Former President Donald Trump’s recent legal entanglements have inadvertently boosted his election campaign coffers, with the campaign raising $7.1 million in the aftermath of his police mugshot being taken at a prison in Atlanta, Georgia.
The majority of these funds have come from the sale of campaign merchandise featuring Trump’s stern visage, including mugs, T-shirts, and drink coolers.
The twice impeached, quadruple-indicted ex-president’s mugshot was captured after his release on bail, following his arrest on charges of allegedly conspiring to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results.
With three other indictments looming over him, including charges related to false claims of election theft and his supporters’ storming of the Capitol in Washington, Trump’s legal battles have not hindered his ambitions to campaign for the 2024 US presidential election.
Trump remains steadfast in his denial of all charges, characterizing them as politically motivated attempts to undermine his lead in the Republican primary race against incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden.
Strikingly, Trump’s legal troubles seem to have ignited the fervor of his supporters, resulting in a staggering $20 million raised within just three weeks of the Georgia and Capitol riots indictments. Notably, his highest single-day fundraising total of $4.18 million was achieved immediately after his arrest in Georgia.
The Trump campaign has leveraged its online store to peddle merchandise, while also reaching out to supporters for assistance.
A strategic message-solicitation campaign has been underway, generating further contributions.
In a surprising move, the former president himself posted on X (formerly Twitter) for the first time since January 2021. He shared his mugshot accompanied by the caption “Election interference. Never surrender!” and provided the link to his website.
Trump’s recent arrest occurred at Fulton County jail, where he surrendered to law enforcement and posted a $200,000 bail for his release.
As he awaits trial, his campaign seems determined to use the spotlight generated by his legal predicament to its advantage, channeling the attention into campaign contributions and maintaining momentum in his pursuit of the presidency once more.
He looks like the Devil