Former U.S. President Donald Trump is set to report to an Atlanta jail on Thursday evening to face charges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. This marks the fourth criminal case brought against Trump this year, as he continues his campaign to win back the presidency in the 2024 election.
Trump, like any other criminal defendant in Atlanta, will be required to appear at the Fulton County Jail to be fingerprinted and photographed, resulting in a widely circulated mug shot. The charges against him include 13 felony counts, including racketeering, for pressuring state officials in Georgia to reverse his election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden. These charges were brought after an investigation led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
The former president, aged 77, has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has labeled the criminal cases against him as politically motivated. He is scheduled to enter a plea in the Georgia case on September 5 and has pleaded not guilty in the other three cases.
Trump has agreed to post a $200,000 bond and has accepted bail conditions that prohibit him from threatening witnesses or his 18 co-defendants in the case. He recently added Atlanta criminal defense attorney Steve Sadow to his legal team.
In anticipation of Trump’s arrival at the jail, the Federal Aviation Administration has ordered the closure of airspace over the facility, citing “VIP movement.” The jail has gained notoriety for its grim conditions, which have even inspired rap songs and prompted an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department.
A small group of Trump supporters, some holding flags, have gathered outside the jail in anticipation of his arrival. One supporter, Bob Kunst, expressed his disapproval of the situation, stating, “I’m here because I’m appalled at what’s happening,” while holding a homemade sign that read “Lock Biden Up.”
Following his first criminal indictment in New York in March, Trump called for nationwide protests, raising concerns about potential violent unrest similar to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. However, authorities have reported no violent incidents outside the courthouses where Trump has been arraigned this year in Manhattan, Miami, and Washington.
Trump’s visit to the jail comes a day after his rivals in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination held their initial debate in Milwaukee. Trump chose to skip the event and instead participated in a pre-taped interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“I’ve been indicted four times – all trivial nonsense,” Trump stated during the interview.
Despite his legal troubles, Trump’s lead in opinion polls for the Republican race has widened since his first indictment. His supporters echo his belief that the charges are politically motivated. However, analysts have suggested that Trump’s legal woes could alienate the independent voters he would need to win in a general election rematch with Biden, who defeated him by 7 million votes in the 2020 popular vote.
In the Georgia case, Trump is accused of pressuring state officials and orchestrating a slate of illegitimate electors in an attempt to reverse his defeat in the 2020 election. Trump has repeatedly made false claims that the election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud.
Nine of Trump’s 18 co-defendants in the Georgia case, including his former lawyer Rudolph Giuliani, have already surrendered to authorities. The remaining eight face a Friday deadline to comply or potentially face arrest.
Trump is the first former U.S. president to be charged with any crime and currently faces a total of 91 separate criminal counts. He has been charged in Washington, D.C., for his efforts to overturn the election, in Florida for his handling of classified documents upon leaving office, and in New York for hush money paid to a porn star before the 2016 election.
The developments surrounding Trump’s legal battles continue to unfold, with significant implications for his political future and the upcoming 2024 election.
