Despite the weirdness to this controversy, Trump appears to have embraced the mugshot as a symbol of defiance. The image has been part of the Oval Office decor since at least February 4, during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States.

A picture from a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi purportedly showed Trump's mug shot from 2023 displayed on a wall in the background.

On August 24, 2023, after being indicted on racketeering and related charges, Trump voluntarily surrendered to authorities in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Fulton County Jail. There, a mugshot of him was taken—a picture that, well, definitely wasn’t your usual presidential portrait.