Former President Donald Trump claimed in a fundraising email that he was “tortured” in the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta following his arrest for allegedly interfering in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
In August 2023, Trump and 18 of his supporters were indicted by a grand jury after a 2.5-year investigation by the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat had stated that Trump and his co-defendants would be treated like anyone else upon surrender.
On the day of his arrest, dozens of Trump’s supporters, a few demonstrators, and members of the media waited outside the jail. Trump was booked, fingerprinted, and photographed, a process that took about 15 minutes, and he left shortly thereafter.
He spent roughly one hour in Georgia. Before his plane crossed North Carolina, his mug shot was already being used to solicit donations.
Since then, Trump has featured the mug shot on various merchandise, such as coffee mugs, T-shirts, koozies, and bumper stickers, with an email sent out in May promoting “limited edition” coffee mugs.
Initially facing 13 counts in Georgia, Trump now faces only 10 after some counts were dismissed.
The case has been temporarily paused for Trump and some co-defendants while the Georgia Court of Appeals reviews an appeal related to disqualification motions against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who had a relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
The appellate court is set to hear oral arguments on October 4 and is not required to issue a ruling until mid-March 2025, ensuring that Trump will not go to trial in Georgia before the election.
