ATLANTA — Just over two weeks ago, former President Donald Trump strolled into the Fulton County Jail where he would take one of the most viral mug shots that's ever been snapped.
Fulton County Sheriff Patrick "Pat" Labat was there to witness the entire process. He sat down with CNN over the weekend and painted a picture of how the evening played out and what Trump was like when he came in to be booked.
Labat was first asked about Trump's demeanor when he got out of the motorcade and walked into the jail to have his fingerprints and mug shot taken. The sheriff described Trump's presence as "stoic" and said the entire process was "eerily" silent and that he was in a space where he could lean on the sheriff's plan with the protocols in place.
Labat said that Trump did not speak much when they brought him inside and that they handled all the bond paperwork in a way that would get Trump out of the jail as quickly as possible so he could be on his way.
"Really it was, for me on a personal level, it was heartbreaking to see someone of that stature and who represents our country in that fashion having to go through this," Labat said.
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Trump used the mug shot to his advantage when it came to campaigning and raising funds as he collected roughly $7 million in just a few days by owning the image with T-shirts and other memorabilia.
"I think the fake indictment that they did in Georgia was very helpful and then they insisted on a mug shot and somehow it turned out to be very iconic," Trump said on Glenn Beck.
When asked if he thought the mug shot was a mistake, Labat said he leaves that process up to the lawyers and that he hopes the sheriff's office themselves can capitalize off it financially and use that money to put back into the sheriff's office.
Labat concluded by saying at the end of the day, it's their job to fulfill the duty asked of them and to treat Trump like they would treat every other individual, regardless if it resulted in capital gains for the former president.
To watch the full interview with CNN, click here.