Trump negotiated to surrender to jail when it would maximize TV ratings: report

Former President Donald Trump's decision to turn himself in for booking at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday evening was not a coincidence, reportedThe Guardian on Tuesday — rather, Trump deliberately negotiated a day and time with prosecutors that would guarantee the most people would be watching it on TV.

"The former president – seeking to distract from the indignity of the surrender by turning things into a circus – in essence had his lawyers negotiate the booking to take place during the prime viewing hours for the cable news networks," reported Hugo Lowell. "Trump has posted on his Truth Social platform that he would be arrested on Thursday, but the prime-time scheduling was finalized in recent days after his lawyers met with the Fulton county district attorney, Fani Willis, at her office on Monday."

According to the report, Trump may also have plans to "extend the coverage of the proceedings by speaking afterwards in front of cameras and reporters."

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Trump was indicted on a slew of charges earlier this month including racketeering, along with 18 associates, attorneys, and Georgia Republican operatives. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has alleged a sprawling criminal enterprise that sought to overturn the presidential election results through illegal means.

The former president has vehemently denied all charges against him and claimed that he is being politically targeted by partisans within the Biden administration — and hopes to leverage the proceedings to enrage and motivate his political base.

"The surrender itself is expected to be mundane," noted the report. "At the Rice Street jail north-west of downtown Atlanta, where defendants charged in Fulton county are typically taken, the booking process involves a mug shot, fingerprinting and having height and weight recorded."