If anyone had hoped that the dubious distinction of becoming the first American president to have a police mugshot taken might be a humiliating or humbling experience for the person concerned — or that four criminal indictments, 91 felony counts and an enforced tour of US courtrooms in the run-up to an election might precipitate some kind of fall in popularity — they must be feeling somewhat disillusioned. Since the release of the image of Donald Trump in Fulton County jail — showing the former president adopting a thuggish pose, brows furrowed and eyes glaring contumaciously up towards the camera — he has only increased his lead. Trump is now more than 50 points clear of his nearest rival Ron DeSantis in some surveys, and a poll by The Economist and YouGov last week found he would win in a run-off between him and Joe Biden. In RealClearPolitics’ polling average, the current president is still ahead, but by less than a percentage point.
如果有人曾希望，成為首位拍下嫌犯大頭照的美國總統這一可疑殊榮，對當事者來說可能是一種恥辱或屈辱的經歷——或者希望四項刑事起訴、91項重罪指控以及在選舉前被迫輾轉于美國法庭，可能會導致其人氣下降——那么他們一定感到有些幻滅。