A presidential candidate who chooses to forgo debates and has had their mugshot released after multiple criminal indictments would typically be expected to drop out of the race and lose their frontrunner status. However, this is not the case for former President Trump. In fact, his lead over his GOP nomination rivals has only strengthened since the release of his booking photo from the Fulton County Jail in Georgia last week. According to a recent Coefficient poll commissioned by the Trump campaign and conducted among approximately 2,700 likely GOP primary voters, Trump’s support stands at 58%, which is three points higher than his earlier claim in August. The closest Republican candidate to him in the poll is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, with 13% support.
A Morning Consult poll conducted from Friday to Sunday among around 3,600 potential GOP primary voters yielded similar results, with Trump at 58% and DeSantis at 14%. The Guardian notes that these surveys indicate that DeSantis’ main campaign arguments, particularly his claim of being more electable than Trump, have failed to resonate with likely Republican voters, even after he had the chance to establish himself during the debate in Trump’s absence.
The Trump mugshot has taken on a significance beyond a typical law-enforcement photo since its release. The Atlantic highlights that instead of serving as a moment of humility, Trump and his associates have turned it into a “threat,” with Trump himself featuring it in his first post on X (the former Twitter) in over two and a half years. The New York Times reports that the mugshot has become a symbolic tool for a “dangerous marketing” strategy, utilized by both the left and the right for their own purposes. “Ordinarily, a mugshot would be a source of shame and representation of wrongdoing,” explains Wendy Woloson, a history professor at Rutgers. “But in this case, both sides are claiming it. Quite literally. They are taming it and making it safe by turning it into a commodity.”
Despite its appeal to some of Trump’s base, one super PAC supporting a different GOP nomination contender is not hesitant to use the Trump mugshot. According to NBC News, the Tell It Like It Is PAC, which is backing former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, has incorporated the photo into its latest broadcast TV ad airing in New Hampshire. When asked by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins whether he believed that using the mugshot would harm Trump’s chances in the Republican primary, Christie responded, “The picture serves as a reminder of the impact he has had on our country. This is a reflection of his conduct.” (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
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