New Jersey's two Democrat senators continue to fight President Donald Trump over who's the state's U.S. attorney.
Trump on Thursday withdrew Alina Habba's nomination for the position in a calculated move that will allow his loyal supporter to remain in the job in an acting capacity amid a high-stakes showdown with federal judges who had attempted to replace her.
A panel of district judges in New Jersey had named Desiree Leigh Grace to the U.S. attorney role, bypassing Habba and sparking backlash from top officials at the Department of Justice.
Trump's move will allow Habba to lead the New Jersey office for at least the next 210 days, The New York Times reported.
Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J. and Andy Kim, D-N.J., issued a statement Thursday night accusing Trump of "destabilizing the integrity of our legal system."
"This is another attempt by the Trump Administration to install Alina Habba as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey by bypassing the court's lawful authority and ignoring the required advice and consent of Congress," Booker and Kim said in their statement, Insider NJ reported.
"The court lawfully appointed Desiree Grace as U.S. Attorney, and we fully support its rightful exercise of authority to ensure New Jersey's top law enforcement official is qualified and prepared to serve our state.
"The Trump Administration's relentless attacks on the court are not only disgraceful, they're knowingly hypocritical. This very court exercised the same authority to appoint a U.S. Attorney during Trump's first term, and just days ago, the Deputy Attorney General was publicly urging the court to use that same law to install Alina Habba. They don't object to the process, they just don't like the outcome. So instead, they continue undermine the legitimacy of the judiciary, jeopardizing New Jerseyans' safety, and destabilizing the integrity of our legal system."
Trump appointed Habba to the interim U.S. attorney position on March 24. Her Senate nomination, submitted June 30, had blocked her from continuing in an acting capacity until Trump withdrew it Thursday.
Booker and Kim had declined to return positive "blue slips" for Habba's nomination, effectively halting her confirmation process under Senate tradition.
Grace had been serving as Habba's deputy and was selected by the judges just as Habba's 120-day acting term was set to expire. The court's order, signed by Chief Judge Renee Bumb, made Grace's appointment effective on Tuesday or upon Habba's term expiration.
But Habba pushed back publicly, declaring in a Thursday post on 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."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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