Trump's historically illiterate attack on N.Y. AG Letitia James ignites instant ridicule

Donald Trump was ridiculed for a strange gaffe outside his civil fraud trial when he blamed New York Attorney General Letitia James for the gas company Exxon’s decision to move its headquarters from her state to Texas.

“She should be criminally liable for this, she did this to Exxon,” Trump said. “And they drove Exxon out of New York…They’re now living in Texas.”

While James did sue ExxonMobil in 2019 on accusations they defrauded lenders (a case she lost), there is a big problem with Trump’s theory, which viewers of his Thursday morning monologue were quick to note.

Exxon left New York in 1989, the same year James began practicing law.

“Trump blaming AG James for Exxon's '89 move is like me blaming my diet for the fall of Rome,” wrote user @xplorelevate. “History's not his strong suit, or maybe he's just ahead of his time!”

The video, shared by MeidasTouch.com’s senior digital editor, was viewed more than 260,000 times in the 30 minutes after it was uploaded to X.

Viewers had lots of theories as to why Trump had made the strange claim.

“Perhaps he’s talking about his corner gas station that recently closed?” suggested Logan Davis.

“In fairness, it is really easy to confuse former NY AG Robert Adams and Tish James when you are elderly,” wrote Jowen.eth.

“Listen,” replied Warren, “Don’t let facts get in the way of a good story.”

“Next, will Trump blame Biden for Russia getting the atomic bomb in 1949,” argued Marc Goldstein. “Or does he think that was a good thing?”

“If it wasn’t for Letitia James,” quipped Jergen Meselvoff, “the Dodgers would still be in Brooklyn.”

(The baseball team left their home borough in 1957, the year before James was born.)

“Tish James is 65 years old,” noted @MerruX. “ Wow she looks amazing for 65.”

Watch the video below or click here.