The rumor emerged online following the appointment of AG James as a special prosecutor in a Cornell University investigation.
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Social media users recently sparked widespread speculation and requests for fact-checks after a viral rumor claimed that New York Attorney General Letitia James had indicted President Donald Trump in connection with the reopened Cornell University assault case.
Claim: Letitia James files indictment against Donald Trump over Cornell incident
According to the widely shared post on X, AG James supposedly announced Trump‘s indictment immediately after taking on the role of special prosecutor for the alleged assault of a female student.
“I know he’s to blame somehow,” the attorney general was falsely quoted as telling reporters.
“Though he was not present at the time of the incident, has no connection to Cornell University, and was not named by anyone involved, I’m absolutely sure he’s the one behind all of it. Justice will be served. As long as it’s against Trump.”
The fabricated quote continued, “We have unfinished business… And by ‘unfinished business,’ I mean I haven’t been able to send him to prison, no matter how much stuff I try to make up out of thin air. But I will not quit until I get Trump behind bars for something he didn’t do.”
Fact Check: The viral claim stems from satire
In reality, the claim is entirely baseless. There is zero evidence that AG James has indicted Trump regarding the Cornell case.
No official records exist of James making such remarks, confirming the quotes were completely manufactured.
Had a prominent public official made such an unprecedented announcement, mainstream news organizations would have given it major coverage. However, web searches reveal no legitimate news reports supporting the claim.
The origin of the post has been traced back to the well-known satire platform ‘The Babylon Bee,’ which explicitly labels its content as fictional.
Donald Trump criticizes Letitia James over her new role
The satire gained traction shortly after New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed AG James to lead the independent investigation into an alleged assault incident at Cornell University.
In response to the appointment, President Trump spoke to reporters on Friday, sharply criticizing the decision to place what he characterized as a “corrupt” official in charge of a contentious legal matter.
“Letitia James is a corrupt person,” Trump stated while addressing the press on the South Lawn.
“She’s totally corrupt, and I can’t imagine it. And I feel badly for whoever she’s looking at because they won’t get a fair shake. Letitia James is a corrupt person.”