Trump didn’t hold back.
President Donald Trump delivered a blistering attack on New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday, reopening one of the most bitter political and legal feuds of his career while addressing law enforcement officials on Long Island.
Trump traveled to New York to highlight public safety and declining violent crime, an issue the president and Republicans are emphasizing as the midterm elections approach. But during his remarks, Trump turned his attention to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul before singling out James for particularly harsh criticism.
And he made it clear that he has not forgotten their years-long courtroom battle.
Trump Goes After Letitia James
Trump accused James of being dishonest and sharply criticized her record as New York’s attorney general.
He called her a “real slob,” described her as “crooked” and argued that she had disgraced law enforcement.
Trump also brought up the legal controversy James has faced over allegations involving mortgage documents.
“They had her,” Trump told the audience before suggesting she escaped prosecution because of a legal technicality.
Then came a comment likely to generate even more speculation.
“Let’s see what happens here,” Trump said.
The remark left open the possibility that the president believes James could face additional legal scrutiny.
Trump Brings Up James’ Campaign Against Him
Trump also returned to an issue that has angered him and his supporters for years: statements James made about Trump while campaigning for attorney general.
Trump argued that James had effectively decided to target him before she was in a position to impartially examine the evidence.
According to the president, an attorney general should not campaign on promises to pursue a particular political figure and then later oversee investigations involving that same person.
Trump contrasted those earlier promises with his return to the White House.
After reminding the audience about James’ campaign rhetoric against him, Trump pointed out that he is once again serving as president.
For many Trump supporters, that was the larger message.
James helped bring one of the most consequential civil cases ever pursued against Trump, yet the legal battle did not prevent him from returning to the presidency.
The Trump-James Feud Goes Back Years
The hostility between Trump and James is nothing new.
James’ office brought a major civil fraud lawsuit against Trump, his business and other defendants over financial statements used in business transactions.
Trump denied wrongdoing and repeatedly argued that the case represented politically motivated law enforcement.
The case initially resulted in a massive financial penalty against Trump, further intensifying an already bitter fight between the two.
Trump’s supporters have long pointed to James’ political statements as evidence that the investigation deserves additional scrutiny.
James and her defenders have maintained that the case was based on the evidence and New York law rather than partisan politics.
Either way, the battle turned James into one of Trump’s most prominent political adversaries.
Then Letitia James Faced Legal Trouble of Her Own
The situation took another dramatic turn after Trump returned to office.
James faced federal allegations involving mortgage documents connected to a Virginia property.
She was indicted in 2025 on bank fraud and false-statement charges and pleaded not guilty. A federal judge later dismissed the case after ruling that the prosecutor who brought it had been improperly appointed.
Federal prosecutors subsequently attempted to obtain another indictment, but grand juries declined to bring the charges again.
James has denied wrongdoing and has characterized the allegations against her as political retaliation.
That history provided the backdrop for Trump’s latest comments.
When Trump said James had gotten off on a “technicality,” he appeared to be referring to the dismissal of the original criminal case rather than a finding at trial that cleared her of the allegations.
Trump Puts Law and Order Back in the Spotlight
Trump’s decision to attack James during an appearance focused on crime was no accident.
Public safety has remained one of his signature political issues.
The president has repeatedly contrasted his law-and-order agenda with Democratic policies on policing, prosecution, illegal immigration and criminal justice.
Friday’s appearance gave Trump another opportunity to make that case directly in front of law enforcement officials.
He criticized Hochul and other New York Democrats while presenting his administration as a defender of police officers and tougher enforcement.
That message could become increasingly important as Republicans battle Democrats for control of Congress in the midterm elections.
A Remark That Could Have James Watching Closely
The biggest question coming out of Trump’s comments may be what he meant when he said, “Let’s see what happens here.”
Trump did not announce a new criminal case against James during the speech.
Still, considering their extraordinary legal history, the comment is certain to attract attention.
Trump spent years defending himself against a case brought by James. James later found herself facing serious allegations of her own, although efforts to prosecute her ultimately encountered major legal obstacles.
Now Trump is back in the White House, and James remains New York’s attorney general.
Their political rivalry is clearly nowhere near finished.
For Trump supporters who believe the justice system was unfairly weaponized against him, the reversal is striking. One of the officials who once pursued Trump has now experienced firsthand the intense scrutiny that accompanies a high-profile federal investigation.
For Trump’s critics, however, the continued focus on James raises concerns about using government power against political adversaries.
Those competing interpretations guarantee that practically anything involving Trump and James will remain politically explosive.
The Bottom Line
Donald Trump has not forgotten Letitia James.
His latest attack made that unmistakably clear.
Years after James pursued Trump and his business in New York, the president is once again publicly challenging her credibility and highlighting the legal controversy that later surrounded her.
Whether anything new comes from Trump’s suggestion remains to be seen.
But one thing appears certain: the Trump-James feud is far from over.