Former U.S. President Donald Trump is set to report to an Atlanta jail on Thursday evening to face charges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. This marks the fourth criminal case brought against Trump this year. The charges, led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, include 13 felony counts, including racketeering, for pressuring state officials in Georgia to reverse his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has labeled the cases politically motivated. He is due to enter a plea on September 5 and has posted a $200,000 bond.
Trump’s jailhouse visit comes amidst his campaign to win back the presidency in the November 2024 election. The former president’s presence at the Fulton County Jail is expected to attract attention from both his supporters and detractors, with his mug shot likely circulating widely. Trump has faced legal challenges throughout the year, but his lead in opinion polls for the 2024 Republican nomination has only increased. However, analysts have cautioned that his legal troubles may alienate independent voters, which he would need to win a general election rematch against Biden.
In the Georgia case, Trump is accused of pressuring state officials and setting up illegitimate electors in an effort to reverse his defeat. He has repeatedly made baseless claims of widespread voting fraud that cost him the 2020 election. Out of Trump’s 18 co-defendants in the case, nine have already surrendered to authorities, including his former lawyer Rudy Giuliani. The remaining eight face arrest if they do not comply by a Friday deadline. Trump, who is the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges, currently faces a total of 91 criminal counts across different cases in Washington, D.C., Florida, and New York.