Maggie Haberman Reveals Why Trump Pulled That Face During His Mug Shot

The former president's scowl was intended to send a specific message.
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CNN’s Jake Tapper said the look on Donald Trump’s face in his Georgia mug shot is one he’s used before to appear menacing ― but New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman said there’s more to it than that.

“It isn’t just that he wants to look menacing, which is certainly true, and he has made that kind of face in photos for years and years and years,” she said. “He doesn’t want to look weak, and that’s what that’s about.”

Donald Trump's booking photo, taken at the Fulton County Jail on August 24, 2023.
Donald Trump's booking photo, taken at the Fulton County Jail on August 24, 2023.
Photo by Fulton County Sheriff's Office via Getty Images

Trump was arrested in Georgia on Wednesday for charges related to his efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. He was booked and later released on bail, and has since posted his mug shot on social media.

Haberman said the desire not to appear weak comes across not just in Trump’s face in the mug shot, but in what he’s doing with the image.

“Circulating the mug shot, fundraising off of it, owning it, using it for press ― that’s all part of a playbook that we have seen him use over and over again,” she said. “But that does not mean he’s enjoying any of this. This is a serious thing. He is facing serious jail time.”

See more of her analysis below:

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