FACT CHECK: Viral Image Claims To Show Donald Trump’s Mugshot

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

An image shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, claims to show former President Donald Trump’s mugshot.

Verdict: False

The image is from November 2020.

Fact Check:

Trump surrendered himself to the Fulton County Sheriff’s office after being indicted for attempting to overturn the election in Georgia, according to CNN. Social media users have been sharing images of Trump, claiming it shows his mugshot.

This image, however, is old. A reverse image search shows that the image is from November 2020, taken by a Reuters photographer and shows Trump with former Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. This claim was also debunked by BBC Verify reporter Shayan Sardarizadeh in a tweet.

“This fake mugshot of Donald Trump is currently being shared widely on Twitter. This is a doctored image, and not a real mugshot of the former president released by Fulton County,” Sardarizadeh tweeted.

A mugshot of the former president was reportedly released by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office at around 8:40pm on Aug. 24. The mugshot was reported on by various outlets at the time of its release.

The former president confirmed the validity of the mugshot at 9:00pm, putting out a post on his Truth Social platform.

“ELECTION INTERFERENCE, NEVER SURRENDER!” The post reads, before linking to Trump’s official website.

This story relies on breaking news. We will update as more information becomes available. 

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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