Donald Trump’s presidential campaign reported on Sunday that it had raised $7.1 million since the Republican billionaire’s mug image was made public following his arrest this week on accusations of racketeering and conspiracy in a Georgia jail.
The campaign soon adopted the former president’s scowling photograph, the first mug shot of a current or former US president, as the emblem of his campaign to retake the White House in 2024.
“Close to $20m raised in the last 3 weeks, coinciding with the DC indictment and Atlanta mugshot,” campaign spokesman Steven Cheung confirmed to AFP on Sunday.
“$7.1m since Thursday (Atlanta mugshot). $4.18m yesterday alone, the highest grossing day of the entire campaign,” he continued.
“Organic money has skyrocketed, especially after President Trump tweeted out the picture along with the website.”
AFP was unable to independently confirm the assertions.
Cheung posted a high-resolution version of the image along with a request to US media to “Please continue to show it” on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Within hours of the photo’s release, Trump’s team released t-shirts, mugs, stickers, and beverage coolers with the mug shot, which is arguably now the most well-known in US history.
The local sheriff’s badge watermark that was seen in the image made public by the authorities is conspicuously missing from the product.
Such a picture would undoubtedly bring down any other politician, but for 77-year-old Trump, it fits into his story of a brave, stubborn victim.
Even the “Hope” poster from Barack Obama’s successful 2008 presidential campaign has been compared by marketing professionals to it.
However, Democrats have also utilized it, arguing that it demonstrates that no one is above the law.
In response, Biden said, “I did see it on television,” in remarks to reporters on Friday. Handsome dude.”
