President-elect Donald Trump has revealed his decision to appoint Alina Habba, one of his defense attorneys in the New York hush money case, as counselor to the president. At 40 years old, Habba emerged as a key legal spokesperson for Trump earlier this year and has been closely associated with him since the election, often seen at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
In a post on his social platform, Truth Social, Trump praised Habba for her unwavering loyalty and dedication, stating, “Few understand the Weaponization of the ‘Injustice’ System better than Alina.” This comes after Trump made history as the first former U.S. president to be convicted of felony charges, relating to a jury’s finding of guilt on 34 counts tied to illicit payment efforts during the 2016 election.
Habba, who has Iraqi heritage and belongs to the Chaldean community—Iraq’s largest Christian denomination—has played an active role on the campaign trail, notably speaking at a rally in New York’s Madison Square Garden last October. The White House counselor position was previously held by Kellyanne Conway during Trump’s first term.
In addition to Habba’s appointment, Trump announced the return of former advisor Michael Anton as the director of policy planning at the State Department. Anton had previously acted as the National Security Council spokesman from 2017 to 2018. Trump also plans to appoint Michael Needham, who formerly served as chief of staff for Sen. Marco Rubio, as counselor of the State Department, following Rubio’s selection as Trump’s next secretary of state.
It is noteworthy that Trump continues to align his administration with familiar faces and advisors who have demonstrated loyalty throughout his political journey. As he prepares for his presidency, it will be interesting to see how these appointments may shape his policy initiatives and overall governance strategy, and whether they will resonate with a changing political landscape.