Donald Trump mugshot triggers jump in campaign funding

More than $7 million has been raised since the former president was formally arrested in Georgia on Thursday

Donald Trump's mugshot has been used on T-shirts, hats, mugs and other items. Reuters

Former US president Donald Trump has raised about $20 million in the past three weeks, his campaign spokesman has claimed.

The period roughly coincides with his indictment in federal and state cases connected to his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

Since appearing on Thursday to have his mugshot taken in a racketeering and fraud case in Atlanta, Georgia, the former president brought in $7.1 million, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Friday was the highest-grossing day for fund-raising since Mr Trump launched his re-election bid, with $4.18 million raised, Mr Cheung said.

His mugshot, posted by a Georgia courthouse on Thursday evening, has been turned into T-shirts, shot glasses, mugs, posters and even bobblehead dolls by friends and foes alike.

The shot of Mr Trump scowling at the camera was taken as he was arrested on more than a dozen charges as part of a criminal case stemming from his attempts to overturn the 2020 election result.

The front-runner for the Republican Party's presidential nomination is seeking a second term after being defeated by Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

Mr Trump faces four indictments, including two related to his false claims that the election was stolen and his followers' January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol in Washington.

He has denied all charges.

On August 15, Mr Trump was indicted by a Georgia grand jury after an investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis into his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Mr Biden in the state.

On August 3, he pleaded not guilty to charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith in federal court in Washington that he conspired to defraud the US by preventing Congress from certifying Mr Biden's election victory over him and to deprive voters of their right to a fair election.

He has also pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawfully keeping classified documents after leaving office and of falsifying business records in a case in New York related to the payment of so-called hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.