Federal judges in New Jersey are giving former Donald Trump lawyer and MAGA favorite Alina Habba the boot as top prosecutor in the state, but there is some confusion on when her last day on the job is.
The court declined to extend the former Trump spokeswoman’s 120-day interim appointment as U.S. attorney, setting up a potential showdown with the Trump administration.
Habba made the case before the court to stay in her position on Monday, but the push was rejected.
A standing order posted on the District of New Jersey court website on Tuesday stated that the court was appointing Desiree Leigh Grace as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. It said that the appointment was effective July 22.
Habba’s replacement previously served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney.
U.S. attorneys are appointed by the president but are confirmed by the Senate.
While the order indicated Habba would be replaced on Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche slammed the decision and claimed her term did not expire until Friday.
“Their rush reveals what this was always about: a left-wing agenda, not the rule of law. When judges act like activists, they undermine confidence in our justice system. Alina is President Trump’s choice to lead—and no partisan bench can override that," he wrote on X after previously encouraging the judges to keep her in place.
Habba is a close Trump ally who previously served as his personal attorney, including defending him in two trials after writer E. Jean Carrol accused Trump of sexual assault.
She also served as a top spokesperson and actively campaigned for Trump during the 2024 campaign season, where she went on the attack against his critics at rallies and spoke at the Republican National Convention.
The president tapped Habba for interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey in March. On July 1, the White House announced Trump had nominated her for a full four-year term, pending Senate confirmation. But Habba already faces fierce opposition from Senate Democrats.
Since taking office as the interim U.S. attorney, she has moved on a series of controversial high-profile prosecutions.
The U.S. attorney’s office charged Newark mayor Ras Baraka with federal trespassing after he was arrested outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in the state. It was later dropped.
However, Habba’s office announced charges last month against Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver, who was at the facility when the mayor was taken into custody in May. McIver is accused of assaulting federal officers.
The congresswoman and fellow Democrats claim her prosecution is politically motivated.
