Sheriff describes 'heartbreaking' moment Trump saw his photo taken at Fulton County Jail

The sheriff of Fulton County, Georgia, recalled the moment Donald Trump sat down to have his photo taken in his jail, calling the moment “heartbreaking.”

“On a personal level, it was heartbreaking to see someone of that stature who represents our country in that way have to go through that,” Sheriff Pat Labat said in an interview with CNN.

Mr. Trump was arrested last month in Fulton County after being charged in a racketeering case focused on his alleged attempt to steal the 2020 presidential election by directing state officials to “find” votes for him.

Mr. Labat described Mr. Trump as “very stoic” and “pretty quiet” while his mugshot and fingerprints were taken at the prison, which he oversees.

He said the former president's bond documents were brought “to the motorcade so we can get him in and out of the premises as quickly as possible.”

The sheriff also noted that the entire scene was “eerily quiet” due to increased security at the jail.

“Having worked in law enforcement for 32 years, having spent that much time in prison, it was eerily quiet when there were so many safety protocols in place,” he said.

Despite the sheriff's view that the photo was a “heartbreaking” moment, the former president certainly didn't hesitate to take the photo.

Almost immediately after the photo was made public, Mr. Trump posted an image of the photo to his Truth Social and X/Twitter accounts. The photo included a link to Mr. Trump's campaign website, where users were immediately asked to donate to him.

Mr. Trump’s capitalization of the photo did not stop there. His campaign also immediately began selling products featuring the photo.

The former president began selling t-shirts and mugs with his photo on them, and asked his son, Donald Trump Jr., to advertise the products on X/Twitter, assuring potential buyers that “all the profits” would be used to finance his father's defense.

The Trumps are so protective of their image that the younger Trump complained about fakes on his podcast “Triggered.”

“I understand that other people have done [a] very well living making MAGA merch, even if no money actually goes to the [Trump] campaign or the cause,” he said.

He added that he would rather supporters buy directly from the campaign than help other sellers who are just “lining their own pockets.”