DLNews News Staff:

Within hours of his arrest in Georgia on charges that he sought to overturn his 2020 election loss, the ex-president’s 2024 campaign sold mugshot-branded t-shirts and drink coolers.

The photograph of a scowling Trump, looking like the quintessential jailbird, is the first mugshot of a former US president. It’s sure to make the history books and polarize Americans just as his presidency has. For his critics, it will glorify him as a master of demagoguery, ruthless ambition, and self-obsession. But for millions of Trump supporters who believe he is the victim of persecution by overzealous prosecutors, it may offer a sense of vindication and validation.

Mug shots are usually taken as part of the arrest process to help identify criminals in case they try to flee while awaiting trial. But officials for the Manhattan district attorney decided against one in Mr. Trump’s case, believing he was already famous and recognizable.

But the Atlanta mug shot was a different story. It went viral almost instantly, and within minutes of the Fulton County sheriff’s office publishing it online, the t-shirts and mugs were on sale. Mr. Trump, who has a long record of juggling personal and political interests, wasted no time capitalizing on its publicity value. He posted it alongside a link to his website on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, in his first post since being banned for almost two years.