Donald Trump’s new pick for the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba, disclosed on Thursday that she didn’t even want her plum new job in the first place.
In a Thursday interview with Real America’s Voice, she revealed that she initially tried to turn down the offer—telling Trump that she “did not” want to leave the White House, where she had been serving as the president’s counselor. However, after much pushing on his part, she realized that she seemingly had no choice.
Trump made the announcement of her appointment in a Truth Social post on Monday morning, writing: “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!”
Habba, 41, took to X to thank the president for what she described as an honor.
However, she seemed to sing a very different tune during the candid appearance on Real America’s Voice.
“I was so happy here, and it was surprising,” the president’s former lawyer said about her White House role. “I spoke to the president, and I just asked a lot of questions. It was his idea. He’s like, I think you should do this.”
“And he’s like, you’re a Jersey girl, like you better do it,” Alina Habba said. “And I said, I don’t want to leave the White House. It makes me sad.”
Sad or not, the president apparently persisted, saying that Habba wasn’t leaving, really, and that she could return whenever she pleased.
After relenting, she said she set a new goal for herself — helping Republicans win New Jersey.
“We could turn New Jersey red,” she insisted. “And I think New Jersey is absolutely close to getting there. So hopefully while I’m there, I can help that cause.”
Habba, who is a staunch Trump loyalist, first met the 78-year-old in 2019 and soon joined as his legal team. After proving herself on the cable news circuit, the fire-breathing attorney joined Trump’s campaign prior to the 2024 election, and was appointed as counselor when he won back the White House.
“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,” Trump said of his appointment.
At the time, Habba also celebrated her new appointment with another post on X, sharing a screenshot of the announcement and writing: “Time to make New Jersey great again! LET’S ROLL,” adding the American flag emoji to her caption.
