By Steve Dinneen
Donald Trump is nothing if not an innovator in the field of politics, this week adding “first ever mugshot of a former US president” to his list of dubious accolades.
Clearly knowing the shot would be broadcast around the world, Trump has struck a fairly typical pose, glowering into the camera, right eyebrow slightly cocked, aiming for an expression of defiance and faint bemusement at the whole process. Hilariously vain even when getting his mugshot taken, Trump described his hair colour as “strawberry blonde” and said he weighs 215lbs (15 stone), which feels… generous.
Trump joins a long and salubrious list of celebrities to have their picture taken by a police cameraman, from Bill Gates and Martin Luther King Jr to Mick Jagger and David Bowie. We take a look at some of the most famous pictures and rate them out of 10.
It has to be said, with his trademark red tie and orange tan, Trump’s mugshot could be worse – we give it a solid 6/10. He’s sharing the image above with Lindsay Lohan, who was arrested in 2010 for probation offences related to drink driving. Lohan, it has to be said, absolutely smashed her mugshot pic, looking almost too well put together, with a full face of make-up and a sultry look up at the camera – 9/10.
This trio of iconic musicians all look pretty great. Jagger is the only one who looks even remotely worried about having been arrested but he still pulls off a rebellious cool. Bowie is as otherworldly as ever, looking better than you or I on our very best day, while Old Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra looks like he’s posing for a prom picture, with a sharp suit and a stylish stray lock of hair – all 8/10.
Martin Luther King Jr was arrested in 1956 in Montgomery, Alabama while participating in the Rosa Parks protests. With his steely gaze into the camera and his air of a man who is already well aware of the whims of a corrupt system, King created one of the iconic images of the 20th century – 10/10. Bill Gates, on the other hand, looks far too pleased for a man who’s just been arrested for speeding. Points also deducted for the floral shirt under a sweater, those tinted glasses and whatever you would call that haircut. 4/10.
We now arrive at the lower echelons of the celebrity mugshot. Eminem, shot against a jarring blue backdrop, is the first person on this list who actually looks like he’s been arrested (for allegedly pistol-whipping a man, although he eventually pled guilty to carrying a concealed weapon) . The bleached hair, red eyes and blotchy skin make this a mugshot to forget. 1/10. Robert Downey Jr, meanwhile, looks like he’s posing for a selfie with a fan, rather than being booked for possession of heroin and a gun. This wasn’t his first rodeo – maybe he was bored of the process by this stage. 2/10.
