Trump's surrender in the Georgia 2020 election subversion case

Donald Trump became the first former president with a mug shot when he was placed under arrest at the Fulton County jail on Thursday evening.

Trump was booked on 13 counts stemming from his efforts to reverse Georgia’s 2020 election results — including racketeering, conspiracy charges and soliciting a public official to violate their oath of office.

It is the fourth time this year the former president has faced criminal charges.

Here’s what to know about the historic day:

• What happened: The former president, wearing a dark blue suit and red tie, arrived at the Fulton County jail at around 7:30 p.m. ET. After he surrendered, he was placed under arrest and booked on more than a dozen charges. Jail records listed him at 6 foot 3 inches tall and weighing 215 pounds, with blue eyes and blond or strawberry hair. His booking number was P01135809. A mug shot was also taken.
• Released on bond: The booking process was completed in little more than 20 minutes because the former president and his lawyers negotiated his consent bond agreement ahead of the surrender. Trump agreed to a $200,000 bond and other release conditions, including not using social media to target the co-defendants and witnesses in the case. Trump covered the cost of the bond by putting 10% toward it and working with a local Atlanta bonding company, sources told CNN.
• What Trump said: The former president briefly addressed reporters before boarding his plane to return to New Jersey. He said, “I did nothing wrong,” and described the criminal case against him as “a travesty of justice.” In an interview with the right-wing network Newsmax, he described being at Fulton County jail as "a “terrible experience."
• The mug shot: Trump's team had discussed the former president's mug shot prior to his arrival at Fulton County jail, two sources familiar with the discussions told CNN. Trump ultimately decided he wanted to appear "defiant" in the shot, and purposefully chose not to smile, the sources said. 
• Fundraising battles: After leaving Atlanta, Trump posted the image of his mug shot on Truth Social and X, formerly known as Twitter, as the campaign sought to fundraise off the arrest. Without referencing the events in Georgia, President Joe Biden's campaign also sent a fundraising email that read, “I think today’s a great day to give to my campaign.”
• A new lawyer: Trump and his senior advisers briefly met with his new Georgia lawyer, Steven Sadow, on the plane to Atlanta. Trump replaced his previous lawyer, Drew Findling, just ahead of the surrender. In 2021, Sadow criticized RICO charges as a way for prosecutors to introduce evidence that would otherwise not be admissible during an interview about the potential charges Trump faced in Georgia.
• The scene outside: Supporters of the former president lined the street entrance to the jail before Trump arrived. Protesters both in support and against Trump stood with signs. Some were dressed in prison uniforms or were draped in American flags, with some singing “God Bless America.” During the proceeding, protesters were yelling about District Attorney Fani Willis, chanting, “Lock Fani up.”
• About the jail: The Fulton County jail has a reputation for troubled conditions for inmates. Last month, the US Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation into living conditions, access to health care, violence against detainees and possible discrimination against those with psychiatric disabilities.
• What happens next: All of the defendants have until noon on Friday to surrender. Willis has also asked for Trump and the other 18 defendants to be arraigned next month. She has requested an October 23 trial date.

John Eastman, the right-wing lawyer who advised former President Donald Trump on plots to disrupt Congress’ certification of the 2020 election results, is unlikely, at this point, to request a speedy trial in the Georgia election subversion case, his attorney told CNN Thursday night. 

“As we stand here today, we’re not prepared to make that demand. It’s certainly something we might think through as a sort of thought experiment, but I think we’d be inclined not to do anything similar to what Mr. Chesebro has done recently," John Burnham, Eastman’s attorney, told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.

Co-defendant Ken Chesebro, a pro-Trump lawyer who requested a speedy trial, is now set to go to trial on October 23.

“This is an enormously complicated case. I can only imagine what the discovery is going to look like and I think it’s going to take some time to work through all that," Burnham said.

On whether Eastman will try to get his case moved from state court to federal court, Burnham said they have not yet made a decision. 

Eastman did not work for the executive branch, unlike former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows who is trying to get his case moved to federal court. 

Burnham acknowledged that “it would be a more difficult argument for Dr. Eastman, for sure.”

Former President Donald Trump’s plane has just landed at Newark International Airport in New Jersey, almost exactly five hours after he took off on a flight for Atlanta earlier Thursday. 

He’s expected to travel from the airport to his Bedminster golf club.

While in Atlanta, Trump was booked at the Fulton County jail on more than a dozen charges stemming from his efforts to reverse Georgia’s 2020 election results, marking the fourth time this year the former president has faced criminal charges.

