Defiant Letitia James rallies with far-left ally Mamdani after indictment, vows to keep fighting Trump

New York Attorney General Letitia James rallied with New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani on Monday night and vowed to continue fighting President Donald Trump's "aggressive policies" in her first public appearance since she was indicted on fraud charges.

With three weeks until Election Day, the "Our Time Has Come" rally in Washington Heights underscored how New Yorkers are uniting behind James as she faces federal charges. Mamdani was joined by James, Reps. Nydia Velázquez and Adriana Espaillat, and New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé.

"Thank you to New York's attorney general, Tish James," Mamdani said. "For years, you have fought the good fight for New Yorkers, and now it's our time to fight for you."

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan announced Thursday that a federal grand jury indicted James for bank fraud and making false statements to financial institutions. 

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"I know what it feels like to be attacked for just doing your job," James said Monday. "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 give up."

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The Mamdani rally was James' first public appearance since she was indicted last week. The attorney general has endorsed Mamdani and joined him on the campaign trail this year. 

"You come for me? You gonna come to all of us!" James shouted over the cheers of the Washington Heights crowd. The Mamdani campaign said 3,000 supporters attended the rally. 

James has dismissed the indictment as "nothing more than a continuation of the president's desperate weaponization of our justice system," calling the "president's actions" a violation of constitutional order. 

"I will keep fighting for justice," James vowed on Monday. "I will keep fighting for New Yorkers. I will keep fighting the aggressive policies of Washington, D.C. And I will not stop. I won't give up, and I won't give in."

As New York attorney general, James brought a civil fraud lawsuit against Trump and The Trump Organization, accusing them of inflating asset values and net worth to secure loans and insurance terms. A New York judge found Trump and his company liable for fraud. 

"We have no time to linger and focus is on pettiness and revenge," James said. "We've got to press on, press forward, continue the journey, claim the victory. Triumph over fear and courage. Courage, my friend, is resistance to fear. And so I fear no man. I see the courage that is embodied in Zohran."

Mamdani joined fellow New York Democrats to condemn James' indictment on Friday, calling it an "attack on our city."

"We speak with a voice that recognizes that we are standing in front of the same courthouse where Attorney General Tish James did her job, upholding the law and holding Donald Trump accountable," Mamdani said. 

James on Monday said she is supporting Mamdani for mayor because he is committed to fighting for a better New York City. 

"He, like me, knows what it's like to be attacked, to be called names, to be threatened, to be harassed," James said. "And each and every day he wakes up with this fire in his belly because he wants to build a better New York," James said. 

While Mamdani self-identifies as a so-called democratic socialist, Trump has labeled him a "communist" since he secured the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City. Mamdani has committed to fighting Trump's agenda in New York City if elected, while the president has teased cutting federal funding to New York City if Mamdani doesn't "behave" if elected.

As Mayor Eric Adams suspended his re-election campaign last month, New Yorkers will elect a new mayor on Nov. 4. Mamdani has emerged as the frontrunner ahead of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an Independent, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. 

"Comrade Mamdani's choice of guests is on par with his policy proposals: bad and deranged," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital.