Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded that New York Attorney General Letitia James be removed from an investigation into an alleged rape at Cornell University, calling the state’s top prosecutor a “disgusting cop” with “zero credibility.”
He posted to Truth Social that James’s involvement in the case would lead to automatic appeals and urged New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to replace her.
“How can ‘New York State Attorney General,’ Letitia James, be allowed to investigate the Cornell rape scandal, when she is a DIRTY AND DISGUSTING COP herself, and has ZERO credibility?” Trump posted. “Any decision will be appealed by her mere presence on this case. The stench of Letitia James will greatly add to the anguish that everybody feels in viewing how this case is being handled.
“The Governor should take James off this case, IMMEDIATELY, and replace her with somebody who is not a Third Rate, Crooked Politician!”
Earlier this month, Trump said he felt “badly” for the seven men accused of gang-raping a young woman at Cornell, as well as for the Ivy League school, the local district attorney and university police after Hochul appointed James to oversee investigations into the allegations and their handling.
James previously secured a civil fraud judgment against Trump and his business empire. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg prosecuted the criminal case that led to Trump’s 2024 conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Speaking to reporters before departing the White House for Mobile, Alabama, Trump was asked by Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy about the case being assigned to James.
“Well, Letitia James is a corrupt person,” Trump said. “She’s totally corrupt, and I can’t imagine it. I feel badly for whoever she's looking at because they won't get a fair shake.”
The case gained national attention following a lawsuit filed by Jane Doe, the unnamed accuser, against the university over its response to her October 2024 rape complaint. The 101-page civil complaint, filed September 14, alleges she was sexually assaulted over several hours at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, New York. According to the filing and disclosed text exchanges, fraternity members later discussed the incident in a group chat.
Trump had previously said that he was unfamiliar with the details of the case but trusted the administration, telling reporters: “Cornell's a fine school, and I'm sure they’ll do what's right.”
Hochul announced James's appointment on October 2, stating she had lost confidence in local police and the district attorney.
“Newly released information continues to raise serious questions about the investigation conducted by the Cornell Police Department and the decision by the Tompkins County District Attorney not to prosecute an alleged sexual assault on Cornell University’s campus in October 2024,” Hochul said. “This has, in turn, undercut my faith, and the public’s faith, in the District Attorney’s ability to effectively investigate and prosecute the case at this time.”
Cornell officials have denied wrongdoing and rejected claims that the university mishandled the complaint. However, public outrage over the response of the school and local authorities has reignited debate surrounding campus sexual assault and legal definitions of consent.
Later on October 2, Trump reiterated his criticism in a post on Truth Social: “Why would the Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, appoint a Corrupt Prosecutor, Letitia ‘Peekaboo’ James, to represent the State in the highly controversial Cornell University rape case?”
The president then traveled to Alabama for a campaign rally — part of a broader effort to boost Republican candidates ahead of next month’s midterm elections, following stops in Texas and Oklahoma.
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