Donald Trump’s historic mugshot earned lots of mockery. But for MAGA world it was a win. Sometimes cash-strapped fans even gave the allegedly wealthy former president millions of their hard-earned bucks. No one liked it more than Jesse Watters, the guy who now runs Tucker Carlson’s vacated 8pm slot on Fox News. After the image went live, Watters went a bit above and beyond in his praise. “He looks good,” he said. “And he looks hard.” Watters is so in the tank for the mugshot he even praised some Trump street art that was actually mocking him.
Watters: The mugshot is up on the side of buildings in the inner city. pic.twitter.com/BLVKbiEBiU
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 29, 2023
On his show Monday night, Watters had a segment about a new mural in Atlanta, Georgia, where Trump was arrested and booked. In the video showing the mural that aired, it hadn’t yet been completed. But Watters was sure it was done in genuflection.
“The mugshot’s up on the side of buildings in the inner city,” Watters told viewers. “The 2016 phenomenon’s happening all over again. Trump won the election because of a laser-light focus on the forgotten man. The bond was formed back then that could never be broken.”
What Watters didn’t know was that the Trump mugshot mural was not praise. It was mockery.
Same image? pic.twitter.com/ZbZ0zOupcO
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 29, 2023
MUGSHOT MURAL: Popular Atlanta Muralist Chris Veal had his paint cans ready and a mural of Former President Donald Trump's mugshot is now up on the Atlanta Beltline.#MugshotMural #ATL #FultonCounty#TrumpMugshot pic.twitter.com/aIodvdAsQj
— Billy Heath III (@BillyHeathFOX5) August 26, 2023
As per Fox 5 out of Atlanta, the mural was erected in the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark by popular muralist Chris Veal. Chris Veal is no fan of Donald Trump. Nor did he intend his latest work as praise, as Watters believed. Indeed, when the mural was completed, Veal had added a dialogue box bearing the words “M.A.G.A. My Ass Got Arrested.”
Still, Watters saw other reasons to believe Trump had gotten his 2016 mojo back, claiming the mugshot “has broadened his appeal to Black Americans.” Watters even said his garbage man told him he was buying a bunch of Trump mugshot t-shirts as Christmas presents. (It’s August.)
Watters: The mugshot has breathed new life into the Trump campaign and broadened his appeal to Black Americans… Today my garbage man told me he’s buying mugshot tee shirts for everyone for Christmas. pic.twitter.com/r5QQ0Cn5Cx
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 29, 2023
Perhaps folks like Watters are right that the mugshot will “backfire” by igniting his base. Or maybe it will backfire on Trump because more voters than not won’t want to put a possibly convicted criminal back in the White House. Who’s to say.