Trump Installs Unconfirmed Loyalists as US Attorneys, Bypassing Senate

Trump installed loyalists including former personal lawyer Alina Habba as US Attorneys without Senate confirmation, using legal loopholes to circumvent constitutional oversight. A federal judge ruled Habba served ‘without lawful authority’ after the administration fired a court-appointed replacement. Similar tactics were used in Los Angeles, Nevada, New Mexico, and New York.

Context: Under federal law, interim US Attorneys serve 120 days, after which district judges appoint replacements if Senate hasn’t confirmed nominees. When New Jersey federal judges declined to renew Habba and selected prosecutor Desiree Leigh Grace, Bondi immediately fired Grace and reinstalled Habba as ‘first assistant US attorney,’ claiming this allowed acting capacity indefinitely.

Significance: Circumventing Senate confirmation for top federal prosecutors consolidates executive control over the justice system. Installing unqualified political loyalists to prosecute cases weaponizes federal law enforcement for partisan purposes. The systematic abuse of interim appointment mechanisms demonstrates how constitutional checks can be neutered through procedural manipulation, enabling authoritarian control of prosecutorial power.