5:59 v originále: Trump's mugshot can have „unpredictable consequences“

Donald Trump surrendered himself at a Georgia jail on Thursday in connection with charges related to his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. Trump was subsequently released on bail, with his mugshot taken – a first for a former US president.

Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing and asserts that the now four criminal indictments against him are politically motivated, given his leadership in the Republican race to challenge President Joe Biden in the next year's presidential election. The potential impact of his ongoing legal battles on the presidential race raises significant questions.

A conversation with Glenn Thrush, a justice reporter for The New York Times, was recorded on Wednesday, the day prior to Trump's appearance before Fulton County authorities.

You can listen to a special episode of the podcast 5:59 in the audio player:

A mugshot of former President Donald Trump, taken by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, literally went viral. That was to be expected, according to Glenn Thrush, a reporter for The New York Times. „Mugshot is incredibly important because it's an image that can be used in politics. And it is an image that Trump can use to portray to the people who support him that he is being persecuted unfairly,“ Thrush says in the 5:59 podcast.

In addition, Donald Trump is very concerned with the image aspect of his media presentation. According to Thrush, this is more important to him than the content itself. A mugshot of „arguably the most famous man in the world is a very powerful image“ in a political fight, and as Thrush points out, its release can have unforeseen consequences.

„You have to understand these prosecutions are a core part of his political strategy for 2024,“ Glenn Thrush points out. Next year, Americans are expected to elect a new president. According to the New York Times reporter, Donald Trump is afraid of how far his indictment could go, but he is also trying to take advantage of it.

„In general his argument is that this is a political persecution made against him by his main political rival. He says that Joe Biden has ordered a political hit job on his main opponent,“ says Thrush. And as far as the polls are concerned, Trump's strategy seems to be working.

Donald Trump is currently facing a total of four lawsuits. Two of these relate to his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 elections, in which he lost the race for the presidency to Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

In Washington, Donald Trump is the only defendant facing charges for what happened on January 6, 2021, when his supporters tried to take over the Capitol. There are 18 other co-defendants in the state of Georgia, and the case is much more complicated than the one being tried in Washington DC.

„But in terms of seriousness the Georgia charges are the most comprehensive; they cover the broadest range of Donald Trump's behavior,“ says Glenn Thrush. „This indictment reads like an encyclopedia,“ he says, bringing special attention to a well-known recording of a telephone conversation in which Donald Trump asks officials to „find“ 11,000 votes to help him win in Georgia.

What other charges have been filed against Donald Trump in the state of Georgia? How do Trump's legal woes reflect on his popularity with the people and among Republicans? Listen to the whole interview via the audio player at the top of the article.