Trump endorses Komatireddy to challenge James in 2026

President Donald Trump has issued a full endorsement for Republican Saritha Komatireddy in her bid to unseat New York Attorney General Letitia James, intensifying a high-profile political and personal rivalry ahead of the November 2026 election. The announcement, made via a Truth Social post on August 14, 2026, frames the contest as a direct referendum on James's tenure and her years-long legal pursuits of Trump.

In his endorsement, Trump called James "the Most Corrupt Attorney General in the Country" and a "Complete and Total Disaster," citing crime in New York and her past gubernatorial campaign. He praised Komatireddy as an "America First Patriot" and highlighted her credentials, including her roles as a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York and chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration. Trump also noted she clerked for Brett Kavanaugh before his appointment to the Supreme Court and was nominated by Trump to a federal judgeship in 2020.

Komatireddy, a Harvard Law graduate, thanked Trump for the endorsement and stated her intention to defeat James in November. Her campaign has focused on crime, fraud, and what she describes as the politicization of...