President Donald Trump threw his full support behind Republican Saritha Komatireddy in her bid to unseat New York Attorney General Letitia James — delivering a blistering rebuke to his longtime political foe.
The endorsement marks Trump’s most direct involvement yet in the 2025 New York attorney general race, a contest that has drawn national attention given the personal history between Trump and the incumbent. Trump’s decision to weigh in publicly underscores how deeply the former president’s legal battles with James have shaped his political priorities and his determination to reshape the leadership of New York’s top legal office.
“It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, Saritha Komatireddy, who is running to be the next Attorney General of the once wonderful State of New York,” Trump wrote in a Friday Truth Social post.
He didn’t hold back on James.
“Between Kathy Hochul and the Most Corrupt Attorney General in the Country, Letitia James, it has gone to HELL!”
The endorsement comes as Trump continues pressing for James to be prosecuted over mortgage fraud allegations — adding another front to his years-long feud with the Democratic attorney general who took him to court in 2022.
The relationship between Trump and James has been contentious for years, dating back to James’ 2018 campaign for attorney general when she made investigating Trump a centerpiece of her platform. Since taking office, James has positioned herself as one of Trump’s most aggressive legal adversaries, using the powers of her office to scrutinize his business dealings in New York. That adversarial relationship has only intensified as both figures remain prominent in their respective political spheres.
James successfully sued Trump and The Trump Organization, alleging they fraudulently inflated asset values on financial statements to obtain more favorable loans.
The lawsuit, which was filed in state court, alleged a decade-long pattern of financial misconduct involving properties including Trump Tower, 40 Wall Street, and various golf courses and estates. The case drew widespread attention as it unfolded in a New York courtroom, with James’ office presenting evidence that Trump and his company manipulated property valuations to secure better banking terms and insurance rates.
An appeals court later wiped out the nearly $465 million financial penalty against Trump, ruling the massive disgorgement award violated the Constitution’s prohibition on excessive fines.
The appellate decision represented a significant legal victory for Trump, though it did not dismiss the underlying findings of wrongdoing. The ruling focused specifically on the punitive nature and size of the financial penalty rather than the merits of the fraud allegations themselves, leaving the case’s broader implications still subject to legal debate.
Trump unleashed on James in his Truth Social post, calling her “the WORST Attorney General in our Country.”
“She is a Complete and Total Disaster, who tried running against Kathy Hochul for Governor, and got less than 1% of the Vote in the Polls, and QUIT, taking many innocent suckers down with her,” Trump wrote.
He continued: “She then went back to her WITCH HUNT against your favorite President, (ME!), and others, yet Murder and other Violent Crime is RAGING OUT OF CONTROL in New York, as People and Businesses flee, in Record Numbers, to other States!”
Trump contrasted James to Komatireddy, touting her qualifications as Drug Enforcement Administration chief of staff, a former federal prosecutor, and that she clerked for Brett Kavanaugh before he became a Supreme Court justice.
Komatireddy’s legal background gives her credibility in a race where prosecutorial experience and law enforcement credentials are likely to be central campaign themes. Her professional resume includes both federal law enforcement experience and work in the judiciary, positioning her as someone familiar with both prosecution and the broader justice system.
“Saritha Komatireddy will fight tirelessly to Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Grow our Economy, Champion our Law Enforcement and First Responders, Support our Military/Veterans, Advance Election Integrity, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Uphold our Constitution, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”
Komatireddy, who Trump nominated to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in 2020, thanked the president for his endorsement.
That judicial nomination, which came during Trump’s final year in office, never advanced to confirmation before the administration ended. The nomination nonetheless established a working relationship between Trump and Komatireddy that appears to have continued as she pursues elected office rather than a seat on the federal bench.
“I was honored to be nominated to be a federal judge by the President in 2020 and I’m honored to receive his endorsement today,” Komatireddy wrote on X. “I’m working hard to win the support of all New Yorkers and defeat Letitia James this November.”
Komatireddy has been outspoken against James’ handling of the state’s fraud investigations.
The New York attorney general’s race is set for November.
