Attorney General Pam Bondi is charging full steam ahead to defend Alina Habba’s embattled position as acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey against what she calls an “activist judicial attack.”
According to Breitbart, the Department of Justice is set to appeal a federal judge’s ruling that President Donald Trump’s appointment of Habba was unlawful, a decision that has disqualified her from ongoing cases and sparked a fierce battle over executive authority.
Let’s rewind to December, when Trump tapped Habba as a counselor to the president, a role that seemed to set the stage for bigger things. By March, she was elevated to acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, a move that raised eyebrows among some legal watchers. But the real trouble brewed when two criminal defendants challenged her appointment as unconstitutional, setting off a judicial showdown.
U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann didn’t mince words, ruling that Habba’s appointment lacked legal grounding. “The Executive branch has perpetuated Alina Habba’s appointment through a novel series of legal and personnel moves,” Brann stated. With all due respect to the judge, one might wonder if this is less about law and more about curbing a president’s right to choose trusted allies.
Brann went further, declaring, “I conclude that she is not lawfully performing the duties of the office.” This isn’t just a slap on the wrist—it’s a full-blown disqualification from ongoing cases. For a justice system already criticized for overreach, this feels like another jab at conservative leadership trying to clean house.
By July, district court judges had voted Habba out after her 120-day interim stint ended, replacing her with top assistant Desiree Grace. But the DOJ wasn’t having it—they fired Grace mere hours after the vote. If that’s not a signal of commitment to Habba, what is?
Bondi herself came out swinging, promising, “We will immediately appeal.” She praised Habba’s “incredible work” in New Jersey and framed the ruling as a partisan overstep. It’s hard not to nod along when you see the DOJ refusing to let progressive-leaning judges dictate who serves justice.
Trump, never one to shy away from a fight, nominated Habba for the full four-year term as U.S. Attorney in July. Yet, the path to confirmation looks rockier than a mountain trail, thanks to opposition from New Jersey’s Democratic senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim. Their refusal to support her nomination is a classic case of politics trumping merit—or so it seems.
Booker and Kim have flat-out said they won’t back Habba, a stance that’s stalled her confirmation process. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, hasn’t moved forward either, citing the traditional “blue slip” process that gives home-state senators a say. Tradition is nice, but when it blocks a president’s pick, you’ve got to ask: who’s really running the show?
Trump took to social media, urging Grassley to fix the “blue slip problem” with a flick of his pen. “Chuck Grassley, who I got re-elected to the U.S. Senate when he was down, by a lot, in the Great State of Iowa,” Trump wrote. While the tone might sting, the frustration over Senate gridlock is a sentiment many conservatives share.
Grassley, for his part, didn’t take kindly to the public nudge, saying he was “offended” and “disappointed” by Trump’s words. Fair enough, but when a qualified nominee like Habba is stuck in limbo, shouldn’t the focus be on breaking through the red tape? This blue slip nonsense feels like a relic of a bygone era, not a tool for modern governance. Habba herself isn’t backing down, pointing fingers at Booker and Kim for doing a “disservice” by refusing to even meet with her. “I have never, to this day, spoken to [them], despite my attempts,” she said. It’s a shame when elected officials won’t even sit down for a conversation—where’s the good faith in that?
Habba also called out Grassley for clinging to tradition over progress, lamenting, “I didn’t even get to that point.” Her frustration is palpable, and who can blame her when the system seems rigged to stall rather than solve?
Still, Habba remains defiant, declaring, “I am the pick of the president, I am the pick of Pam Bondi, our attorney general, and I will serve this country like I have for the last several years, in any capacity.” That’s the kind of grit you want in a public servant, not someone who folds at the first sign of resistance. With no clear path to confirmation, her resolve is a reminder of why Trump picked her in the first place.
As this legal and political tug-of-war unfolds, one thing is clear: the fight over Alina Habba’s role is bigger than one appointment. It’s a test of whether executive authority can stand up to judicial and senatorial roadblocks often steeped in partisan agendas. For now, Bondi’s appeal is the next chapter in a story that’s far from over, and conservatives across the nation will be watching closely.
