CNN anchor Anderson Cooper sniped at New York Attorney General Letitia James as he recalled her vow to “sue” Donald Trump and become a “pain” in his “ass” just one day after she was appointed in 2018 – before looking at “any evidence.”
The comments came Thursday as the CNN panel discussed developments that saw a federal grand jury indict James for bank fraud.
James, a longtime nemesis of the president, secured a sweeping civil fraud victory against Trump last year, although the financial penalties were later tossed by a New York appeals court.
Reacting to the news, James was joined by critics in blasting the move by Trump’s Justice Department as “weaponization.”
The president has made no secret of his desire to punish political opponents. In a September social media post addressing Attorney General Pam Bondi, he wrote: “What about [James] Comey, Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, Leticia [James]??? They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done.”
But on Thursday night, after the James indictment was made public, Anderson suggested that the targeting had gone two ways and recalled James’s comments, one day after taking up her role, vowing to pursue Trump.
Speaking to his panelists, Cooper said: “According to Politifact, the day after she was elected in 2018, Letitia James was asked by a community activist if she was going to sue President Trump. And she replied, quote, ‘Oh, we’re going to sue him. We’re going to be a real pain in the ass. He’s going to know my name personally.’”
Letitia James made no secret of her intent to investigate Trump after she was appointed in 2018. (Andres Kudacki/AP photo)
He continued: “I mean, that’s not a great look for somebody who has just been elected, who has just been campaigning, who hasn’t even looked, I guess, deeply at any evidence.”
The network’s legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin agreed that the comments were “inappropriate” but “typical” of “how our system works.”
He added: “That doesn’t mean she should get indicted for fraud years later. I mean, that’s – we’re not supposed to live in a system of that kind of tit-for-tat. Criminal cases are supposed to stand or fall on their own merits.”
Watch above via CNN.
The post ‘Not a Great Look’: Anderson Cooper Snipes at Letitia James’ 2018 Vow to Go After Trump as She’s Indicted first appeared on Mediaite.
