Psaki says Trump mug shot will ‘backfire’ in 2024: ‘Images are more persuasive than anything’

Former White House Press Secretary and MSNBC host Jen Psaki on Saturday said former President Donald Trump’s recently released mug shot will not play well for him in a general election.

In commentary she wrote for her weekly MSNBC Daily newsletter titled “Trump’s mug shot will backfire in 2024,” Psaki said independent and moderate voters will not be more likely to vote for the former president because he “was booked in the Fulton County Jail.” She noted that while Trump and his allies are “leaning into” the mug shot, it may only be received well by his base. 

“This photo will be shared on every text thread in America. Sometimes, images are more persuasive than anything,” Psaki said. “And it is hard to imagine that this image, of Trump scowling into the police camera, will make him more appealing to anyone who is not already a hardcore supporter.”

Trump’s recent mug shot is a result of him surrendering to authorities in Fulton County, Ga., after being indicted alongside 18 other co-defendants in District Attorney Fani Willis’ case against them related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. A Trump spokesperson described the mug shot as a “trophy” in an interview on Newsmax Friday. 

“They didn’t need the mugshot. It was, I guess to her, probably a trophy, but thank you, because now the trophy actually became ours,” Trump spokeswoman Alina Habba said.