Georgia election case: Trump, other 18 defendants surrender to authorities

Former President Trump was processed and released on bail.

Former President Donald Trump and the 18 other defendants charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for their alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia all surrendered to authorities at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta.

Trump and 17 other defendants were processed and released on bail, with one defendant held without bond. Several defendants also mounted legal challenges to the DA's case.


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Trump posts mug shot on X in return to social media platform

Trump has posted his mug shot on his X account, marking his first post on the social media platform since Jan. 8, 2021.

Trump was suspended from X -- then known as Twitter -- following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He hadn't tweeted since new owner Elon Musk reinstated his Twitter account in November 2022 -- instead using his Truth Social platform to post messages.

Trump posted his mug shot on Truth Social as well.

Both posts linked to Trump's 2024 campaign website, where the mug shot was also used as part of a fundraising pitch.

-ABC News' Soo Rin Kim, Lalee Ibssa and Will Steakin


Trump's mug shot released

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office has released the mug shot taken of Trump during his processing this evening.

This is the first mug shot to be taken of Trump among his four indictments.


Trump: 'We did nothing wrong'

In remarks before boarding his plane at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Trump said he had the right to challenge an election "we think is dishonest."

"We did nothing wrong," said Trump, continuing to falsely claim that the election had been stolen.

"We have every right to challenge the election," he said.

Trump's plane is now en route to Newark Liberty International Airport.


Trump heading back toward airport

Trump's motorcade is now en route to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport following his booking and release from the Fulton County Jail.


Willis opposes Meadows' motion to move case to federal court

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has responded to Mark Meadows' emergency motion to prevent his arrest and remove his case to federal court, arguing that the former Trump chief of staff's arguments are "baseless and in direct contravention with the requirements of the law."

"In essence, the defendant's emergency motion is a plea to this Court to prevent the defendant from being arrested on the charges lawfully brought by the State of Georgia," the response said, highlighting that Meadows had previously requested additional time to surrender on two occasions.

Willis argued that Meadows' removal motion only entitles him to an evidentiary hearing, which is already set for August 28; otherwise, criminal proceedings in the case, including his surrender, can continue as planned, the response said.

Meadows last week filed a motion to move his case on the basis of a federal law that he argued requires the removal of criminal proceedings brought in state court to the federal court system when someone is charged for actions they allegedly took as a federal official acting "under color" of their office.

Among other allegations, the DA's indictment says Meadows traveled to Cobb County Center and "attempted to observe the signature match audit being performed by law enforcement officers and officials from the Georgia Secretary of State despite the fact that the process was not open to the public" and that he sent a text message to a state investigator on Dec. 27, 2020, asking if there was a way to "speed up" results ahead of Jan. 6, "in furtherance of the conspiracy."