Donald Trump's election campaign has announced a fundraising success, with $7.1 million (£5.6 million) raised since his police mugshot was taken at an Atlanta, Georgia
prison on Thursday.
The substantial portion of funds has come from merchandise sales, including mugs, T-shirts, and drink coolers featuring the former president's stern visage.
After being taken into custody and charged with conspiracy to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results, Mr. Trump was released on bail.
As he pursues his bid for the 2024 US election, he is facing three other indictments. Among them are charges related to his baseless assertions of election theft and his supporters' attack on the US Capitol.
Mr. Trump vehemently denies all allegations, asserting that these legal proceedings are politically driven due to his leading position in the race for the Republican nomination, seeking to challenge the Democratic Party's incumbent President Joe Biden.
The attention drawn to these events appears to have energized his supporters. Over the past three weeks, he has amassed almost $20 million in campaign donations, primarily since being indicted in the Georgia and Capitol riots cases.
Immediately following his arrest in Georgia on Friday, he collected $4.18 million, purportedly marking the highest 24-hour fundraising total in his campaign thus far.
The campaign has leveraged the situation by selling merchandise through its online store and actively seeking support from its base.
Moreover, on Thursday, Mr. Trump himself made his first post on X (formerly known as Twitter) since January 2021. He shared his mugshot with the caption "Election interference. Never surrender!" and included a link to his website.
These events followed the former president's appearance at Fulton County jail, where he surrendered to authorities and paid $200,000 in bail as he awaits trial. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons