New York Attorney General Letitia James went silent for several seconds during Thursday's debate when asked to name a former state attorney general she admired. The pause prompted moderator Errol Louis of Spectrum News 1 to say "Tick tock," drawing laughter from James. Republican challenger Saritha Komatireddy immediately criticized the moment, quipping from the podium that James "only admires herself." Conservative communications strategist Steve Guest described the exchange on X as a "debate zinger for the ages." James responded by stating, "No, no, no, no, we admire others," adding that she admires all past attorney generals because the job is difficult and requires standing up. When asked the same question, Komatireddy named Dennis Vacco, who served as New York's attorney general from 1995 to 1998 and was a former federal prosecutor. James later named former Democratic Attorney General Bob Abrams, who served from 1979 to 1993. The exchange occurred in the final moments of the debate and led critics to question James's familiarity with the office's history. Rensselaer County executive Steve McLaughlin wrote on X that the moment was "very telling," claiming James went blank because she is not doing the job and lacks institutional knowledge. McLaughlin further characterized James as a "mouthpiece" with "zero institutional knowledge." Another user on Twitter wrote that James did not know the plural form of "Attorney General." Nicole Kiprilov, a spokesperson for Komatireddy, echoed the candidate's comments in a statement to Fox News Digital. Kiprilov said James could not name a single former attorney general because she is too busy admiring herself and has turned the office into her own political stage. Kiprilov added that New Yorkers deserve a real prosecutor. A spokesperson for James pushed back against the characterization, stating in a statement to Fox News Digital that James spent much of the debate teaching her opponent how the office works and was happy to name Bob Abrams as someone she respects. The debate takes place against the backdrop of an ongoing dispute between James and President Donald Trump. In August, Trump called James "a Complete and Total Disaster" and accused her of leading a "WITCH hunt" against him in his endorsement of Komatireddy. Komatireddy is a former federal prosecutor and chief of staff for the Drug Enforcement Administration. James' office has also drawn national attention after New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed her as special investigator to examine an alleged gang rape at Cornell University in October 2024. This appointment followed a lawsuit filed by the alleged victim, Jane Doe, against the university, alleged perpetrators, her sorority, and a bar. An attorney representing one of the defendants has asked James to step aside from the investigation, citing social media posts where she expressed support for Jane Doe prior to her appointment.