(Updated)
Just think about this.
According to The New York Times, Donald Trump suggested to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem that his image should be added to Mount Rushmore, joining Presidents Lincoln, Washington, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
On August 24. The Fulton County, GA, Sheriff's Office, took his picture just the same as any other common criminal. So, instead of it being destined for the iconic Mount Rushmore, this image of Inmate # P01135809 will live in infamy.
Apparently being added to Mount Rushmore long has been Trump's fantasy, having said this at a campaign rally in July 2017:
“Every single president on Mt. Rushmore – I’d ask whether or not you think I will someday be on Mt. Rushmore. But here’s the problem: If i did it, joking, totally joking, the fake news media would say he believes he should be on Mt. Rushmore. So I won’t say it.”
Now, having been indicted in four different cases, three of them stemming from trying to overturn the 2020 election, instead of being headed to that mountain top place of honor, Trump's common mugshot will be spread around the world and held up to plenty of public ridicule.
The Mug Shot
Before the photo was taken, there was plenty of speculation about what it would be like:
Will he be in an orange jump suit matching his hair? (He wasn't.)
Will he be handcuffed? Presumably, as much as he is fond of gold, those would likely be made of stainless steel. (He wasn't.)
Will he be wearing a MAGA hat? (Nope.)
Hilariously, Crypto sportsbook, Bovada, took bets on Trump's appearance once his picture was taken. See below for the latest odds:
Trump to be handcuffed during the arraignment +125
Fulton County sheriff to release mugshot of Trump smiling +200
Fulton County sheriff to release mugshot of Trump wearing a MAGA cap +2500
You can bet on a lot more than his pic on that site. Will he be found guilty of the various charges, which include violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO? Will he serve prison time? And much more.
The Georgia RICO Law
The federal RICO law originally was designed to prosecute mob bosses in charge of complex criminal enterprises. However, Georgia’s RICO law allows prosecutors to combine into one charge several alleged crimes, and in this case it did so -- including conspiracy to defraud the state, false statements and writings, impersonating a public officer, forgery, computer theft and others. The penalty for all of that is up to 20 years in prison.
According to Fulton County Prosecutor Fanni T. Willis, the Trump campaign is the criminal enterprise and its illegal action was trying to overturn Georgia's presidential election, won by Democrat Joe Biden. The 98-page, 41-count indictment includes 13 charges against Trump alone, but also charges 19 other defendants, including lawyers Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis and Ray Smith and several other people.
RICO convictions carry mandatory minimum sentences of five years and some of the other charges “entail automatic prison time under the Georgia criminal code," Willis said. If convicted of conspiring to solicit a public official to violate the oath of office, Trump would face a minimum one-year mandatory prison sentence, she added. The crime of first-degree forgery similarly carries a mandatory prison sentence of at least one year.
Worse for Trump is the fact that he can’t pardon himself if convicted and then elected because the charges against him are state charges. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes. In Georgia, those convicted of state crimes can only appeal for a pardon to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles five years after completing their sentence.
Moreover, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) does not have the power to pardon Trump, although the GOP-controlled state legislature could vote to grant Kemp that power. However, his comments about the matter would not seem to give Trump much hope for that.
Other Cases in this Journey from Mount Rushmore to a Mug Shot
Of course, the Georgia case is only the latest in the charges against Trump.
In New York, Trump was indicted in April for allegedly falsifying business records to keep an alleged affair with adult porn star Stormy Daniels quiet during the 2016 election. He pleaded not guilty and faces a trial in March.
In Florida, he was indicted in June for allegedly hiding classified information, a violation of the Espionage Act, and lying about it. He was indicted again for allegedly trying to delete evidence. That trial is slated for May, just as the Republican Party will be finalizing its presidential nominee.
In Washington, DC, Trump is awaiting a trial date after being charged with plotting to overturn the 2020 election and inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol. The government want to start this trial in early January. Numerous defendants who participated in that violence, which resulted in death and destruction, already have been sentenced to prison.
In New York, a jury found he sexually abused a woman, E. Jean Carroll, who alleged he raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. While Trump has maintained his innocence, the jury awarded Carroll $5 million. He now faces a second defamation trial in January for calling Carroll, a “whack job” a day after the jury reached its verdict.
Lock Him Up
Meanwhile, his MAGA support remains as strong as ever and Trump -- as of now -- is considered the heavy favorite to capture the GOP presidential nomination.
That is just sick.
For years, Trump and his supporters have chanted "Lock her up," when referring to his 2020 opponent, Hillary Clinton.
Now, the operative slogan these days, as Trump has gone from aspirations of Mt. Rushmore to a mug shot, is "Lock him up."