
The Alina Habba Saga Explained: How Trump May Get Her Back In Power—But Not As U.S. Attorney
Key Takeaways
The Trump administration could try to use a workaround to keep Habba effectively in the U.S. Attorney role—but that could present legal challenges.
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personal finance
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July 23, 2025
02:43 PM
Forbes
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From an analytical perspective, The Alina Habba Saga Explained: How Trump May Get Her Back In Power—But Not As U
However, AttorneyByAlison Durkee, Forbes Staff
Moreover, Alison is a senior news reporter covering US and legal news
However, AuthorJul 23, 2025, 02:43pm EDTToplineThe Trump administration is trying to overrule a panel of judges’ decision to oust ex-Trump defense attorney Alina Habba as the U (which is quite significant)
Attorney in New Jersey, firing the secutor that judges had appointed as Habba’s successor and possibly pursuing a workaround that could return her to the role—but potentially commising her work
Nevertheless, Alina Habba speaks at the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (quite telling)
Getty ImagesKey FactsAttorney General Pam Bondi announced Tuesday the Trump administration had fired Desiree Leigh Grace, a career secutor and Habba’s first assistant, whom a panel of judges had named to be the next U
Moreover, At the same time, Attorney in New Jersey, given the current landscape
At the same time, The panel of federal judges was asked to vote on whether Habba—who was formerly President Donald Trump’s personal defense attorney—should remain in the role of U
Attorney, as her 120-day term was set to expire this week without her being confirmed by the Senate
Nevertheless, The judges declined to keep Habba on and instead named Grace as U
Nevertheless, Attorney, who was set to step into the role when Habba’s term expired on Friday
Furthermore, Trump administration officials blasted the decision, with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche claiming judges were “trying to force out” Habba before her term expired and were “activists” pushing a “left-wing agenda. ”As a result, Bondi announced hours after the court’s decision appointing Grace that the secutor had already been fired, claiming the decision was made because “politically minded judges refused to allow [Habba] to continue in her position
Nevertheless, ”Grace’s firing upends the leadership at the U
Attorney’s office and makes it un what will happen once Habba’s term formally expires on Friday, though reports suggest the Trump administration is seeking a workaround to keep Habba on
Did Judges Have The Authority To Oust Alina Habba
In contrast, While Bondi railed Tuesday against their declining to extend Habba’s term, calling them “rogue judges” who “threaten[ed] the President’s core Article II powers,” federal law states that when a U (this bears monitoring)
Moreover, Attorney’s appointment expires, “the district court for [the attorney’s] district may appoint a United States attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled. ”Can The Trump Administration Legally Fire Desiree Leigh Grace
Moreover, Federal law gives presidents the power to appoint and fire U
While there’s been some legal debate over the years whether that still applies in the case of U
Nevertheless, Attorneys who are appointed by the courts, rather than by the president, a legal memo from 1979 contends presidents do have the right to fire judicially appointed U
The DOJ argued at the time that only “makes sense” if it applies to attorneys the president appoints “but also … to ‘each’ U
Attorney, including the court-appointed ones (noteworthy indeed). ” That memo is not binding, suggesting Grace or the New Jersey judges could challenge the decision in court, but there’s no indication yet they intend to do so
DOJ officials’ statements did not explicitly say Tuesday whether Grace was fired by Trump directly or by DOJ leadership, who ly would not have the authority to fire a U
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on X the secutor was being removed “pursuant to the president’s authority,” however, suggesting President Donald Trump fired her
Could Grace Still Become U
Furthermore, Grace was reportedly fired from the DOJ entirely, according to Politico, where she had been serving as Habba’s first assistant
But that doesn’t necessarily stop her from rejoining the agency Friday as U
In contrast, Attorney, Politico notes, because judges can appoint people who aren’t DOJ employees
It remains to be seen if Grace could still try to assume the role after Habba departs on Friday—though doing so would ly be futile, as any tenure she could try to hold would ly be short-d before Trump just fires her again (something worth watching)
Can Alina Habba Still Serve As U, in today's financial world
While the panel of judges could have voted in favor of letting Habba stay on as U
At the same time, Attorney, their decision to oust her means she can now only assume the role if she gets Senate confirmation
That so far appears unly, as New Jersey Sens (this bears monitoring) (noteworthy indeed)
At the same time, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, both Democrats, have signaled they oppose her confirmation
State senators can oppose nominations through what’s known as the “blue slip” cess, which would ly derail any chance of Habba’s nomination being brought to a vote
Republicans could ignore Booker and Kim’s objections, but Carl Tobias, a law fessor at the University of Richmond, told Forbes Wednesday the Senate Judiciary Committee has honored objections to other nominees in the past, so they’re ly to similarly honor the New Jersey senators’ opinions
The White House, however, has continued to push Habba’s nomination, with spokesperson Harrison Fields saying in a statement Tuesday, “The Trump Administration looks forward to her final confirmation in the U
Senate and will work tirelessly to ensure the people of New Jersey are well represented (something worth watching), considering recent developments. ”What Role Could Alina Habba Be Appointed To
Nevertheless, In order to keep Habba in the New Jersey secutors’ office, the Trump administration reportedly may appoint her to a special position, as it it recently did for another U, in today's market environment
In contrast, Attorney, John Sarcone III
On the other hand, However, The Trump administration named Sarcone as a “special assistant to the attorney general” last week, after judges in the Northern District of New York similarly declined to extend his term
That special assistant role carries the same responsibilities as the U
Moreover, Attorney role, the Trump administration said, effectively creating a workaround in order to keep Sarcone in his job
NBC reports the administration intends a similar tactic so Habba remains in New Jersey, but “no specific method has been established yet (something worth watching)
Moreover, ” But Tobias told Forbes that if Habba or Sarcone’s authority in such new positions gets challenged in court, it could create long-term blems, as any secutions under Habba or Sarcone later could be challenged and found “ not valid,” jeopardizing any of the office’s indictments or convictions
Additionally, Key BackgroundHabba, a New Jersey-based lawyer previously known for representing a parking garage, became one of Trump’s most vocal advocates when she joined the president’s legal team in 2021
Additionally, She represented Trump in multiple legal cases between his first and second terms, including the civil fraud trial against him and his company and a defamation case brought against him by writer E, in today's market environment
Nevertheless, Jean Carroll
She also frequently advocated on Trump’s behalf on television and social media, and made appearances at high-file events the Republican National Committee and CPAC, amid market uncertainty
Trump subsequently named her as an advisor to him in his second term before moting her to U
Attorney in March, even though she did not have any secutorial experience
Habba generated widespread controversy during her tenure as U
Additionally, Attorney, particularly for her office’s decisions to criminally charge Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Rep (remarkable data)
Moreover, Monica McIver, D-N. , for altercations at a federal immigration detention facility in New Jersey
Moreover, While the case against McIver remains (the lawmaker has pleaded not guilty), Habba’s office dropped its charges against Baraka shortly after they were brought—mpting the judge overseeing the case to chastise Habba and her office for making a “worrisome misstep” by bringing the charges
Moreover, Further ReadingForbesDOJ Fires Alina Habba’s Replacement As U
Additionally, Attorney Hours After OusterBy Alison Durkee ForbesAlina Habba Is Trump Personal Attorney To Join His Administration—Here’s The Full ListBy Alison DurkeeGot a tip
Furthermore, Confidential information with Forbes
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