Hot Mic On Trump Fraud Trial Raw Video Caught Guffaw From Courtroom When Judge Did Double-Take At Camera

Raw video of a viral moment at ex-President Donald Trump’s fraud trial caught a big laugh from an onlooker as Judge Arthur Engoron of the Supreme Court 1st Judicial District in New York gave an amused and startled reaction to a pool camera in the courtroom.

Trump was in court Monday for the first time since news broke last Tuesday that Judge Engoron ruled that Trump and his company committed fraud in a major development in the civil case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

For a few moments before the hearing began, a pool camera showed the inside of the courtroom, including a shot of Judge Engoron, in which he appears to be surprised by the camera and gives an awkward smile that went on to become a viral moment. The most widely-circulated video was clipped from Fox News and featured the network’s commentary over the live shots from inside the courtroom.

The clip amused many on social media, some of whom added their own soundtracks to reinforce what many saw as a sitcom-like moment for the judge:

Loving the new Donald Trump Show👇 pic.twitter.com/SQkhbzaMOj

— Rob Israel (@robisraelart) October 2, 2023

🔊 up
The Judge thinks he’s a sitcom character🤡 pic.twitter.com/UQe0If4f5M

— ThatOneGuy55 (@Tesla7771) October 3, 2023

But the moment outraged others, like former Trump White House official Hogan Gidley:

Can someone tell me what the hell that Judge in Trump’s civil case was doing???

He saw the camera – HE ALLOWED in the courtroom – did a double take like he was surprised, took off his glasses, looked at the camera, smiled, then shrugged…like in an intro for a bad 80’s sitcom. pic.twitter.com/sbwDA2Mh6N

— J. Hogan Gidley (@JHoganGidley) October 2, 2023

Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade was similarly unamused, calling the judge a “clown.”

But the raw video — with a sparse soundtrack that echoed every sound made in the courtroom before the hearing — made it clear at least one person in the court got a kick out of the judge’s reaction. A loud guffaw can be heard as the judge acknowledges the camera, then shrugs at the offscreen laugher as the video cuts off.

Watch above via Sky News.