Politics
WATCH: Letitia James Mocked For Raising Her Fist In Defiant, Post-Indictment Rally
New York Attorney General Letitia James strode defiantly to the center stage of a rally for socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Monday night, raising her fist in a sign of opposition to President Donald Trump that has generated as much mockery from her critics as it has adoration by her fans.
Just days after being indicted on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution, the 66-year-old Democrat declared her innocence and framed her prosecution as “politically motivated,” an allegation that mainstream media figures couldn’t help but portray as ironic given her past promises to “get” President Donald Trump.
“We see powerful voices trying to silence truth and punish dissent and weaponize justice for political gain,” James told a packed crowd for the city’s frontrunner at a rally in Washington Heights.
“We are witnessing the fraying of our democracy, the erosion of our system of government,” she alluded to Trump while adding that Mamdani’s election takes place amid “a defining moment in our history.”
James is facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted. For a brief few minutes, however, she appeared to push that possibility out of her mind, calling on rallygoers to “stand together to defend our rights.”
“To protect every safeguard, every institution, every immigrant, every norm and every rule of law,” the indicted prosecutor exclaimed to cheers.
With her fist raised, James was the object of affection by members of the crowd. “We love black women!” one man shouted, eliciting applause.
“I know what it feels like to be attacked for just doing your job,” James said. “But I also know what it feels like to overcome adversity. And so I stand on solid rock.”
“I will not bow! I will not break! I will not bend! I will not capitulate! I will not give in! I will not give up!” she screamed.
Alluding to her difficult recent days, James said she has “summoned” the “strength” and “courage” of her ancestors.
“I fear no man,” James declared, vowing not to “give in” or “give up.”
WATCH:
JUST IN: New York Attorney General Letitia James raises her fist in the air after being criminally indicted for bank fraud.
“We are here tonight because we are ready to turn the page on the cynical, broken, politics of the past,” she said at Zohran Mamdani’s rally.
lol. pic.twitter.com/FFSLJupvtl
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 14, 2025
The raucous crowd quickly coalesced behind her message as chants of “We love Tish! We love Tish!” broke out across the arena.
The two-term prosecutor also delivered an unconditional endorsement of Mamdani, who has clashed with establishment figures in the Empire State’s Democratic Party. In her remarks, she referred to the 33-year-old as a “very good friend” and “little brother.”
Earlier this year, federal housing authorities turned over evidence they alleged shows that James lied on paperwork when she purchased a second property in 2020 while securing a $109,600 mortgage loan. She agreed to a “Second Home Rider” which required her to “occupy and use the property as her secondary residence, and prohibited its use as a timesharing or other shared ownership arrangement or agreement that requires her either to rent the property or give any other person any control over the occupancy or use of the property,” the NY Post reported.
“Despite these representations,” prosecutors wrote, the Norfolk, Virginia property “was not occupied or used by James as a secondary residence and was instead used as a rental investment property.”
Her “ill-gotten gains” from the lower mortgage rate amounted to “approximately $18,933 over the life of the loan,” prosecutors allege.
