‘Now You’re Saying That!’ Joe Kernen Clashes With Co-Host Over Hypocrisy on Letitia James and Trump Indictments

CNBC’s Joe Kernen and Andrew Ross Sorkin clashed on Friday over the indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James (D).

James was indicted on charges related to mortgage fraud allegations on Thursday. James grabbed national headlines for the pursuit of President Donald Trump in a civil fraud case in New York. An appeals court in August threw out the massive financial penalty Trump was facing following a conviction in that case.

On Friday’s Squawk Box, Sorkin argued that people in James’s position should be appointed in a state rather than elected to take politics out of the equation. Kernen accused his co-host of only just now making that argument, rather than when James had Trump in court.

“I’m hoping that they can be appointed. I think they should be appointed in these roles,” Sorkin argued. “And hopefully, therefore, then they’re going to be independent. I actually very much dislike the idea that people can run on a — you know, run for a position like this and say, ‘I’m going to go prosecute Donald Trump or I’m going to prosecute anybody else.’ That’s terrible.”

“Well, now you’re saying that,” Kernen responded.

“No, I’ve said this my whole life. I think it’s a terrible idea,” Sorkin shot back.

“I just don’t remember. You know, I’m getting older. I’m getting older. I don’t remember any of that in the last administration,” Kernen said.

James denied the charges against her in a video posted to X following a Virginia grand jury indictment of her. The case was brought by Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s hand-picked acting U.S. attorney for Virginia’s Eastern District.

“These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” she said. “The president’s actions are a grave violation of our Constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties.”

Watch above via CNBC.