Former President Donald Trump has detailed his "terrible experience" of being booked into the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, on Aug. 24 after surrendering himself to authorities following his indictment on racketeering and conspiracy charges.
President Trump, 77, handed himself over to authorities in Georgia at around 7:36 p.m. local time and was released on a $200,000 bond roughly 20 minutes later.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who brought the indictment against President Trump and 18 of his associates, had given those charged until noon on Aug. 25 to hand themselves over or risk arrest.
During his time being processed at the jail, President Trump had his fingerprints and mugshot taken—something he insists he had never ever heard of before stepping foot in the jail.
It was a "terrible experience" according to the Republican 2024 White House candidate.
"I went through an experience that I never thought I’d have to go through, but then I’ve gone through the same experience three other times. In my whole life, I didn’t know anything about indictments. And now I’ve been indicted, like, four times," he told Newsmax.
"Everything is just like one thing after the next. What they want to do is they want to try and wear you out which they would never do," he continued, adding that he had "never heard the words mug shot" prior to Thursday because "they didn't teach me that at the Wharton School of Finance."
'Very Sad Day for Our Country'
Despite the "terrible experience" of being booked into jail, President Trump insisted he was treated "very nicely" during the booking process but still called it a "very sad experience" and a "very sad day for our country."
"This is a weaponized Justice Department," he added.
Separately, President Trump told Fox News Digital the booking process was "not a comfortable feeling."
"They insisted on a mugshot and I agreed to do that," he said. "This is the only time I’ve ever taken a mugshot. It is not a comfortable feeling—especially when you’ve done nothing wrong."
Thursday marked the first time in U.S. history that a former president has had their mugshot taken.
Online records from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office showed President Trump was booked on 13 charges after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis indictment him and 18 others in relation to their efforts to dispute the results of the 2020 election in the state.
The charges against him include a violation of Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO Act), solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree, and conspiracy to commit filing of false documents, among others.
Back on Twitter
After leaving the Sheriff's Office, President Trump posted a bold, defiant message on X, formerly known as Twitter, after more than two years of inactivity on the platform.
The post on X at 9:39 p.m. ET shows President Trump in the booking photo. The accompanying text to the social media post includes "MUG SHOT — AUGUST 24, 2023," "ELECTION INTERFERENCE," "NEVER SURRENDER!" and "DONALDJTRUMP.COM." It received 200,100 likes and 7.1 million views after just 24 minutes.
Co-Defendant Still in Jail
The latest indictment marks the fourth brought against President Trump so far this year. He has denied all wrongdoing.
As part of his release conditions, President Trump agreed to not "act to intimidate any person known to him or her to be a codefendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice."
"The above shall include, but are not limited to, posts on social media or reposts of posts made by another individual on social media," his release order states.
President Trump also agreed not to communicate, either directly or indirectly, with the 18 co-defendants, regarding the case, unless lawyers are present.
His co-defendants in the Georgia election indictment include former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, President Trump's personal lawyers John Eastman and Sidney Powell, and his former attorney Jenna Ellis, along with over a dozen more.
They were all charged with at least one count of violating Georgia’s RICO Act, among others.
Most of the defendants listed in the indictment have already handed themselves in to officials at the Fulton County Jail and have been released on bond, except for Harrison Floyd, a former U.S. Marine and former head of Black Voices for Trump, who has reportedly been held in custody without bail.
Court records do not list an attorney for Mr. Floyd in the Georgia case.
President Trump told Newsmax Thursday that many of his co-defendants are having their "lives destroyed" by the latest indictment, adding that many of them "don't even know what they're being charged for."
Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report.
