Alina Habba slams two GOP senators for helping to block her from NJ prosecutor job under 'blue slip' rule

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump's appointee Alina Habba, whose appointment as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor was ruled to be unlawful by a federal judge on August 21, has slammed two GOP senators who are helping to block her from the job.

She had earlier lashed out at federal judges after they ruled she was unlawfully serving as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor. She claimed the decision was politically motivated and accused judges of ignoring the president’s authority.

Alina Habba says Senators Chuck Grassley and Thom Tillis are jeopardizing POTUS' agenda

While speaking with Fox News' Maria Bartiromo on 'Sunday Morning Futures' on August 24, Alina Habba lashed out at Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), who are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, for defending the "blue slip" tradition, which dictates that the senators representing the home state of a judicial nominee can effectively block that nominee if they choose.

New Jersey Democratic Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim have used the rule to keep Habba from getting the job in New Jersey.

Notably, Grassley is concerned that if Republicans were to rush the rule now, it would work against them in the future when a Democratic president is in office.

Meanwhile, Habba doesn't seem to like this decision by Grassley. She said, "This tradition that Senator Grassley is upholding effectively prevents anybody in a blue state from going through into the Senate to then be voted on."

During the conversation, Bartiromo pressed Habba about Tillis. 

The Fox News host asked, "What do you want to say about Senator Tillis, Thom Tillis, a member of the Judiciary Committee who has stated publicly that if Chairman Grassley tried moving a district judge or US attorney through the Judiciary Committee without a blue slip, he would oppose that nominee? And that means we would not even have the votes to pass a nomination like Habba out of committee because Tillis would vote no — along with the Democrats."

"It’s not surprising. You know, they’re trying to look at this as they all need to get along to go along. But they’re not looking at what this does," Habba replied.

She added, "The president was rightfully voted in by a majority of Americans, and he is entitled to pick his US Attorneys, his Department of Justice officials, his judges, so that we can continue the agenda that the American public voted for — which is to get rid of crime."

Alina Habba calls federal judges 'rogue'

Alina Habba spoke out on Fox News 'Hannity' on August 21 and accused judges of abandoning their duty to the law.

She said, "It’s disturbing, what we’re seeing. And Pam Bondi called it like it is. The attorney general said it today: We will not fall to rogue judges. We will not fall to people trying to be political when they should just be doing their job—respecting the president. And you can’t get rid of the president."

Moreover, she had continued serving after Pam Bondi fired the first assistant US attorney in New Jersey, Desiree Leigh Grace, who should have been acting US attorney when the position became vacant according to the law.

She also said, "I am the pick of the president. I am the pick of Pam Bondi, our attorney general, and I will serve this country like I have for the last several years, in any capacity."

Judge Matthew Brann, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, issued the decision after many judges appointed under Presidents Joe Biden and Obama voted to end her tenure.