Former President Donald Trump shook the digital world on Thursday with his unexpected return to X, formerly Twitter, sharing a link to his website along with a photo of his recent mugshot from Fulton County, Georgia. This marked Trump’s first post on the platform since 2021, and it instantly went viral, attracting global attention.
Accompanying the mugshot was a clear caption: “Mug shot – August 24, 2023. Election interference. Never Surrender. DONALJTRUMP.COM.” Trump chose Elon Musk’s X platform, formerly known as Twitter, as the venue for his unexpected online reappearance.
The former president had been banned from the platform for a year, but Musk reinstated him in November 2022 after a poll in which over 15 million users voted, with 51.8% in favor of Trump’s return.
This time, Trump is invoking “election interference” as he faces a series of legal troubles, including his recent indictment in Georgia. District Attorney Taney Willis led the charges that led to Trump surrendering himself to the Fulton County Sheriff’s office. Trump describes this situation as a “travesty of justice.”
The link in Trump’s X post redirects to a donation page where he shares a message addressing his arrest and indictment. In it, he proclaims his innocence, calls it “election interference,” and portrays himself as a political outsider being targeted by the Left. He appeals for support to “evict Crooked Joe Biden from the White House and SAVE AMERICA.”
Trump, along with 18 others, faces a 41-count indictment handed down by a Fulton County grand jury. The unexpected release of his mugshot garnered an astonishing amount of online engagement, with over 160,000 comments, 320,000 retweets, and nearly a million likes within just 10 hours.
Interestingly, the release of Trump’s mugshot appears to have backfired on his opponents. Supporters and critics alike have widely shared the image, but Trump’s backers have effectively turned it into a campaign symbol, eliciting global sympathy.
Elon Musk himself shared Trump’s post with the caption, “Next-level…,” and it reached over 38 million users worldwide.
Prominent political enthusiasts, such as Matt Wallace and Benny Johnson, highlighted the image’s potential to inspire Trump’s supporters and provoke reactions from opponents. He posted: “Donald Trump driving through the urban, poor neighborhoods of Atlanta after his arrest & mugshot. What happens next will shock you. Trump gives people hope. Libs want this video deleted. The media want it censored.”
Even The Lincoln Project, a group known for its opposition to Trump, posted a video of people cheering the mugshot, acknowledging its significance with the hashtag #TrumpMugShot.
Another verified user, Ian Jaeger, posted: “BREAKING: Jim Jordan says the case against Donald Trump is “Election Interference.”
In a related development, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) requested documents pertaining to Trump’s prosecution for “election interference” in Georgia, expressing concerns about the motivations behind the case and its potential impact on federal operations.
Trump supporter and conservative Charlie Kirk also posted: “BREAKING: Trump returns to X, posts mugshot and message to NEVER SURRENDER.”
Another verified user Clandestine chimed in with the following post: “Trump just stole the show from the Left and what was supposed to be their day of celebration. They got more indictments. They got the mugshot. The Trumpers were supposed to be sad and defeated. Yet somehow, Trump won the day. The Art of War.”
The Daily Netizen 