Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Tuesday that the Department of Justice fired Desiree Leigh Grace as the newly appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, hours after federal judges picked her over keeping interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba in the role.
With Habba’s 120-day term technically ending Friday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche argued the move showed the New Jersey district court judges were attempting to push her out early for political reasons.
“Their rush reveals what this was always about: a left-wing agenda, not the rule of law," Blanche said. "When judges act like activists, they undermine confidence in our justice system. Alina is President Trump’s choice to lead — and no partisan bench can override that."
Bondi also suggested the decision was politically motivated and said the Trump administration wouldn't tolerate it.
“@USAttyHabba has been doing a great job in making NJ safe again," she wrote on X. "Nonetheless, politically minded judges refused to allow her to continue in her position, replacing Alina with the First Assistant. Accordingly, the First Assistant United States Attorney in New Jersey has just been removed. This Department of Justice does not tolerate rogue judges — especially when they threaten the President’s core Article II powers."
Blanche added that the "backroom vote will not override the authority of the chief executive."
The district judges in NJ just proved this was never about law—it was about politics. They forced out President Trump’s pick, @USAttyHabba, then installed her deputy, colluding with the NJ Senators along the way. It won’t work. Pursuant to the President’s authority, we have… https://t.co/2Jyphdhaum
— Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) July 22, 2025
While it's unclear what happens now, a similar situation unfolded earlier this month in New York, as Politico explains:
John Sarcone’s term in the Northern District of New York — home to such luminaries as me — expired July 14. The state’s District Court judges did not vote to keep Sarcone in the position. Nor did they choose a successor. They avoided a fight with the Trump administration, which appears to have used work-arounds to keep Sarcone in the office. According to the Times-Union, Sarcone was made first assistant U.S. attorney — a position that automatically becomes acting U.S. attorney when there’s a vacancy. And Syracuse.com cited a memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi that said she appointed him as “special attorney” with an “indefinite” term.
So could we expect something similar for Habba? I don’t know, but what just happened in upstate New York shows the Trump administration may have some options. (Politico)
🚨 JUST IN: Activist judges in NJ tried to REPLACE Alina Habba with one of their leftist friends, Desiree Leigh Grace, so the Trump DOJ immediately FIRED Grace
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 22, 2025
LMAO! 🤣
It’s @USAttyHabba or BUST, folks!
SENATE MUST CONFIRM HABBA ASAP! pic.twitter.com/Zz7zvL7cnq
🚨 HOLY CRAP: President Trump has over 260 nominees NOT YET CONFIRMED by the Senate.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 22, 2025
NO long weekends, NO August recess. Get these done.
The liberal judges in New Jersey are taking advantage of this situation by, for example, trying to kick out US Attorney Alina Habba, who… pic.twitter.com/1oInfSFr1n
Editor's Note: Radical leftist judges are doing everything they can to hamstring President Trump's agenda to make America great again.
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