TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The former president got a mug shot— a first in American history. Florida's governor was back on the road in Iowa after a debatable debate performance. And— is Francis Suarez still running for president? Here's a look at what happened this week on the 2024 campaign recap.
All the president's mug
Perhaps the biggest thing to happen on the campaign trail this week was the fourth criminal arrest of former President Donald Trump, this time in Fulton County, Georgia.
Trump now formally faces felony racketeering and multiple conspiracy charges in the 41-count indictment, which also named 18 co-defendants. The group is accused of attempting to subvert Georgia's 2020 election results in favor of the former president.
While history-making on its own, Trump's mug shot became the story of Thursday night. His photo is now blowing up social media and making an appearance on mugs, shirts, and more as the candidate's 2024 campaign tries to capitalize on the arrest, urging Americans to buy MAGA merchandise.
Meanwhile, supporters like Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have photoshopped their own mug shots in solidarity. That's as Trump maintained his innocence over subverting the 2020 election results.
"What has taken place here is a travesty of justice," Trump told reporters before boarding his plane Thursday evening. "We did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong."
DeSantis heads back to the Hawkeye State
Hundreds of miles away, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was back on the road trying to hit all 99 counties in Iowa. On Thursday, he made a stop in the small town of Dyersville to visit the Field of Dreams movie site after a debatable debate performance on Wednesday.
In Milwaukee, DeSantis had predicted he'd be the top target on stage but wasn't, and he often didn't engage the other seven candidates.
"You know, nobody hit me, so I wasn't going to get involved in that scrum," the governor told reporters in Iowa. "I know those guys were going back and forth, and what I did with 100% of my time was to speak directly to the American people."
Will he now be able to reverse his recent slide in polling? His supporters think so, but his problems are nowhere near as bad as Miami's mayor.
Where is Miami Mayor Francis Suarez?
Since this Tuesday post acknowledging he didn't qualify for the Republican National Commitee's first primary debate, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez's presidential campaign has gone silent. Days later, it's unclear if he's still in the race for the White House.
Suarez's online statement ended with somewhat vague language that almost seemed to suggest he was finished.
"I respect the rules and process set forth by the RNC, and I look forward to working with my party to ensure we win back the White House and restore the path to a brighter future for our country," the statement said.
Requests for comment from the campaign have gone unanswered.
"This is probably the death knell for Suarez's presidential campaign," Barry University political science professor Sean Foreman said. "You really need to be on that debate stage if you're gonna have any chance moving forward, especially someone like Francis Suarez, who isn't known nationally."
A growing number of op-eds are now calling for Suarez to officially end his bid — including the Miami Herald Editorial Board, writing this week: "Follow your own advice, don't 'linger around.'"
