Divided US embraces Trump mug shot merchandise

By Gram Slattery, Nathan Layne and Blake Brittain

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump's historic mug shot, posted by a Georgia courthouse on Thursday evening, is being turned into T-shirts, shot glasses, mugs, posters and even bobblehead dolls by friends and foes alike.

The shot of Trump with a red tie, glistening hair, and an icy scowl was taken as the Republican presidential front-runner was arrested on more than a dozen felony charges, part of a criminal case stemming from his attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Supporters and campaign managers have embraced the image of his arrest, as they rally around Trump's claims that the charges against him are politically motivated.

To critics, the photo is a symbol that his long list of legal woes has finally caught up to him.

Trump's Save America fundraising committee is selling "NEVER SURRENDER!" mug shot t-shirts ($34.00), beverage holders ($15.00 for two) and coffee mugs ($25.00). His son Don Jr. is marketing "FREE TRUMP" mug shot t-shirts ($29.99) and posters ($19.99).