Axios

Former President Trump's surprise post of his mug shot on the social platform formerly known as Twitter was done because he wanted the image to reach a huge audience, his aides tell Axios.

Why it matters: It was the first time in more than 2 1/2 years that Trump posted on Elon Musk's platform now known as X — and was a signal that Trump might resume posting on the platform that was his main megaphone before and during his presidency.

Over a dozen of former President Trump's close allies face growing legal bills when he's least able to help — and they're turning to desperate measures to raise money for their fights.

Why it matters: Trump's co-defendants in the Fulton County case each need legal teams that could cost well into the six figures.

Officials in Hawai'i's Maui County, with help from the FBI, released the names of 388 people who are unaccounted for late Thursday following the deadliest U.S. wildfires in over a century.

The big picture: The devastating wildfires in Maui have now killed at least 115 people and marked the worst natural disaster in Hawai'i's history.

The Trump mug shot is exploding on social media — with Republicans posting their own fake mug shots to ride the wave — and now his campaign is threatening to "come after" any "scammer" who uses the image to raise money.

Why it matters: The instantly iconic mug shot — the first taken of a past or present U.S. president — "will be forever part of the iconography of being alive in this time," USC professor Marty Kaplan told AP.

Former President Trump's booking at the Fulton County jail on Thursday night kicked off a protracted legal battle over his alleged efforts to subvert Georgia's 2020 election results.

Driving the news: Although the Georgia case marks Trump's fourth indictment it's also the most sweeping, encompassing 18 co-defendants alongside the former president.

Former President Trump's high-profile Georgia lawyer is no stranger to big names or complex racketeering cases like the one his new client now faces.

The big picture: Veteran defense attorney Steven Sadow has represented the likes of Rick Ross and Usher, and has experience working cases involving the state's RICO law.

All of former President Donald Trump's 18 co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case surrendered to authorities before Friday's noon deadline, capping a dayslong parade of high-profile figures through a notorious Atlanta jail.

Why it matters: Defendants in the case faced an Aug. 25 deadline to turn themselves in to the Fulton County jail for their alleged efforts to overturn the state's 2020 election results.

A Montana man who threatened to kill Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) earlier this year was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, the Department of Justice announced.

The big picture: The Tester case is part of a wider trend of surging threats against lawmakers in recent years. U.S. Capitol Police investigations of threats against U.S. lawmakers spiked 144% between 2017 and 2021.

A Donald Trump-less Republican debate exposed fissures between the candidates, who sparred with each other amid hopes the former president's massive lead isn't bulletproof.

Why it matters: Early on, the event created opportunities for the contenders to discuss the environment, energy policy, and President Joe Biden's climate policies.

Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell on Friday warned that inflation was still far too high, and suggested the central bank may need to raise interest rates further in coming months.

Why it matters: Despite recent data that shows inflation receding, the Fed is not declaring victory with signs that price pressures could reemerge.

Vivek Ramaswamy raised $450,000 after Wednesday night's GOP debate in Milwaukee, with an average donation of $38, his campaign tells Axios.

Why it matters: Ramaswamy, 38, stood out as aggressive and energetic. The more experienced candidates scolded him as shallow and annoying.

Former President Trump got the prime-time coverage he craved — and the historic mug shot he wanted.

Driving the news: Trump's drive-by visit to Atlanta late Thursday to be arrested for the fourth time in less than five months produced the stern-looking jailhouse photo — another presidential first for him — that's sure to be the signature image of the 2024 campaign.

Axios Atlanta's Kristal Dixon here. This week allowed me to cover one of the most important — and oddest — stories of my career.

• I braved Atlanta's heat and humidity and immersed myself among hundreds of others on Thursday to wait for the former president to be booked on charges he tried to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results.

Inmate No. P01135809 — that's how Donald J. Trump of Palm Beach, Fla., is listed in the jail records of Fulton County, Ga., after Thursday night's 20-minute booking.

Why it matters: Trump has now made history as not only the first U.S. president — sitting or former — to face criminal charges, but the first to have their mug shot taken.

Civil rights leaders are set to hold the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington on Saturday at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., amid ongoing fears the nation is going back on racial equity and voting rights, even as the country becomes more diverse.

The big picture: The 1963 gathering in D.C., where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, sought to bring attention to jobs, voting rights, and police brutality. The issues are eerily the same in 2023.

Abortion is emerging as one of the few policies that divide the 2024 GOP presidential field, with candidates stuck between a base that demands strong anti-abortion positions and growing evidence it's hurting them at the polls.

The big picture: The presidential contenders' handling of abortion rights may be getting the most attention, but Republicans across multiple levels of government are warring with one another over the issue.

Former President Trump on Thursday posted a photo of his Fulton County mug shot on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter – his first post in more than two years.

Why it matters: It's his first post on the platform, now called "X," since Jan. 8, 2021 — and comes just after he surrendered in Georgia for his fourth criminal indictment.

Former President Trump was formally booked as he surrendered to Fulton County jail in his Georgia election indictment.

The big picture: Trump became the first president, sitting or former, to have his mug shot taken in a booking process that took about 22 minutes.

Former President Trump's upcoming arraignment in the Georgia election case could be the biggest public spectacle yet in his web of legal challenges.

The big picture: The 2024 GOP frontrunner is facing his fourth indictment in four months, but this time around he has had a mug shot taken, and it could be the only trial in which court proceedings are televised.

Former President Trump surrendered and was booked into jail Thursday on Georgia criminal charges relating to his alleged efforts to subvert 2020 election results.

Why it matters: It's Trump's fourth arrest this year as he navigates a packed courtroom calendar and his 2024 presidential campaign, and he made history as he became the first president, sitting or former, to have a mug shot taken.

Maui County filed a lawsuit Thursday against Hawaiian Electric Company over the destructive wildfires that razed most of Lahaina earlier this month.

The big picture: While the cause of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in over a century and Hawai'i's worst-ever natural disaster remains under investigation, at least three lawsuits allege the wildfires were ignited by strong winds knocking down the Hawaiian Electric power lines.