‘Although I love screaming from a podium, I will be better served in other capacities,’ she says.
President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney and senior adviser, Alina Habba, announced on Nov. 14 that she will not be joining his White House team as press secretary.
“While I am flattered by the support and speculation, the role of Press Secretary is not a role I am considering,” she said on X. “Although I love screaming from a podium, I will be better served in other capacities.
“This administration is going to be epic! So proud of the Trump team, the latest appointments, and 47!”
Habba has gained national attention for her work as one of Trump’s attorneys, defending him in his New York civil fraud case—which she said prosecutors “lost before the trial started.”
“Unfortunately, they picked the wrong guy to pick on, in my opinion, because he’s strong, he’s resilient, and he happens to have a lot of cash,” Habba said to Fox News in February, when announcing that Trump was prepared to pay the nearly $400 million appeal bond required by New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron.
She also argued that the case against Trump is politically motivated “because they can’t beat him in November.”
However, while Habba struck down speculation that she would be named Trump’s press secretary, she hasn’t denied speculation that she will be a part of his White House staff in some capacity.
The president-elect has already announced his selections for several Cabinet positions, including five veterans and three millennials (including Vice President-elect JD Vance), as well as four Floridians.
As of publication time, Trump’s picks include Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as his Secretary of State, South Dakota’s Gov. Kristi Noem as his secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, Pete Hegseth as his secretary for the Department of Defense, and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as his Attorney General.
Most Cabinet positions will require Senate confirmation at the start of next year. Cabinet-nominated lawmakers who are currently serving in the House of Representatives or the Senate will have to resign from their seats, leaving their respective governors to appoint interim replacements for the remainder of their terms. Gaetz has already resigned from his seat and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has started the process of filling Vance’s Senate seat.
Other non-Cabinet appointments not requiring Senate approval have also been announced by the Trump camp, including confirmation that X owner Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will be tasked with leading a new Department of Government Efficiency.