Alina Habba, nominated by former President Donald Trump to serve as the US Attorney for New Jersey, discussed her stalled Senate confirmation during an appearance on Fox News Thursday evening.
Earlier in the day, US District Judge Mathew Brann ruled that Habba is “not lawfully holding the Office of US Attorney” for New Jersey. The judge’s involvement came after federal judges in New Jersey recused themselves due to a conflict of interest following Habba’s removal from her interim position last month.
Last month, a group of federal judges declined to extend Habba’s term as interim US Attorney after Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reportedly led a campaign to remove her. Her interim term was scheduled to expire after 120 days. After stepping down as Interim US Attorney, Habba became Acting US Attorney for New Jersey following actions by the Trump Department of Justice.
In a statement posted online on July 24, 2025, Habba said:
“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.”
On Thursday evening, Habba accused Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley of blocking her confirmation by upholding the Senate’s ‘blue slip’ tradition, which allows home state senators to approve or block judicial nominations from their states. She called on Grassley to end this practice and questioned his motives during her television appearance.
Last month, former President Trump publicly urged Grassley to abandon the blue slip custom. On Truth Social, Trump stated:
“Chuck Grassley, who I got re-elected to the U.S. Senate when he was down, by a lot, in the Great State of Iowa, could solve the “Blue Slip” problem we are having with respect to the appointment of Highly Qualified Judges and U.S. Attorneys, with a mere flick of the pen. Democrats like Schumer, Warner, Kaine, Booker, Schiff, and others, SLEAZEBAGS ALL, have an ironclad stoppage of Great Republican Candidates. Put simply, the President of the United States will never be permitted to appoint the person of his choice because of an ancient, and probably Unconstitutional, “CUSTOM,” that if you have even one person in the opposite Party serving in the U.S. Senate, he/she must give consent, thereby completely stopping the opposite Party’s Nomination. The only way to beat this Hoax is to appoint a Democrat or a weak and ineffective Republican. Therefore I would never be able to appoint Great Judges or U.S. Attorneys in California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Virginia and other places where there is coincidentally the highest level of crime and corruption — The places where fantastic people are most needed! Senator Grassley must step up like Crooked Joe Biden did when he openly broke at least two times the “Blue Slip” SCAM and like others have done over the years and let our Great Republican Judges and U.S. Attorneys BE CONFIRMED. He should do this IMMEDIATELY and not let Democrats laugh at him and the Republican Party for being weak and ineffective. The Democrats have broken this ridiculous custom on us; it’s time that we break it on them. Chuck I know you have the Courage to do this DO IT!”
The debate over blue slips has been ongoing in recent years as both parties have debated its use regarding judicial appointments.
