In her first major public appearance since being indicted on fraud charges by the Trump administration, Letitia James vowed not to be defeated by the pressure placed on her. She characterized her legal issues as political retaliation while speaking in support of Zohran’ Mamdani’s New York City mayoral campaign.

James: ‘You gotta come to all of us’

New York Attorney General Letitia “Tish” James spoke Monday at an “Our Time Has Come” rally in support of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Taking the stage to a standing ovation, James raised her fist in a Black Power-style salute, leading to more applause and chants of “we love Tish” from the crowd. James thanked audience members for their support and told them she was honored to support Mamdani, who she described as “my very good friend, my little brother and one of the boldest voices in the history of New York politics.”

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

Without mentioning President Donald Trump’s name, James referenced the recent federal indictment granted against her, which charged James with bank fraud in a mortgage case. “I know what it feels like to be attacked for just doing your job, but I also know what it feels like to overcome adversity,” James said of the charges against her, which many see as retaliation for James having successfully prosecuted Trump and his organization for fraud in 2024. “And so I stand on solid rock, and 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!”

With the crowd cheering her own, James said, “You come for me, you gotta come to all of us!”

Letitia James: “I know what it feels like to be attacked for just doing your job. But I also know what it feels like to overcome adversity. And so I stand on solid rock. And I will not bow. I will not break. I will not bend. I will not capitulate. I will not give in. I will not… pic.twitter.com/glOd89UX1g
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) October 14, 2025

Mamdani calls out Trump, Cuomo, ‘billionaires and oligarchs’

After James came Mamdani, the Democratic socialist who is leading the polls in the New York City mayoral race after his surprise victory in June’s Democratic primary over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others. Mamdani’s speech took aim at Cuomo, who resigned as governor in a sexual harassment scandal in 2021 and is now running for mayor as an independent. Mamdani also called out Trump, who has called Mamdani a “communist” and threatened to withhold federal funds to New York City should Mamdani win the November election.

“Trump is like Andrew Cuomo: beholden to billionaires and oligarchs,” Mamdani said in his speech. “And like Cuomo, he has bent to their will.” Mamdani blamed Trump for endangering programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP for “tens of millions of Americans, including millions right here in New York.” Mamdani painted his own campaign as championing policies such as affordable housing and free public transportation while defending ordinary New Yorkers against the ultra-rich and their allies. “We can tell billionaires that this city doesn’t just belong to them,” Mandani said. “We can tell Donald Trump he cannot buy this election. And we can tell Andrew Cuomo that New York City is not for sale.”

“We can demand a government that makes our lives better

We can tell billionaires that this city doesn’t just belong to them

We can tell Donald Trump that he cannot buy this election

And we can tell Andrew Cuomo that New York City is not for sale!”

Mamdani crushed it tonight pic.twitter.com/QXJ5JwcwGT
— Kelly (@broadwaybabyto) October 14, 2025

In the face of federal charges against James and threats to federal funding for Mamdani, the two New York politicians are finding common cause. Both James and Mamdani have built their political careers on standing up to rich and powerful people such as Donald Trump, and both have drawn Trump’s ire. The coming months will prove decisive for the case against James and Mamdani’s race to lead New York City, but for now, the two are defiant and united in their message to Trump and beyond.

indictment

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