Donald Trump has described the "terrible" experience of having his mugshot taken during his arrest for racketeering and conspiracy charges in Fulton County, Georgia.
In an interview on Newsmax shortly after he surrendered to authorities at the Fulton County jail, the former president said he was treated "nicely" during his booking process but said his arrest was a "very sad day for the country."
Trump is accused of 13 offenses as part of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' expansive investigation into alleged criminal attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Unlike his arrests during the other three criminal investigations into him, Trump had his mugshot taken in Georgia as part of the booking process, the first time one has been taken for a former president in U.S. history.
When asked what it was like inside the Fulton County jail on Thursday night by Newsmax host Greg Kelly, Trump replied: "Terrible experience."
"I came in, I was treated very nicely but it is what it is," Trump said. "I took a mugshot, I'd never heard the words mug shot, they didn't teach me that at the Wharton School of Finance."
"It's a very sad experience and it's a very sad day for our country," Trump added.
During the booking process, which lasted around 20 minutes, Trump also had his fingerprints taken. The jail listed the former president's height at six foot three inches tall, and his weight 215 pounds. Trump was then released on a $200,000 bond.
"It's just like one thing after the next," Trump told Newsmax regarding the charges against him in Georgia.
"And what they want to do is they want to try and wear you out," he added. "Just an absolute horrible thing that they're doing. And I've never seen anything like it. This is a Third World country."
Soon after his arrest, Trump returned to his formerly beloved social media account on Twitter, now called X, to share a picture of his mugshot with the caption "ELECTION INTERFERENCE. NEVER SURRENDER" and a link to a fundraising page on his website.
It was the first time that Trump had posted on the social media site since January 8, 2021. Trump was suspended from Twitter in the wake of the January 6 attack over fears he would use the platform to incite his supporters to commit further violence.
Space X and Tesla CEO Elon Musk reinstated Trump's account in November 2022, but the former president chose to continue posting on Truth Social, the social media site Trump set up to replace Twitter amid his suspension.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday night, Trump indicated he had no intention to return to frequently posting on X.
"I LOVE TRUTH SOCIAL. IT IS MY HOME!!!" Trump wrote.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, domestic policy ... Read more
