Former US president Donald Trump has surrendered to authorities at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, to face 2020 election interference charges.
The Republican leader was at the Fulton County jail on Thursday afternoon, less than a day before his surrender deadline.
He was swiftly booked and processed. The process requires Trump to have his mugshot taken, a first in US presidential history. The process took approximately 20 minutes. Afterwards, Trump quickly left in a motorcade after a $200,000 bond agreement.
As he left the airport in Atlanta, Georgia, Trump briefly denied any wrongdoing and explained that he had the right to challenge the 2020 election results.
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“We have every right – every single right – to challenge an election that we think is dishonest,” Trump said, previewing his defence strategy.
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He also accused the prosecutors of trying to derail his 2024 bid for the presidency: “What they’re doing is election interference. They’re trying to interfere with an election.”
Trump is one of the 19 people charged in the Georgia election case, alleging a criminal enterprise trying to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential race.
The former president is believed to be the 12th defendant to surrender to authorities.
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Before surrendering to authorities, Trump had announced on social media that he would be arriving at the Fulton County jail. In the hours beforehand, dozens of supporters gathered outside the facility, waving flags and wearing pro-Trump shirts and baseball caps.
All 19 defendants faced a deadline of Friday to turn themselves in. High-profile personalities who have turned themselves in since Tuesday include lawyer Sidney Powell and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
