The tables may finally be turning in one of the most bitter legal rivalries in recent American politics.

New York Attorney General Letitia James—who made a name for herself by promising to “get Trump”—is now caught in a legal storm of her own, with the President she once tried to bring down now overseeing the federal investigation into her alleged misconduct.

As the 2026 election approaches, James finds herself under criminal investigation by President Donald J. Trump’s Department of Justice for allegedly falsifying a mortgage application tied to a Brooklyn property. The charges, far from minor, could ultimately end her political career—and potentially lead to disbarment.

In April, the Federal Housing Finance Agency flagged James for possibly lying about her full-time residence status, misrepresenting the property’s layout, and concealing key personal ties. The allegations were referred to the DOJ, and in May, the FBI officially opened a criminal probe.

While James’s legal team insists these are “minor clerical errors,” watchdog group America First Legal filed formal ethics complaints accusing her of serious misconduct. James’s camp claims this is political retaliation for her past prosecutions of Trump and disgraced ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo. But that narrative is wearing thin—even among New Yorkers.

Republican challenger Michael Henry—who nearly ousted James in 2022—is wasting no time. He’s gained traction early, with over 6,000 donors backing his campaign and 1,200 qualifying for public matching funds. His message is resonating: it’s time to clean house in the AG’s office and restore integrity to law enforcement in New York.

And the timing couldn’t be worse for Democrats.

President Trump’s surprise gains in deep-blue boroughs like Brooklyn and Queens in 2024 have rattled the political establishment. Suburban voters, fed up with crime, inflation, and radical progressive policies, are now eyeing Republican candidates with renewed interest.

Meanwhile, chaos is erupting inside the Democratic Party. Governor Kathy Hochul is facing a primary challenge from her own lieutenant governor, and James—tied closely to the old party guard—is now caught in the middle of the intra-party war.

President Trump has revived his feud with James, calling her “corrupt” and “incompetent,” and pointing to the mortgage probe as clear evidence of political bias within New York’s weaponized legal system. His allies argue James’s own downfall is the natural consequence of turning law enforcement into a partisan weapon.

CNN legal analyst Elie Honig, writing in the left-leaning New York Magazine, agrees that James is reaping what she sowed.

“James started it when she ran for New York AG and won in 2018 primarily on an explicit platform of Vote for me, fellow resistance warriors, and I’ll nail Trump,” Honig wrote. “She solicited campaign donations by vowing to take down the president. Before she had access to any evidence, James declared conclusively that Trump ‘engaged in a pattern and practice of money laundering’ and ‘can be indicted for criminal offenses.’”

He continued: “The day after she won office, still having seen no actual evidence, the new AG exulted, ‘We’re going to definitely sue him. We’re going to be a real pain in the ass. He’s going to know my name personally.’ For what? Who knows. Just something.”

While James eventually brought a civil fraud case against President Trump—resulting in an over $500 million judgment after a judge found him liable for allegedly inflating asset values—the trial itself was widely panned. Critics slammed her courtroom behavior as unethical, including public statements branding Trump and his family “liars” while they were under oath.

Once hailed as a progressive icon and the first Black woman elected statewide in New York, Letitia James is now teetering on the edge of disgrace. Her re-election odds are shrinking fast—and her legal future looks even worse.

If convicted, she wouldn’t just lose her job—she could lose her law license and face massive fines. A woman who weaponized the legal system to attack her political enemies may now become its latest cautionary tale.

What goes around, comes around.