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Trump campaign says it has raised more than $9 million since mug shot

By Soo Rin Kim and Lalee Ibssa, ABC News Aug 30, 2023 | 5:12 AM
Fulton County Sheriff’s Office

(WASHINGTON) — Former President Donald Trump’s campaign now says it has raised a total of $9.4 million since the release of his mug shot.

The figure has been revised since the campaign first said this past Saturday that it raised a total of $7.1 million in less than three days, according to campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung. That includes $4.18 million raised on Friday alone, the biggest fundraising day for the campaign so far, Cheung said.

According to Cheung, the campaign’s “organic” fundraising has skyrocketed recently, including from people who purchase campaign merchandise or donate without being prompted. He attributed part of the fundraising success to Trump tweeting out the mug shot and posting the picture on the campaign website.

Trump is one of 19 defendants charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in a sweeping racketeering indictment for their alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Trump has denied any illegal wrongdoing.

Trump was processed and had a mug shot taken last week before he was released.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office released Trump’s mug shot which was taken shortly after he turned himself in to authorities. Trump is the first former U.S. president to have his mug shot taken.

Thus far in August, the campaign has raised more than $20 million in total, according to Cheung.

According to Cheung, the latest fundraising figure includes $1.7 million the campaign brought in from selling 36,000 mug shot t-shirts; $864,000 brought in from selling 24,00 mug shot coffee mugs; and $352,000 brought in from selling 8,600 mug shot posters.

Cheung said funds included in the latest figures are “earmarked” for political and campaign activities and will not be used for legal expenses.

The Trump campaign, since last week, has been using the mug shot from his election interference indictment to fundraise after the campaign quickly posted the image on his campaign website with a call to donate after his mug shot was released.

“Today, at the notoriously violent jail in Fulton County, Georgia, I was ARRESTED despite having committed NO CRIME,” the campaign wrote in the fundraising message, claiming that his legal battles are “election interference.”

“But today, I walked into the lion’s den with one simple message on behalf of our entire movement: I WILL NEVER SURRENDER OUR MISSION TO SAVE AMERICA,” the fundraising message continued.

The message ended with a plea for a contribution.

So far this year, Trump’s presidential campaign committee has focused mostly on political and campaign activities, while his Save America PAC has covered much of the legal expenses associated with his investigations and indictments.

Fox News first reported on the latest fundraising details on Tuesday since the mug shot release.

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