Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Sunday that Americans “should be forcefully rising up” against the federal government following the indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James on federal bank-fraud charges.
His comments came during an interview with MSNBC host Al Sharpton.
A federal grand jury indicted James on Thursday in the Eastern District of Virginia, charging her with Bank Fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1344 and False Statements to a Financial Institution under 18 U.S.C. § 1014. The indictment alleges that James made false representations in mortgage documents.
Schumer’s remarks followed days of unrest in cities including Chicago and Portland, where left-wing protesters and Antifa-aligned groups have clashed with federal agents conducting immigration enforcement operations.
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During the interview, Schumer accused President Donald Trump of “weaponizing” the Department of Justice to target political opponents.
“They have made the Justice Department, which under every other president, Democrat or Republican, pursued the law and went after people who broke the law — they have made it into Trump’s personal attack dog. That is what dictatorships do. That’s what tyranny is all about,” Schumer said.
He claimed that the case against James lacked merit and that federal prosecutors were acting under political pressure.
“She had a legitimate case, she pursued it, she actually won, so Trump is now trying to get back at her,” Schumer said.
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“But the case is so weak that even Trump’s first prosecutor, who he appointed, said there’s not a case here. So, he fired that one and put a new prosecutor in, who would do whatever he wants.”
Schumer said he had spoken with James shortly after the indictment was announced. “She is strong, she is tough, she is resolute, and she is confident, as am I, that these charges will be rejected because they have no basis in law or in fact,” he said.
The senator’s comments referred to Erik Seibert, the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Seibert was removed from his position in September after the White House withdrew his nomination.
President Trump addressed the dismissal on Truth Social last month, writing, “I withdrew the Nomination of Erik Seibert as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, when I was informed that he received the UNUSUALLY STRONG support of the two absolutely terrible, sleazebag Democrat Senators, from the Great State of Virginia. He didn’t quit, I fired him! Next time let him go in as a Democrat, not a Republican.”
🇺🇸 TRUMP: I WITHDREW THE NOMINATION OF ERIK SIEBERT"Today I withdrew the nomination of Erik Siebert as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, when I was informed that he received the unusually strong support of the two absolutely terrible, sleazebag Democrat… pic.twitter.com/d1tAv2BSKw
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 20, 2025
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When asked by Sharpton to elaborate on his description of the indictment as “tyranny,” Schumer said that Trump’s actions marked a break from long-standing American norms.
“It is just such a hallmark of tyrannical, autocratic dictatorship societies that they use the prosecutorial department as a political weapon,” Schumer said.
“It is a disgrace, and every American, I don’t care if you’re Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, moderate people, should be forcefully rising up against this, speaking out against it, and making it clear how inimical this is to what our democracy has stood for for more than two centuries.”
Sharpton also referenced a report from the New York Times claiming that property tied to the investigation was classified as an investment property but was being used by relatives who were not paying rent.
Schumer responded that he had not reviewed the affidavits but reiterated his belief that prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence.
The indictment of James marks the first time a sitting New York attorney general has been charged with a federal financial crime.
The Justice Department has not issued a statement beyond confirming the charges, and James’s legal team has said she will “vigorously contest” the allegations in court.
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James’s arraignment is expected later this month in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia.
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NYAG Letitia James is just one more of the card carrying members within the Enlightened Kult of Wannabee Despots
Turns out that Fat Lettie was also using the home in question to keep her 2 felon nieces from being arrested, so it’s just a matter of time before “aiding and abetting a wanted felon” is added to her other charges. Karma!
Chuck, as usual you are way behind the times. We rose up during the election last November. Simply wait to see what happens next year.
Your appointment is doubtful.
Well said !!!!!!
Chucky enticing violence and hate. He has to be stuck on stupid.
“Forcefully” is not a term you want to be using these days unless you want to own how some wing nut interprets it.
exactly. The words “loudly” “vigorously” or “passionately” all exist.
Schumer saw what he got when he told Supreme Court justices they would reap the whirlwind if they persisted in Dobbs. He will have no excuse when some nut goes after someone in the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Free speech protects the tongue. But leadership demands the conscience. When rhetoric dances near the edge, it’s not just legality we should measure, it’s the cost of what might follow!
Shumer, desperate plea for relevance.
Chuck. You have long passed your “use by date.”
We need to clean out the pantry.
When a Democrat accuses anyone of anything, you can rest assured that it is in fact the Democrat who is doing exactly that thing. So, when James accused Trump of Mortgage Fraud, she was intimately familiar with the case, because that is what she’s been doing her entire adult life. There are a couple of inconvenient truths for Chuckie, The first attorneys approached with the articles against Trump declined to prosecute on the grounds there was no case. James had to get elected on the promise that she would go after Trump and, just like Bragg, she invented the crimes and concocted the evidence. Trump did not weaponize DOJ to go after his enemies, Chuckie, you and your cohorts did that. Obama weaponized Government along with all of you Democrats. Obama told a crowd that his hands were tied by The Constitution and the Law, so he could not just grant citizenship to illegals. When Congress refused to break the Law to do that, Obama, by fiat, just like a King, violated his oath, The Constitution, and The Law, with his DACA executive order. Like a King, Obama ordered the take over of the American Health Insurance industry as a first step to socialized medicine because he knew it would never pass the will of the people. It was Obama and Biden who violated the Law by ordering ICE to not do their job and enforce immigration laws on the books. Chuckie got one thing right though, the American people should forcefully rise up to put him and the rest of the Democrats in their place which is in the ground or out of the country.
I would agree with Chuckie. However the REAL rising up is going to be coming from the folks who have far more than enough of the new day modern confederates horse pukie. .
why hasn’t Bondi arrested Schumer for his threat to the SCOTUS over Roe-vs-Wade? It led to a crazy attempting kidnap and arrest a justice. He was just sentenced for it. Bondi, you are the weakest link.
I would love to bust his head wide open.
I call for forcefully taking Schmoomer out of office. What a grease ball ambulance chaser.
Chucky, Letitia has three cases against her and is harboring two criminals in her Virginia house! The case against Trump was BS! Mara logo was only worth 18 million? I will buy it today at that price!