Who’s Alina Habba? Trump’s fierce authorized defender picked to function counselor to the president

New Jersey-based lawyer Alina Habba hit the nation’s radar again in 2021, turning into President-elect Trump’s fierce authorized defender after which spokeswoman as he battled an onslaught of authorized instances and legal expenses forward of his decisive win in opposition to Vice President Kamala Harris final month. 

Now, Habba is readying to tackle a brand new position: counselor to the president beneath Trump’s second administration. 

“Alina has been a tireless advocate for Justice, a fierce Defender of the Rule of Legislation, and a useful Advisor to my Marketing campaign and Transition Staff,” Trump wrote in a put up on Fact Social final week, asserting her new position. “She has been unwavering in her loyalty, and unmatched in her resolve – standing with me by means of quite a few ‘trials,’ battles, and numerous days in court docket.”

Following the as soon as and future president’s announcement, Fox Information Digital took a glance again at Habba’s authorized profession and meteoric rise in Trump’s orbit and, now, the White Home. 

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President-elect Trump employed lawyer Alina Habba in 2021 as he battled a bevy of court docket instances.

Habba is the managing companion of Habba Madaio & Associates LLP, a legislation agency based mostly in Bedminster, New Jersey, that additionally practices in New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Habba, 40, is a New Jersey native, ​​born to Chaldean Catholic Iraqi immigrant dad and mom. She attended Lehigh College in Pennsylvania as an undergraduate earlier than incomes her J.D. from Widener College. 

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“As a religious Catholic, a proud first era Arab American girl, and a feisty Jersey lady who’s fed up with far-left corruption in Washington – President Trump championed my journey, empowering me to grow to be who I’m in the present day. His unwavering assist not solely formed my profession however has impressed different younger girls with large goals,” Habba declared in her RNC speech in July from Milwaukee. 

Forward of becoming a member of Trump’s authorized crew, Habba litigated instances associated to negligent nursing properties throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. She additionally earned recognition on the Tremendous Legal professionals Rising Stars Listing between 2016-2022, in addition to a spot on the “Prime 100 Legal professionals in America” checklist, and has supported a handful of charity efforts, together with a charity that advantages pregnant homeless girls, Delivery Haven. 

Former President Trump returns from a lunch break for his hush cash trial at Manhattan Legal Court docket on Could 28, 2024, in New York Metropolis. (Julia Nikhinson-Pool/Getty Pictures)

Habba has seen a meteoric rise to nationwide prominence lately, after Trump employed her in 2021 to assist litigate a barrage of instances leveled at him forward of the 2024 election, turning into his authorized spokesperson and trusted adviser. 

Habba hit the Trump authorized scene when she spearheaded a lawsuit in opposition to the previous and upcoming president’s niece, Mary Trump, and the New York Occasions for “tortiously breaching and/or interfering along with his contractual rights and in any other case maliciously conspiring in opposition to him” to acquire and publish his tax information in 2018.

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Habba’s authorized successes for Trump embrace former “Apprentice” contestant Summer season Zervos dropping a defamation go well with in opposition to Trump in 2021 and the dismissal of one other case associated to New York state-level expenses over allegations Trump and the Trump Group have been concerned in a fraudulent advertising and marketing firm. She additionally notched a win earlier this 12 months when the Supreme Court docket dismissed ex-lawyer Michael Cohen’s enchantment to revive a lawsuit in opposition to Trump as he sought financial damages over his 2020 imprisonment associated to mendacity to Congress and his earlier work for Trump.

​​”Michael Cohen has exhausted each avenue of his pathetic try to pull my consumer into court docket time and time once more.  As anticipated, the Supreme Court docket has appropriately denied Michael Cohen’s petition and he should lastly abandon his frivolous and determined claims,”Habba instructed Fox Information Digital in a press release in October. 

Alina Habba has served as Trump’s authorized adviser. (Getty Pictures)

Habba’s nationwide identify recognition grew as Trump battled the E. Jean Carroll instances. 

Carroll, who beforehand labored as a columnist for Elle journal, had filed two lawsuits in opposition to Trump since 2019, when she first accused him of raping her in an excerpt in her guide “What Do We Want Males For? A Modest Proposal.” Trump vehemently denied the allegation, saying, “it by no means occurred,” finally main Carroll to sue Trump for defamation when he was nonetheless president. On the time, she was barred by the statute of limitations from suing him over the underlying rape allegation.

A jury would finally discover Trump had sexually abused Carroll and that, in denying it, defamed her, awarding her $5 million. However whereas that case was tied up in appeals, and with Trump persevering with to disclaim ever even assembly Carroll, she filed one other go well with in 2022 alleging each defamation and rape. She was ready to do that as a result of earlier that 12 months, New York had handed a legislation that allowed intercourse abuse plaintiffs to file a one-time civil case regardless of the expiration of the statute of limitations. 

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Habba joined the Trump authorized crew for the second case, wherein the previous president was accused of rape and defamation for social media posts wherein Trump denied the allegations and accused Carroll of selling a “hoax and a lie.” 

