VIDEO: Trump's first interview since arraignment

Last week, during his arrest and arraignment, former president Donald Trump purposely created a dramatic scene. In his initial public interview since being booked, he is emphasising the theatrical aspect of the situation. 

Trump spoke with Tucker Carlson for an extended interview, which is scheduled to be broadcast in its entirety on Tuesday night. A teaser clip released by the network shows Trump portraying the staff at the Manhattan courthouse as tearfully disbelieving.

“I’ll tell you, people were crying,” Trump told Fox host Carlson on Tuesday. “People that worked there, professionally work there, that have no problems putting in murderers and they see everybody […] they were crying. They were actually crying. They said, ‘I’m sorry.’”

On March 30, Trump was indicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The charges are linked to an alleged hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016, just before the presidential election. On April 4, the former president surrendered himself for arraignment in Manhattan, making him the first president in US history to face criminal charges.

According to Rolling Stone, Trump and his allies deliberately aimed to make a spectacle of his arraignment. One source even claimed that Trump desired to portray a "Jesus Christ thing" to send a message of political martyrdom to his supporters.

Since the news of the indictment broke, Trump has been criticising Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Democrats. He accused them of engaging in election interference by charging him. Fox News has also supported Trump's claims. 

Despite Carlson being caught texting his colleagues about his dislike for Trump, he launched a vehement defence of the former president in response to the indictment. Carlson asserted to his viewers that the prosecution of Trump is election interference because he is the frontrunner of the Republican Party.