New York Attorney General Letitia James has been booed by unruly firefighters who shouted Donald Trump’s name as she gave a speech.
James spoke at a New York Fire Department promotion ceremony on Thursday and the cheers started before she even took the stage. As soon as she was announced as the next speaker at the Christian Cultural Center’s Brooklyn Campus, the boos mixed with cheers.
“Come on, we’re in a house of God… take it easy… thanks for getting it out of your system,” she said before beginning her speech.
James spoke weeks after she won a $355 million judgment against Trump for inflating the value of his properties.
But the small, noisy section of the crowd did not quiet down and continued to boo for another minute, then loudly shouted Trump’s name.
The firefighters expelled James because of her successful New York State fraud case against Trump and his sons.
Trump was fined $454 million and banned from operating a business in the state for three years after the trio illegally inflated property values.
Eventually, the hecklers ran out of steam until James continued her speech as she thanked the firefighters who tried to save her mother, who died of breast cancer.
“Pray for the firefighters who stood by me when my mother was dying, and who worked on her in my house for an hour, not knowing who I was,” she said.
“I thank the members of the FDNY who worked on her body and prayed for her as she died. Some may even be here. Some might even scold me. But I still pray for them.”
This caused another round of booing, alongside cheers from the better behaved sections of the crowd.
New York Attorney General Letitia James was booed by unruly firefighters who shouted Donald Trump’s name as she gave a speech
The firefighters expelled James because of her successful New York State fraud case against Trump and his sons
FDNY Chief John Hodgens blasted the firefighters who harassed James during the ceremony for distracting from the event.
“Today’s ceremony was about one thing: the achievements of the members being promoted,” he said.
“The members whose behavior distracted from that celebration were a disgrace and unbecoming of the best fire service in the world.”
James’ office declined to comment.
Judge Arthur Engoron jailed Trump and his sons Eric and Donald Jr. last month on civil fraud in the case led by James.
He ruled that they conspired to inflate the value of property on the financial statements of banks and insurers, and alter Trump’s wealth to obtain tax and insurance benefits.
“From 2011 to 2021, Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization knowingly created more than 200 false and misleading asset valuations on his annual statements of financial condition in order to defraud financial institutions,” James Office explained in 2022.
Trump made a rare appearance at the trial on October 3 and lost the case last month
James speaks outside a Manhattan courthouse on the day the trial starts
Independent officials will monitor Trump’s affairs in New York to prevent further violations of the law.
Trump has appealed the ruling, but he faces $1 million in accruing interest every nine days until he pays, and if he doesn’t, his assets could be seized.
A Brooklyn firefighter told the New York Post that the bickering was directly related to the lawsuit, which he said was a “witch hunt.”
“She has no problem bragging about condemning Trump, so this is how hardworking New Yorkers who put their lives on the line feel about her actions,” he said.
Trump’s election campaign responded that James was “an embarrassment to the people of New York” and that was why she was being harassed.
“The rank and file of the FDNY knows they have no greater friend than President Trump. The President is honored and grateful for their very vocal support,” the report said.
The ceremony honored 65 firefighters and civilian support personnel who were promoted, and the Rev. Pamela Holmes, who was named chaplain.