Trump names Alina Habba, his former defense lawyer, as interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey

Alina Habba, a controversial attorney and political figure who served on President Donald Trump’s personal legal team, will be the next interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Trump announced in a post on his social media platform Truth Social this morning.

“It is with great pleasure that I am announcing Alina Habba, Esq., who is currently serving as Counselor to the President, and has represented me for a long time, will be our interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, her Home State, effective immediately!” Trump wrote. “Alina will lead with the same diligence and conviction that has defined her career, and she will fight tirelessly to secure a Legal System that is both ‘Fair and Just’ for the wonderful people of New Jersey.”

Habba, 40, is the daughter of Iraqi immigrants and a native of Summit who first came to national prominence in 2021, when she joined Trump’s legal team as the then-former president worked to fight off a variety of lawsuits lodged against him. Habba became one of the most pugnacious and prominent figures on the president’s team, oftentimes clashing directly and politically with Trump’s adversaries; when Trump was elected president last year, he chose her as Counselor to the President.

The current interim holder of the U.S. Attorney post, John Giordano, will be nominated instead as Ambassador to Namibia, Trump said.

“Additionally, John Giordano, who has done a terrific job as the interim U.S. Attorney in New Jersey, will now be nominated as the new Ambassador to Namibia!” Trump wrote.

Trump’s original pick for the U.S. Attorney job was State Sen. Doug Steinhardt (R-Lopatcong), a former state party chairman who ran briefly for governor in 2021 as a Trump loyalist. Steinhardt withdrew his name from consideration before he was ever officially nominated, however, forcing Trump’s team to find a backup option.

At the beginning of this month, they settled on John Giordano, a Philadelphia lawyer and Burlington County native who had served on Trump’s transition team; he was quietly sworn in as acting U.S. Attorney on March 3. It wasn’t clear at the time, though, whether Trump intended for Giordano to take the role on a long-term basis.

As interim U.S. Attorney, Habba will be able to stay in the job for 120 days, a stay that could be extended if a majority of New Jersey’s 17 federal district court judges vote to authorize it. As was the case with Giordano, it’s not immediately clear whether Habba is a candidate for a full term as U.S. Attorney, which would require Senate confirmation.

In a statement posted to social media, Habba said that she was “honored” to take up the role, which was held until recently by Biden appointee Philip Sellinger.

“I am honored to serve my home state of New Jersey as Interim U.S. Attorney and I am grateful to President Trump for entrusting me with this tremendous responsibility,” Habba said. “Just like I did during my time as President Trump’s personal attorney, I will continue to fight for truth and justice. We will end the weaponization of justice, once and for all.”

Speaking briefly with reporters outside the White House, however, Habba struck a more directly political tone.

“I’ve stood by President Trump, his family, the organization, and many other clients in [New Jersey], where I was born and raised and I’m raising my babies now,” Habba said. “There is corruption, there is injustice, and there is a heavy amount of crime right in Cory Booker’s backyard and right under Governor Murphy, and that will stop.”

“I think Cory Booker and Governor Murphy have failed the state of New Jersey,” she added afterwards in response to questions from a reporter.

Unsurprisingly, that rhetoric isn’t likely to win Habba many friends among New Jersey Democrats, and several members of the state’s congressional delegation have sharply criticized Trump’s choice.

“Trump is elevating his personal attorney to be the top prosecutor in our state only because he’s looking for lackeys who will happily do whatever he wants including breaking the law for him,” Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) said.

This story was updated periodically as more information became available.