New York attorney general Letitia James vows war on Trump in hostile press conference

Letitia James, New York's attorney general, held a joint press conference with Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul where, in addition to congratulating the president-elect Donald Trump for his resounding victory over Kamala Harris, they made a declaration of war on his administration.

James, in particular, was outright hostile to the former president, assuring that she is ready to fight against the policies the Republican president wants to push in his second term starting in 2025.

"We did not expect this result, but we are prepared to respond to this result. And my office has been preparing for several months because we've been here before," U.S. Attorney James said during the press conference.

"We faced this challenge before, and we used the rule of law to fight back. And we are prepared to fight back once again because, as the attorney general of this great state, it is my job to protect and defend the rights of New Yorkers and the rule of law. And I will not shrink from that responsibility."

According to James, between 2019 and 2021, during Trump's first term in office, her office brought nearly 100 legal actions against the Republican leader's administration, especially when it tried to cap state and local taxes and attempted to eliminate some grants for New York law enforcement officials.

The prosecutor also recalled that her office filed actions against the first Trump administration to protect the 'Affordable Care Act,' prevent a citizenship question from being on the last census and stop the dismantling of the U.S. Postal Service.

"We're ready to respond to any attempts to cut or eliminate any funding to the great state of New York, as the governor outlined," James said. "So, despite what has happened on the national stage, we will continue to stand tall in the face of injustice, revenge or retribution."

"This is not the time to be fearful, New York, but faithful and steadfast, knowing that I, as the attorney general, along with my entire team, we are guardians of the law, and we are prepared, my friends, to fight back," she stated.

Overall, Gov. Hochul was a little less hostile than James, but she also warned Trump that she is ready to fight back against his administration.

"That's why I have the confidence in my team and all those we work closely with that we will get through the uncertainty of a new administration in Washington because, as I said, we've done this before," Hochul said. "I want to be very clear that while we honor the results of this election and will work with anyone who wants to be a partner in achieving the goals of our administration in our state, that does not mean we'll accept an agenda from Washington that strips away the rights that New Yorkers have long enjoyed."