New York Attorney General Letitia James made her first public appearance since being indicted on federal charges, taking the stage Monday night at a campaign rally for mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani. The event, held at the United Palace Theater in Manhattan’s Washington Heights, drew thousands of supporters who rose to their feet as James delivered a fiery speech defending her integrity and vowing to continue her work.
James, a prominent Democrat and longtime critic of former President Donald Trump, faces one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement related to a home purchase in Virginia. The Department of Justice announced the charges last week, which James dismissed as “baseless” and politically motivated.
Standing before an enthusiastic crowd, James struck a defiant tone. “I will not bow, I will not break, I will not bend, I will not capitulate,” she declared. “You come for me, you gotta come through all of us.” Though she avoided direct references to Trump, her comments drew cheers from the audience, reflecting her deep support within New York’s progressive base.
The rally marked James’s first major public appearance since the indictment and signaled her intent to fight both the charges and any perception of political vulnerability. “We have no time to linger and focus on pettiness or revenge,” she said. “We’ve got to press forward, continue the journey, and claim the victory.”