Trump returns to Twitter, now X, with police mugshot post

Former president of the United States of America Donald Trump posted his police mugshot on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday after his arrest in Georgia – his first post on the platform since January 2021.

The Republican leader was arrested at a Georgia jail on racketeering and conspiracy charges and released on a US$200,000-bond after having a historic mug shot taken.

Trump, who is accused of colluding with 18 other defendants to overturn the 2020 election result in the southern state, spent less than 30 minutes inside Atlanta's Fulton County Jail before leaving in a motorcade for the airport.

Like the other defendants in the case who have surrendered so far, the 77-year-old Trump had his mug shot taken during the booking process – a first for any serving or former US president.

In the photograph released by the sheriff's office, he scowled at the camera while dressed in a dark blue suit, white shirt and red tie.

Speaking to reporters after his arrest, Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said it was a "very sad day for America."

"What has taken place here is a travesty of justice," he said. "I did nothing wrong."

Return to Twitter

The social media post signals the return of Trump to what had been his favourite bullhorn. It was his first post since several days after the insurrection at the US Capitol that saw an enraged mob of his supporters attempt to block Joe Biden's certification as president.

The then-Twitter permanently suspended Trump after the January 6 riot, ruling he had violated the platform's policy on glorifying violence as he pressed his false claims that the election was stolen from him.

Elon Musk, who bought the platform last year, reinstated the former president in November 2022, but Trump stayed away, choosing to reach his followers on his own platform, Truth Social, albeit with a much smaller audience.

trump mugshot, 1300-730, 800x728 — This handout image released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office on August 24, 2023 shows the booking photo of former US president Donald Trump.

His Thursday post features the mugshot – Trump scowling at the camera as he posed in Fulton County jail – and has a link to his 2024 presidential campaign.

Above the photo are the words "MUG SHOT -- AUGUST 24, 2023." Below it are the phrases "ELECTION INTERFERENCE" and "NEVER SURRENDER."