Donald Trump has departed Atlanta after surrendering at the Fulton County jail on more than a dozen charges stemming from his efforts to reverse Georgia’s 2020 election results, the fourth time this year the former president has faced criminal charges.

In all, the former president was in Atlanta for more than an hour and a half.

“I did nothing wrong,” Trump told reporters before boarding the plane.

Trump described the criminal case against him as “a travesty of justice.” 

Later Thursday, he told the right-wing network Newsmax that being at Fulton County jail was "a “terrible experience."

"I came in, I was treated very nicely," he said of his booking experience. "It is what it is. I took a mug shot, which I’d never heard the words mug shot."

Jail records show the former president was placed under arrest and booked at the Fulton County jail on Thursday night. 

He was booked as inmate No. P01135809.

The jail record shows that Trump is 6 foot 3 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds. He is listed as having blue eyes and blonde or strawberry hair.

Ahead of the surrender, Trump had agreed to a $200,000 bond and other release conditions, including not using social media to intimidate co-defendants or witnesses in the case. 

So far, a total of 12 defendants including Trump have surrendered. Trump and 10 co-defendants are now out on bail. One defendant, Harrison Floyd, is still in custody.

The remaining seven co-defendants have until noon ET on Friday to turn themselves in.

Without referencing today’s events in Fulton County, President Joe Biden's campaign sent a fundraising email.

“I think today’s a great day to give to my campaign," the email read.

The subject line reads: “Apropos of nothing.”

Earlier Thursday Trump surrendered at the Fulton County jail on more than a dozen charges stemming from his efforts to reverse Georgia’s 2020 election results, the fourth time this year the former president has faced criminal charges.

Former President Donald Trump has posted for the first time on X, formerly known as Twitter, since the final days of his term in office.

The post, which included his mug shot, contains the same message he posted earlier tonight on Truth Social, showing his mug shot with the words “ELECTION INTERFERENCE” and “NEVER SURRENDER!” below it.

In a fund-raising note he shared on both platforms, the former president wrote:

“Today, at the notoriously violent jail in Fulton County, Georgia, I was ARRESTED despite having committed NO CRIME,” Trump wrote. “But today, I walked into the lion’s den with one simple message on behalf of our entire movement: I WILL NEVER SURRENDER OUR MISSION TO SAVE AMERICA.”

Until tonight, Trump's previous post still visible on X, then known as Twitter, was to say on January 8, 2021, that he would not be attending the inauguration of President Joe Biden. That same day, Trump was suspended by the platform "due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” Twitter said.

The Trump account was restored in November of 2022 by Elon Musk, who took over the social platform.

Trump’s campaign is also selling T-shirts with the former president’s mug shot and “NEVER SURRENDER!” printed on them as the campaign continues to fundraise off the arrest.

Roughly 100 supporters of Donald Trump slowly left in their cars and on foot from the Fulton County jail after news broke the former president had left the area after his surrender.  

Despite not seeing Trump’s motorcade arrive through the main entrance, several supporters told CNN they were glad they showed up, but upset they missed seeing him. 

“I’m disappointed,” said Bob Kunst, a Trump supporter who has also traveled to protest Trump’s court proceedings in Florida.

Kunst said he wanted the “satisfaction” of seeing Trump arrive “for the people coming from around the country.” 

A caravan of supporters held signs outside their car windows as they left the jail and the parking lot slowly emptied, while police vehicles also left their posts in front of the jail.

There was also a small number of anti-Trump protestors carrying their own signs outside the jail, calling for Trump’s imprisonment.

Donald Trump's team had discussed the former president's mug shot prior to him taking it at the Fulton County jail Thursday evening, two sources familiar with the discussions told CNN.

Trump ultimately decided he wanted to appear "defiant" in the shot, and purposefully chose not to smile, the sources said.  

The former president watched cable news coverage of both his surrender and the debate on the plane ride to Atlanta, and he is continuing to watch cable news coverage on his trip back, two advisers told CNN. 

Trump also had a number of aides traveling with him: Susie Wiles, Walt Nauta, Jason Miller, Steven Cheung, Brian Jack, and Boris Epshteyn among others. 

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has released a mug shot of former President Donald Trump.

Jail records show Trump was placed under arrest and booked as inmate No. P01135809.

Trump’s surrender in Georgia marks the fourth time this year the former president has turned himself in to local or federal officials after criminal charges were brought against him.

Trump, for his part, posted the image of his mug shot on Truth Social with “ELECTION INTERFERENCE” and “NEVER SURRENDER!” written below it.