Trump says New York court workers “were crying” at his arraignment

Former President Donald Trump says that New York City Criminal Court workers tearfully apologized to him as he was arraigned on felony charges last week.

Trump made the remarks in a clip taken from an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, which is set to air in full on Tuesday night. The former president, who was charged in Manhattan with 34 counts of falsifying business records, said the workers were employed at a court that was “also a prison in a sense.”

“They were incredible,” Trump said. “When I went to the courthouse, which is also a prison in a sense, they signed me in and I’ll tell you, people were crying—people that work there, professionally work there.”

“[The workers] have no problems putting in murderers,” he continued. “They see everybody, it’s a tough, tough place. And they were crying, they were actually crying. They said, ‘I’m sorry.'”

It is unclear to which workers Trump was referring. Although cameras were not allowed inside the courtroom while he was being arraigned, publicly available footage taken at the courthouse on the day of the arraignment does not appear to show crying workers.

One viral video shows a guard failing to hold a door open for Trump as he made his way into the building, which some suggested was an indication that the worker was showing disrespect toward the former president.

When contacted by Newsweek, a New York City Criminal Court spokesperson declined comment on Trump’s claim.

Trump’s assertion to Carlson that the workers were sobbing due to his misfortune prompted disbelief and mockery on social media, including suggestions that any crying may have been “tears of joy.”

“People who worked at the courthouse were crying because they were happy to see the conman from Queens being arrested,” tweeted labor activist Gailen David. “One officer even let the door slam into Trump with tears of joy in his eyes.”

“Trump’s claiming that during his arrest ‘people in the courthouse were crying and saying ‘I’m sorry,'” writer Paul Rudnick tweeted. “It’s like when Don Jr and Ivanka insist they have LGBTQ friends, or any friends, who’ll somehow never go on camera, or when Eric says strangers hug him. SHOW US THESE PEOPLE.”

“The guy who let the door close in Trumps [sic] face certainly wasn’t crying …” tweeted Michael Muscato, former Democratic congressional candidate.

Trump, who could face additional criminal charges in Georgia and at the federal level as he campaigns for a return to the White House, spent just under an hour in the Manhattan courthouse last week, silently leaving as supporters and counter-protesters waited outside.

The former president’s estranged niece Mary Trump speculated that the video of Trump entering the courthouse showed that her uncle was experiencing “fear” and “humiliation” on his way to the arraignment.

Some observers, including a number of the ex-president’s supporters, maintained that a truncated speech at Mar-a-Lago hours later was delivered in a “low-energy” manner. Similar criticisms were made in response to Trump’s 2024 campaign announcement in November.

Newsweek has reached out via email to the office of Trump for comment.