Letitia James booed in speech to NYC firefighters
New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) faced roaring boos and chants for “Trump” on Thursday as she delivered a speech at a New York City Fire Department (FDNY) promotion ceremony.
As James walked up to the podium, some people in the crowd clapped and others booed. The booing grew louder, prompting James to address the matter before beginning her official remarks.
“Oh, come on. We’re in our house of God,” James said to the crowd as they heckled her.
“First,” James said, trying to begin her remarks. She paused and appeared to be waiting for the booing to subside.
“Simmer down. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for getting it out of your system.”
The booing remained loud during the first couple minutes of James’s remarks, which honored the Rev. Pamela Holmes-Saxton, who was being sworn in as the FDNY’s first African American female chaplain.
A few minutes into the speech, the heckling peaked as some in the crowd began chanting “Trump” in an apparent display of loyalty to the former president, who faced off against the New York attorney general in the sprawling civil fraud case against his business empire.
Trump frequently attacked James in social media posts throughout the trial, which ended with the judge ordering Trump to pay more than $450 million after he determined Trump and top executives for years conspired to alter his net worth to receive tax and insurance benefits.
Trump is appealing the decision, which also bars Trump from serving in a leadership role in any New York business for three years and orders independent officials to monitor his companies. James has said she’s prepared to seize Trump’s assets if he does not pay his financial penalty.
James, at the end of her speech Thursday, asked the incoming chaplain to pray for firefighters, including those who “might even be booing me.”
“Pray for those firefighters who stood with me when my mother was dying, and they worked on her for an hour in my house, not knowing who I was. And I thank them. I thank those members of FDNY who worked on her body and prayed over her body when she died,” James said. “Some may even be here. Some might even be booing me. But nonetheless, I pray for them.”
The Hill has reached out to James’s office and to FDNY for statements.
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