FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A picture is worth a thousand words, but in former President Donald Trump’s case, it’s worth more than $7 million.
Trump’s campaign told the Associated Press he has raised $7.1 million since Thursday when he was booked at the Fulton County Jail, becoming the first former president in U.S. history ever to have a mug shot taken.
Trump was booked in jail after being accused of conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. He now faces 13 charges, including violating the Georgia RICO Act.
“This is a very sad day for America that should never happen,” the former president said after being booked and released from jail. “The election was a rigged election, a stolen election, and I should have every right to challenge that.”
Spokesman Steven Cheung told the AP on Friday alone, the campaign brought in $4.18 million — its highest-grossing day to date.
Within hours of the mug shot being released, the campaign released a line of shirts, posters, coffee mugs and more all with the mug shot printed on the front.
The campaign is not the only one making money.
Less than 24 hours after the mug shot was released, sites like Etsy were filled with hundreds of products featuring the now-famous photo.
“This mug shot represents to me just a pivotal moment in history,” Candace Marshall, owner of Main Street Retro, told Doudna. “I was literally laying in the bed, pulled out my laptop, whipped up a couple of designs, posted a cute little TikTok, and here we are.”
Tom Smith, an Emory business and finance professor, told Doudna that famous mug shots are nothing new.
Mugshots of celebrities like Al Capone, Martha Stewart, and others have had staying power in the social sphere. However, Smith does not know if Trump’s mugshot will have similar staying power.
“There is no doubt that Trump is using it for his own benefit; other people are using it for their benefit,” Smith said. “It certainly is not going anywhere for the next year.”
©2023 Cox Media Group
