Trump Arrested for Fourth Time in Five Months

Ryan Bort
·4 min read
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Donald Trump has been arrested yet again.

The former president surrendered to authorities in Georgia on Thursday, less than two weeks after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis indicted him and 18 allies on charges related to their effort to overturn the state’s 2020 presidential election results.

Trump arrived at the Fulton County jail around 7:30 p.m. after flying into Atlanta from New Jersey. He will reportedly have his mugshot taken as part of his processing. The former president is listed as having “blond or strawberry” hair, standing at 6’3,” and weighing in at a very dubious 215 pounds.

After being arrested and booked, Trump spoke with reporters before departing from Georgia. “It’s election interference,” he claimed. “We did nothing wrong at all and we have every right, every single right, to challenge an election that we think is dishonest.”

Willis ordered that all 19 defendants turn themselves in by Friday at noon. They’ve steadily been doing so throughout the week, with John Eastman and Scott Hall surrendering on Tuesday, Rudy Giuliani and a gaggle of others turning themselves in on Wednesday, and Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff, visiting the Fulton County jail ahead of Trump on Thursday.

Trump’s arrest is his fourth this year, following one in April on charges handed down by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg related to the effort to keep porn star Stormy Daniels quiet ahead of the 2016 election about an alleged affair; one in June on federal charges related to his handling of classified material after leaving the White House; and one earlier this month on more federal charges stemming from the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Willis began investigating Trump in early 2021 following the release of audio of a phone call between the then-president and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Trump pressured Raffensperger to “find” the votes Trump needed to surpass Joe Biden’s total in the state. The investigation grew to include a host of other potentially illegal conduct related to the effort to overturn the state’s election results, both from Trump and several of his allies involved in the scheme. Trump was ultimately charged with 13 criminal counts, including a violation of Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

Trump’s arrest comes after his legal team reached a bail agreement with the court stipulating the former president pay $200,000 bond and sign off on various requirements in order to remain free. These include not committing additional crimes, appearing in court when required to, and refraining from making any “direct or indirect threat of any nature” against any co-defendant, unindicted co-conspirator, witness, or victim.

Trump has overhauled his legal team since the bail agreement was reached, however, replacing lead attorney Drew Findling with high-profile criminal defense attorney Steve Sadow on Thursday. Sadow echoed Trump’s rhetoric surrounding the arrest in a statement released in response to his new gig. “Prosecutions intended to advance or serve the ambitions and careers of political opponents of the president have no place in our justice system,” he wrote.

Trump has long alleged that his legal woes are part of a Democratic conspiracy to torpedo his chances at winning back the White House. He’s repeatedly cast himself as a martyr, telegraphing to his supporters that he’s being indicted for them. “NOBODY HAS EVER FOUGHT FOR ELECTION INTEGRITY LIKE PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP,” he wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. “FOR DOING SO, I WILL PROUDLY BE ARRESTED TOMORROW AFTERNOON IN GEORGIA. GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!”

“This is yet another SAD DAY IN AMERICA!” Trump added shortly before leaving for Atlanta on Thursday.

It’s unclear when — or even if — Trump will stand trial in Georgia. Ken Chesebro, one of Trump’s co-defendants, put in a request on Wednesday for a “speedy trial.” Willis responded on Thursday by calling for all 19 defendants to stand trial on October 23. Sadow quickly objected in one of his first moves as Trump’s new attorney.

The former president’s team is expected to continue to do what it can to delay the trial beyond the 2024 election. Rolling Stonereported last year that part of Trump’s impetus for running again is to immunize himself from the myriad investigations into his potentially illegal conduct.

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