Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counsellor to the President
The Hindu
President-elect Donald Trump appoints defence attorney Alina Habba as counsellor, praising her loyalty and resolve.
President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he is appointing one of his defence attorneys in the New York hush money case as counsellor to the President.
Alina Habba, 40, defended Mr. Trump earlier this year, also serving as his legal spokesperson. Ms. Habba has been spending time with the President-elect since the election at his Florida club Mar-a-Lago.
“She has been unwavering in her loyalty and unmatched in her resolve — standing with me through numerous ‘trials,’ battles and countless days in Court," Mr. Trump posted on his social network Truth Social. “Few understand the Weaponization of the ‘Injustice’ System better than Alina.”
Mr. Trump became the first former American President to be convicted of felony crimes when a New York jury in May found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex.
In Mr. Trump's first term, the position of counsellor was held by Republican strategist Kellyanne Conway. Ms. Habba has Iraqi ancestry and is Chaldean, which is Iraq’s largest Christian denomination and one of the Catholic Church’s Eastern rites.
Ms. Habba frequently accompanied Mr. Trump on the campaign trail and was one of the speakers at the late October rally in New York's Madison Square Garden.
On Sunday (December 8, 2024), Mr. Trump also announced he is bringing back former staffer Michael Anton to serve as director of policy planning at the State Department. Anton served as the National Security Council spokesman from 2017 to 2018.
Poland's Deputy PM emphasizes that borders should be determined by negotiation, not violence, while discussing EU-India relations.
Italian PM Meloni criticizes Trump's tariff threats over Greenland, calling them a "mistake" and urging NATO for clearer communication.
Uganda extends social media ban post-election while lifting internet restrictions, citing concerns over misinformation and public order.
Kurdish forces withdraw from Syria's largest oil field as government troops assert control amidst ongoing tensions and stalled integration efforts.
Pentagon prepares 1,500 troops for potential deployment to Minnesota amid escalating tensions over protests against immigration enforcement.
Iran plans to gradually restore internet access after a week-long shutdown amid ongoing protests and communications issues.
French Minister warns Trump faces significant risks from proposed tariffs on Europe, impacting U.S. farmers and industries.
Official reports confirm at least 5,000 deaths from Iran protests, with heavy clashes concentrated in Kurdish regions.
Spanish PM Sanchez warns that a U.S. invasion of Greenland would empower Putin and jeopardize NATO's stability.
Syrian state media reports Kurdish forces destroyed two key bridges in Raqqa amid advancing government troops.
Taiwanese journalist Lin Chen-you is accused of bribing military officers for sensitive information to relay to China.
Syrian army expands control over northern regions amid Kurdish clashes, following a decree recognizing Kurdish as a national language.
Indonesian authorities locate wreckage of missing surveillance plane with 11 on board; search for survivors continues amidst challenging conditions.