The franchise power Of P01135809
Trump's police booking photo taken in Fulton County Jail last Thursday is the main talking point. The mugshot shows the former — and future? — US president looking into the camera, perhaps pretending to be Robert Oppenheimer.
But the photo — brows furrowed, hair-tossed left-wingwards — has less iconic value than the truly anti-establishment-sounding 'P01135809'.
Hark the (coincidental?) cool quotient of the first four characters-digits: P011. Is it just us who see the word 'Poll' jumping out of that row? While Trump understands the franchise value of 'P01135809' — he's already posted it on X and on his own social media site, Truth Social — using it as a logo-cum-cri de brand to raise funds for his presidential bid is smart.
More than a dozen felony charges may be daunting. But as any Indian politician knows, having an 'FIR' against one's name can be used as a vehicle for pushing one's street credentials of being a 'real' leader, like going to jail is a sign of a 'freedom fighting'.
The appeal of 'P01135809' lies in it becoming the alphanumeric symbol of going against the grain — indeed, against all grains. Expect it to be a tattoo every angry, cool young person will want on his or her skin soon.
Irrespective of what actually happens to Prisoner No. 01135809.
