Donald Trump arrested in 2020 election fraud case

GEORGIA – Former US President Donald Trump was taken into custody at a jail in Georgia on Thursday, facing charges of racketeering and conspiracy in connection with his efforts to challenge the 2020 election results in the southern state.

During a brief proceeding that lasted less than half an hour, the 77-year-old Trump was formally processed on 13 charges at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, as detailed in records released by the sheriff’s office.

According to jail records, Trump’s height was recorded as six feet three inches (approximately 1.9 meters), his weight as 215 pounds (around 97 kilograms), and his hair color as “Blond or Strawberry.”

In recent days, other individuals implicated in the racketeering case have turned themselves in to Georgia authorities, and their mugshots have been taken.

This marks the fourth criminal indictment for the billionaire since April, setting the stage for a year filled with unprecedented legal proceedings as he navigates multiple court appearances alongside a potential White House campaign.

Before departing from his New Jersey golf club for his flight to Atlanta, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, stating that his arrest was due to “having the audacity to challenge a RIGGED & STOLLEN (sic) ELECTION.” He added, “This is yet another SAD DAY IN AMERICA!”

Notably, Trump had managed to avoid having a mugshot taken during his prior arrests earlier in the year, which included charges in New York related to hush money payments to an adult film star, in Florida for mishandling classified government documents, and in Washington for conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

However, Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat clarified that it is standard procedure in Georgia to photograph a defendant before their release on bail, which was set at $200,000 in Trump’s case.

This arrest occurred one day after Trump declined to participate in a televised debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where eight of his competitors for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination were in attendance, all of whom trailed significantly behind him in the polls.