Letitia James stumped by debate question while GOP rival delivers 'zinger for the ages'

New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James went silent for several seconds when asked to name a former state attorney general she admired during Thursday's New York attorney general race debate."Tick tock," Errol Louis of Spectrum News 1, one of the moderators said to James, prompting laughter from the Attorney General.The attorney general's race in New York comes against the backdrop of James' ongoing dispute with President Donald Trump, who called James "a Complete and Total Disaster" and accused her of leading a "WITCH Hunt" against him in his endorsement of James' Republican challenger, Saritha Komatireddy, in August.LETITIA JAMES' UNDERDOG RIVAL TURNS AG'S OWN PLAYBOOK AGAINST HER WITH SCATHING 52-COUNT CAMPAIGN 'INDICTMENT'New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during an announcement on the Standing Up to ICE outreach program at the governor's office in New York City, Aug.12, 2026.

(REUTERS/David Dee Delgado)The pause from James drew immediate criticism from Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor and chief of staff for the Drug Enforcement Administration, who quipped from the podium that James "only admires herself.""An absolutely devastating moment for Tish James," conservative communications strategist Steve Guest wrote on X."'She only admires herself' is a debate zinger for the ages.""No, no, no, no, we admire others," James said.

"I admire all of the past attorney generals because it is a difficult job and you've got to stand up."When asked the same question, Komatireddy named Dennis Vacco, who served as the state's attorney general from 1995 to 1998.Like Komatireddy, he was also a former federal prosecutor.James then said that she admired former Democratic Attorney General Bob Abrams, who served from 1979 to 1993.The exchange, which came in the final moments of Thursday's debate, led critics to question whether James knew of other New York attorneys general."Very telling moment," Steve McLaughlin, Rensselaer County executive, wrote on...