Trump picks personal lawyer Alina Habba as White House Counsellor

President-elect Donald Trump announced that his personal lawyer Alina Habba will join his White House team as a counselor to the president.

In a statement on Sunday, Trump praised Habba’s dedication, saying she has been “unwavering in her loyalty, and unmatched in her resolve” by standing with him through numerous legal challenges and court appearances.

Habba has become a prominent figure in Trump’s legal circle, frequently defending him on television. At 40 years old, she is a managing partner at Habba Madaio & Associates LLP and has represented Trump in several high-profile legal cases. She successfully defended him in a defamation lawsuit brought by Summer Zervos, a former “Apprentice” contestant who accused Trump of sexual assault, ultimately helping to have the case dropped.

Also, Habba handled the case when Trump’s niece Mary Trump sued him over an inheritance dispute, which was ultimately dismissed. She also assisted Trump in a countersuit against his niece for providing the New York Times with his financial documents.

During a civil lawsuit brought by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll regarding sexual assault allegations from the 1990s, Habba gained additional attention for her contentious interactions with US District Judge Lewis Kaplan.

Beyond her legal work, she has been an active campaign supporter, serving as a senior adviser for the main super PAC supporting Trump’s 2024 reelection bid and appearing at campaign events, including a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York.

In a separate announcement, Trump named Christopher Landau as his deputy secretary of state. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump highlighted Landau’s previous role as Ambassador to Mexico, praising his efforts to reduce illegal migration. Trump also stated that Landau would work closely with his Secretary of State nominee, Marco Rubio, to advance an “America First Foreign Policy.”

Additionally, Trump appointed Michael Needham, a former senior Rubio aide, as counsellor at the State Department, and Michael Anton, who served in the first Trump administration, as director of policy planning at the State Department.