Trump: Cornell students ‘won’t get a fair shake’ with James leading probe

President Trump criticized the appointment of New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) as a special prosecutor investigating the Cornell University rape case, arguing people “won’t get a fair shake” with her in the role.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) appointed James to the case. James previously investigated and sued Trump, and the two have repeatedly battled in public.

“Letitia James is a corrupt person,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn en route to Alabama on Friday.

“I feel bad for whoever she’s looking at because they won’t get a fair shake,” he added.

The president and New York attorney general have a long-running feud, which has included state lawsuits against the administration’s policies and her move to sue the Trump administration over fraud.

Trump’s comments came hours after Hochul tapped James for the role. Hochul said she lacked confidence in the district attorney to handle the matter.

“I stand ready to lead a process guided by the facts and the law. In the coming months, my office will dutifully carry out the responsibilities the governor has conferred upon us in this executive order. We will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and, if warranted, pursue prosecutions,” James said at a Friday press conference alongside Hochul.

The developments are the latest in the investigation into an alleged gang rape at a campus fraternity in 2025.

A woman who was a sophomore at Cornell at the time of the incident has sued the university, the fraternity, her own sorority and seven men she says were involved in assaulting her.

A local district attorney declined to bring charges after reviewing the matter. According to a report by The New York Times , some of the men named in the lawsuit acknowledged sexual contact with the woman but said it had been consensual.