Trump was by no means criminally charged with sexual assault, and the preliminary jury discovered him responsible for sexual abuse – although not rape. The jury particularly stated Carroll hadn’t confirmed that Trump raped her.

The second case sought greater than $10 million for injury to her status stemming from Trump’s feedback in 2019, when he was nonetheless president. The jury finally awarded her $18.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages.

“I’ve sat on trial after trial for months on this state, the state of New York, Lawyer Normal Letitia James and now this. Weeks, weeks. Why? As a result of President Trump is main within the polls and now we see what you get in New York,” Habba stated earlier this 12 months following the decision. 

“So don’t get it twisted,” she continued, calling the case proof of the “violation of our justice system.” “I’m so proud to face with President Trump. However I’m not proud to face with what I noticed in that courtroom.”

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Trump lawyer Alina Habba was named Trump’s counselor to the president for his second administration. (Fox Digital )

Habba additionally battled New York Lawyer Normal Letitia James’ civil fraud go well with – one in every of Trump’s most high-profile instances that the AG has refused to dismiss after Trump’s electoral win. 

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James introduced an investigation into the Trump Group, claiming there was proof indicating that the president and his firm had falsely valued belongings to acquire loans, insurance coverage protection and tax deductions. 

Each contained in the courtroom, throughout press conferences and in media interviews, Habba defended Trump in opposition to James’ case. 

Alina Habba speaks at a marketing campaign rally for former President Trump on the PPL Heart in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 29, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)

“​​Letitia James is placing her nostril into personal firms and personal people’ work, which isn’t what is supposed to occur and the legislation that she’s utilizing is a shopper fraud legislation. In order that she will set up some technique to have management, to not have a jury to do sure issues on this case which might be nonsensical and shouldn’t be occurring and we have now been combating all of it alongside the way in which. The issue we have now is the choose is the one which’s going make these choices and he’s confirmed himself to be fairly motivated by the opposite facet,” Habba stated on “Sunday Morning Futures” with host Maria Bartiromo final 12 months. 

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Trump and his authorized crew charged that James had carried out a “witch hunt” in opposition to him after she explicitly campaigned on a platform to prosecute the president. Trump and his household denied any wrongdoing, with the previous president saying his belongings had been undervalued. 

Alina Habba arrives at court docket for opening statements in former President Trump’s trial at Manhattan Legal Court docket on April 22, 2024, in New York Metropolis. (Brendan McDermid-Pool/Getty Pictures)

Manhattan Supreme Court docket Decide Arthur Engoron dominated in September of final 12 months within the non-jury trial that Trump and his group had deceived lenders by overvaluing his belongings and exaggerating his web price. Trump’s crew known as on James to drop the case following his election final month, which she rejected on Dec. 10. 

Former President Trump speaks throughout a marketing campaign occasion, Sept. 25, 2024, in Mint Hill, North Carolina. (AP Photograph/Evan Vucci, File)

Following the announcement that Habba will function counselor to the president, conservatives and supporters of Trump have touted Habba’s fiery protection of him over the previous few years. 

“I’ve sat with President Trump for years now whereas he has been focused with lies and with judges, AGs, and DAs who’ve particularly run on this metropolis and others on getting Trump,” Habba stated throughout a press convention in January following the Carroll verdict, rounding up the bevy of court docket instances Trump confronted following his first administration. 

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“The Trump administration will repair this drawback. We’ll cease Kamala Harris’s regime – as a result of she was there, let’s not overlook that, and he or she nonetheless is – of utilizing officers from the White Home, placing them in DAs’ places of work and AGs’ places of work, and attacking your political opponent,” she continued. 

Habba additionally delivered a strong speech on the RNC in July – following Trump’s first assassination try – that has been revived this month for her emotional tone when she described her tight relationship with Trump. 

“To my husband, whose household survived the Holocaust, [Trump] is a champion of the Jewish religion. To my Iraqi dad and mom, he’s a mentor to their daughter,” she stated from the RNC. 

“However to me, he’s my pal.”

Former President Trump and Alina Habba throughout a trial at New York State Supreme Court docket in New York, on Oct. 17, 2023. (Doug Mills/The New York Occasions/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures)

In Trump’s first administration, the counselor to the president position was crammed by Fox Information contributor Kellyanne Conway. The position entails advising the president on all authorized issues associated to the workplace of the president and the White Home. 

Habba joined Fox Information’ Martha MacCallum final week, the place she previewed that her new position will concentrate on “all issues that we have to do to repair this nation.”

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“At first, anyone requested to serve this nation in such an honorable position or any position, frankly, it is a duty that I take very significantly, however an honor. I instructed the president, I’m there to do no matter it’s you want me to do, and that is the reality. However I’ll say what a fantastic privilege I can be there to advise. I can be there to assist with insurance policies which might be essential. I do know that for me, clearly lawfare and the entire issues that Pam Bondi goes to concentrate on are high of thoughts due to what we have lived for the final three and a half years. However I’ll inform you I am able to get to work, and that is on all issues that we have to do to repair this nation,” Habba stated. 

Fox Information Digital’s Anders Hagstrom, Brooke Singman and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.