With a deadline of noon on Aug. 25, all 19 defendants in the Georgia election fraud case must surrender to Fulton County – but Donald Trump might be looking for a way to make it work for him.
Trump has long said that he won't participate in the Republican Primary debates, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Greg Bluestein reported that local political operatives are suggesting that would be the perfect time for the former president to surrender to charges.
He has already teased the idea of having his own contrasting event.
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"Donald Trump can waive his first court appearance, but he cannot waive the surrender," Bluestein said on MSNBC Wednesday. "He is going to have to show up at the Fulton County jail between now and next Friday at noon. My hunch is he's not going to go under the cover of night.
"And I know you mentioned at the top of the show there's a chance he could do it on debate day next Wednesday, and that's what the political minds here in Georgia are all talking about — the possibility that he could do counter-programming to the debate."
He went on to say that the conditions at the Fulton County jail are horrific and that they've been cited with civil rights complaints. Trump isn't likely to spend any time in a cell.
"It's not a place you'd wish upon even one of your worst enemies," Bluestein continued. "There's been a legal settlement involving someone who recently died there involving a bedbug infestation. It is not a place where we expect Donald Trump to spend much time."
He explained that it's overcrowded, so they would have to empty things out to ensure that he had his own secure area if he were to be in a cell.
For the last three arraignments, cable news media has gone so far as to follow the former president's plane as it took off and landed, then his motorcade as it winded around the streets. Supplemental panels of political and legal experts, and reporters on the ground, round out hours-long programming focusing on the arraignment's most minute details. Since in Georgia the court proceedings are likely to be televised, it will probably garner even more attention.
"We know there are deliberations that were continuing overnight into exactly when he will come down here to Georgia," said NBC News reporter Vaughn Hillyard. "We know that he will be going to a fundraiser in Nashville tomorrow, so potentially Thursday or Friday are still possibilities. Though we have seen in the past, obviously, a great amount of protocol and preparation made ahead of his actual movements for his arraignments.
"And I think what's an important point here is that in Georgia, he will not only have to surrender here at the Fulton County jail, but he will also have to take part in an arraignment, and those events could happen at two different times and the arraignment could potentially be waived. It could potentially happen virtually."
The Secret Service has already been in touch with the sheriff's office to organize the surrender, according to reports.
See the full details in the video below or at the link here.
Trump could schedule his surrender as 'counter-programming to Republican debate': Georgia reporter youtu.be
