Alina Haba Leaves White House To Be Interim US Attorney In New Jersey
In a dramatic shake-up early in President Donald Trump’s second term, Alina Habba—the high-profile attorney who’s stood shoulder to shoulder with Trump through some of his most intense legal battles—has exited her role as Counselor to the President to take on a newly appointed position: interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.
The announcement, delivered with typical Trumpian flair via social media, signals a sharp pivot in both the administration’s legal strategy and Habba’s career trajectory.
The president’s post, brimming with praise, cast Habba as a relentless advocate for justice, lauding her as someone who will bring “diligence and conviction” to her home state. That home-state detail matters—a New Jersey native, Habba’s appointment is being framed as a return to familiar terrain, one now marred, in her words, by “corruption,” “injustice,” and “a heavy amount of crime.”
Alina Habba: “President Trump has just put out a statement that he has appointed me as the interim U.S. attorney for the state of New Jersey, my home state…There is corruption, there is injustice, and there is a heavy amount of crime right in Cory Booker’s backyard.” pic.twitter.com/2HXRrycr6V
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 24, 2025
Speaking to reporters in a crisp, pointed tone outside the White House, Habba made clear that this move is anything but symbolic.
“There is a heavy amount of crime right in Cory Booker’s backyard,” she said, calling out the senior senator of her state by name, and adding a jab at Democratic Governor Phil Murphy for good measure. Her remarks weren’t vague political rhetoric—they were a warning shot, a promise of scrutiny and prosecution to come.
Habba didn’t hold back when asked about her targets: “We’ll see when I get in there.” A line that sounds more like a plot twist in a legal drama than a federal appointment, yet it’s vintage Trump-world messaging—calculated, confident, and cloaked in suspense.
Adding to the shake-up, John Giordano, the former interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, is headed for international waters—tapped as the next U.S. Ambassador to Namibia. While that may seem like a surprising pivot, in this administration, loyalty and performance are rewarded—often in bold and unconventional ways.
Habba’s elevation is the first major personnel shift from Trump’s inner circle since his return to office, and it sets a clear tone. The legal battleground is shifting. New Jersey, long considered a Democratic stronghold, may soon find itself under a microscope—one held firmly by someone who has made a career of fighting fiercely for her clients, especially when those clients include the president himself.