Donald Trump made a controversial announcement on Sunday, revealing that his attorney and spokesperson, Alina Habba, will serve as “Counselor to the President” in his upcoming administration. The former president shared the news on Truth Social, where he introduced a series of new appointments. Habba, known for her role in Trump’s civil defamation trial, previously made headlines when she claimed that court rulings against Trump were not from “real judges” during the trial in October.
The announcement quickly sparked ridicule across social media. Mike Madrid, a prominent Latino GOP strategist, responded with a sarcastic comment: “When you got dumped but he tells you he still wants to be good friends.”
PatriotTakes, an organization dedicated to monitoring right-wing extremism, criticized the appointment, stating, “The taxpayers are now paying his personal lawyer.” National security attorney Mark S. Zaid reminded his audience of a previous case in which a Florida-based federal judge imposed nearly $1 million in sanctions against Trump and Habba, calling the former president a “mastermind of strategic abuse of the judicial process.”
Trump names Alina Habba as his counselor to the president. The taxpayers are now paying his personal lawyer. pic.twitter.com/vA19DMN11q
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 9, 2024
Conservative influencer Cryptid Politics, who is pro-Ron DeSantis, also chimed in, questioning Habba’s qualifications. “You never know when you might need an avocado-peeling Instagram wannabe influencer like Alina Habba as WH Counsel to the President,” they said. “Taxpayers are now going to be paying her salary. This is someone who has totally failed at law.”
The criticism continued with healthcare activist Lisa Reyna Loe expressing doubts about the future of Trump’s administration, remarking, “Everything he attempts will definitely be tied up in court (or even thrown out) for the next 2-4 years.” She concluded with a biting “Merry Christmas!”
Democratic activist James Crocker joined in, noting the irony of the appointment: “Trump just tapped Alina Habba to serve as Counselor to the President. Funny because she couldn’t even defend him in court.” Despite the backlash, Habba expressed her enthusiasm for the new role, calling it “the honor of my life.”