Trump appoints Alina Habba as Acting US Attorney in New Jersey after judges stripped her of interim title

Alina Habba has officially been made the US Attorney for the District of New Jersey. Abba was previously serving as the interim attorney in the role but earlier this week, when her 120 days was up, New Jersey judges decided to strip her of her position and appoint another attorney. AG Pam Bondi promptly removed that attorney.

Habba posted to X, "Donald J. Trump is the 47th President. Pam Bondi is the Attorney General. And I am now the Acting United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. I don’t cower to pressure. I don’t answer to politics. This is a fight for justice. And I’m all in."

Habba's role in the interim was set to expire on Friday, however, the White House withdrew her nomination on Thursday, allowing her to then be appointed to the official role, according to the New York Times.

The decision will allow Habba to remain in the role for the next 210 days. A White House spokesman said in a statement, "President Trump continues to have full confidence in Alina Habba and her commitment to serve the people of New Jersey."

The maneuver from the Trump administration to appoint Habba came after judges in the US District Court of New Jersey declined to extend her time as interim attorney for New Jersey. They named Desiree Grace as her replacement earlier this week. 

However, Grace was later removed, and Attorney General Pam Bondi accused the judges of having political motivations against Trump in not allowing the extension of Habba's appointment. 

"The First Assistant United States Attorney in New Jersey has just been removed,” Bondi said after Grace was appointed. "This Department of Justice does not tolerate rogue judges — especially when they threaten the President’s core Article II powers."

After Habba was removed as the interim US Attorney for the District of New Jersey, she briefly held the position of the first assistant before being appointed to the role top federal prosecutor in New Jersey. Habba has previously served as Trump's personal attorney.