’s a
handsome mugshot.”
Artist Chris Veal provided a less positive
interpretation of the mugshot by creating a
mural of the mugshot accompanied by the
phrase “M.A.G.A. My Ass Got Arrested.”
What does it mean for Trump’s cam-
paign now that his mugshot has gone viral
and he is facing charges in the Georgia state
courts? Realistically, nothing. The majority
of existing Trump supporters are still goingto side with Trump and agree with the narra-
tive that the charges are a political attack on
the former president and are of little impor-
tance. Anti-Trump factions are unlikely to
be swayed by a handsome mugshot. Over-
all, the response to Trump’s indictments has
been inconsistent and has had little impact
on his poll numbers. Numbers from a poll
released by the Wall Street Journal on Sept.
2 show Trump polling at 59%. For context,
Ron DeSantis came in second with only
13% of the vote. As of now, Trump’s pro-
cessing in Georgia has not impacted his
status as the frontrunner in the race for the
GOP candidacy.
It is incredibly disappointing to realize
that American politics has degraded to the
point that a presidential candidate can be ar-
rested and it does not matter to his base of
support. It is fortunate that despite our con-
cerning political landscape, we have been
given the chance to laugh at Jesse Watters
having a sexuality crisis live on air.