When Alina Habba was noticeably absent from the courtroom at the start of Donald Trump's "hush money" trial in Manhattan on April 22, 2024, rumors swirled that there had been a falling out between the two. However, it turned out that Trump and his glamorous attorney, Habba, were still very much a team, albeit not for any of his four criminal cases, as that is not Habba's field of expertise. In an interview with "The Benny Show" on April 16, she expressed her wish to be a criminal attorney, saying, "Obviously, you know, being a type A person, I wish I was a criminal attorney, but I’m not. But the great news is that then I can do this and let everybody know what is actually happening."
Habba's commitment to “doing this” means releasing what she considers bombshell information from inside the courtroom. This has led to a series of media moments that are, at best, awkward. Both Habba and Trump have a lot in common; they both tend to express their anger quickly and aren't afraid to vent about what they see as miscarriages of justice. Despite her controversies, Habba seems to enjoy flaunting her lavish lifestyle and has a significant social media presence, boasting over 304,000 Instagram followers as of May 2024. So, what makes so many of Habba's media moments so cringeworthy? Let's take a look back.
Defending Trump's Questionable Use of PAC Funds
Donald Trump has raised eyebrows for using over $40 million of campaign funds from a super PAC to cover his legal fees. This controversial move was defended by Alina Habba during an appearance on Charlie Kirk's Real America's Voice show in August 2023. As of April 2024, Trump was facing an estimated $86 million in legal fees, a staggering amount even for a self-proclaimed billionaire. Despite this, the Save America PAC stood firmly behind Trump and his associates, claiming that using the funds to cover legal fees would protect "innocent people from financial ruin."
Habba's justification for this spending was particularly bold. She claimed that supporting the president means supporting his election, not his potential imprisonment. She also argued that Trump is being unfairly targeted by detractors and insisted that there is nothing wrong with using donor funds for personal expenses. Interestingly, she did not address how much of that money may have found its way into her own pockets.
Attacking Letitia James and the Judge in Trump's Civil Fraud Trial
Alina Habba is known for her awkward media moments, and her attack on Letitia James, the attorney general in Donald Trump's civil fraud trial, was no exception. On November 6, 2023, Habba claimed that James had a vendetta against Trump and had already decided that he was guilty even before stepping into the courtroom. This statement raised eyebrows, as it is generally understood that an attorney general needs to have substantial evidence before filing charges.
Later in the day, Habba criticized Judge Arthur Engoron for his behavior during Trump’s testimony, claiming he was trying to silence her client. She continued to label James as a "radical left-wing partisan" and insulted her intelligence, saying she was "just not that bright." This type of aggressive rhetoric has become a hallmark of Habba's public persona, as she often resorts to personal attacks when defending her client.
Ranting About Judge Kaplan's Jail Threat
