People close to former President Donald Trump believe he's "fallen prey to inexperienced lawyers," Axios reports, after he hired an attorney who served as general counsel to a parking garage company to represent him in his legal battle with New York Attorney General Letitia James.
"He has some lawyers that are very sophisticated with years of experience litigating," one person close to Trump told Axios, and he's now turning to "inexperienced lawyers who are just telling him what he wants to hear."
The attorney in question is Alina Habba, 37, whose office is based near Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. A person familiar with the club's membership told Axios that Habba is a frequent visitor, and that's how she got to know Trump. His decision to hire Habba is "disconcerting to everyone around him who actually care about him," one friend said to Axios, but Trump's son Eric defended the attorney, calling her "incredibly competent."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In her own statement to Axios, Habba said if someone believes Trump "has fallen prey and is being victimized by someone such as myself, then you do not understand Donald Trump, the Trump Organization, or his family very well."
Trump has a history of filing and threatening to file lawsuits for publicity, and people close to him say he doesn't like it when lawyers, wanting to keep some credibility, try to talk him into taking a different approach. Habba so far has represented Trump in lawsuits against his niece Mary Trump and The New York Times, as well as in two defamation claims from women who have accused Trump of sexual assault.
The former president often makes headlines because of his legal representation. He's been sued multiple times by attorneys who say he underpaid them, and after the 2020 election, his lawyer Rudy Giuliani traveled from state to state, promoting baseless claims of election fraud while attempting to overturn election results. This roadshow resulted in Giuliani getting sued for defamation by Dominion Voting Systems and having his law license suspended in New York.
-
The app tackling porn addictionUnder the Radar Blending behavioural science with cutting-edge technology, Quittr is part of a growing abstinence movement among men focused on self-improvement
-
Magazine solutions - August 29, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - August 29, 2025
-
Magazine printables - August 29, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - August 29, 2025
-
$300M lawsuit against Greenpeace has environmentalists on edgeIn the spotlight The organization says the future of advocacy and free speech is at risk
-
ICC under attack: can court continue to function?Today's Big Question US sanctions 'designed not only to intimidate court officials and staff' but 'also to chill broader cooperation', say rights group
-
Birthright citizenship under threat in USThe Explainer Donald Trump wants to scrap the policy he calls a 'magnet for illegal immigration'
-
ABC News to pay $15M in Trump defamation suitSpeed Read The lawsuit stemmed from George Stephanopoulos' on-air assertion that Trump was found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments lawSpeed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
-
Judge reopens Trump challenge in secrets caseSpeed Read Aileen Cannon continues to delay and complicate the classified documents case
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security lawSpeed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
