At a civil rights gathering organized by Rev. Al Sharpton, New York Attorney General Letitia James gave a scathing speech in which she criticized President Donald Trump harshly and invoked religious imagery, accusing him of sowing discord and undermining the foundations of democracy.
At one point in her speech at the National Action Network event, James—who is currently embroiled in a number of legal disputes with the president—defended diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, portraying them as all-encompassing policies.
“Paid parental leave is the subject of DEI. “DEI is about children with disabilities,” she stated in a high voice. “Tell them that we are not the only ones they are pursuing, but everyone is.”
It is impossible for faith and fear to coexist,” she yelled. “The blood covers me, and Donald Trump doesn’t frighten me! You can pursue me, but nothing that is created against me will succeed.
In addition, she promised to keep up her legal jihad against the president and his government.
Before launching into a direct attack on Trump, James cited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he said, “It’s that stone of hope that gives me a fire in my belly each and every morning.” “It’s that glimmer of hope that enables me to rise, confront Donald Trump, and declare, Donald Trump, I don’t fear you.”
“I am not going to disappoint [my ancestors] and bring them into disrepute,” she continued. I will challenge Donald Trump using the law as both a weapon and a shield because, in my opinion, he embodies genuine ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
James has a history of taking a combative stance toward Trump. She has made the president a regular focus of her office by pursuing legal action against him, his companies, and his administration since his reelection. She has targeted everything from executive orders to reductions in NIH research grants and Title X funding.
James most recently sued the administration for stopping federal family planning funding, calling the action “cruel and shameful.” She also teamed up with other Democratic attorneys general to oppose Trump’s attempts to use executive orders to restructure election administration and reduce DEI-centered medical research, which she denounced as “dangerous” and “unconstitutional.”
James obtained a civil fraud judgment last year that mandated Trump pay more than $450 million. The former president swiftly halted the state’s seizure of his assets in April 2024 by appealing the ruling and posting a $175 million bond through Knight Specialty Insurance Company.
James was among the people whose security clearances were revoked by then-President Trump in February 2025, which put him back in the news.
In the same month, prominent New York Democrats, including James and Governor Kathy Hochul, were the targets of a civil lawsuit brought by Pam Bondi, Trump’s recently appointed U.S. Attorney General, regarding the state’s immigration policies. The Green Light Law in New York, which allows undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses, was the main focus of the lawsuit.
In November, following his victory over now-former Vice President Kamala Harris, the then-president-elect’s lawyer, James, was fired after she seemed to threaten to press charges against him.
“So here we are. We’ve looked into their systems. Certain possibilities and factual patterns have been identified. We have prepared backup plans. Therefore, we’re prepared for whatever the incoming administration throws at us,” she told reporters.
Trump attorney Mike Davis was offended by those remarks and threatened to take action himself when he appeared on conservative podcaster Bennie Johnson’s show.
“Let me just tell the Attorney General of New York, Big Tish James, this. You have my challenge: keep up your lawfare against President Trump! Davis said. We’re not playing around this time, darling, and we’ll put your fat ass in jail for conspiracy against rights. Listen up. I swear to you.
