Alina Habba, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, has expressed skepticism about her client's chances of success in the ongoing Manhattan hush money criminal trial. In a recent interview on Newsmax's "Greg Kelly Reports," Habba voiced her concerns about the fairness of the proceedings, citing the political landscape of New York and the timing of the case.
"I don't have hopes really that high at this moment that the New York courts will do the right thing, that the jury will do the right thing," Habba said. "We're in a blue state, as you know, Greg. And I think everything's by design."
The lawyer criticized the prosecution's decision to bring the case, which she described as "eight years old, over the statute of limitations, was denied by [former Manhattan District Attorney] Cy Vance, then brought only after President Trump decided he was going to run for office."
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to reimbursements made to his former fixer, Michael Cohen, for a payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. The payment was allegedly made to prevent Daniels from speaking about an alleged affair with Trump a decade earlier.
Habba also took issue with Judge Juan Merchan's gag order imposed on Trump, which bars him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, and the judge's family throughout the trial. "It's very troubling, as you know, and I know you know it well," she said. "We're in the fight of our lives at this moment."
The trial, which is the first criminal trial of a former or sitting U.S. president in history, has already seen testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who described a "catch and kill" scheme aimed at protecting Trump's reputation. Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen are also expected to testify in the coming days.
Despite the challenges faced by the defense, Habba suggested that people take a closer look at the team of prosecutors in the hush money case. "And like you said, look at how many people they've got," she said. "And I can't talk about it that, the American - because of the unconstitutional gag order, but I think that we should also take a look at who's on that team and where that those people came from."
Trump has been vocal in his criticism of the case, recently taking to Truth Social to accuse Judge Merchan of "railroading him" to appease his "friends." The former president also accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of letting "Violent Crime in New York flourish at levels never seen before" and working with "Crooked Joe Biden's DOJ" to harm his campaign.
As the trial continues, Habba's comments underscore the uphill battle faced by Trump's legal team in a case that has garnered significant public attention. The outcome of the trial could have far-reaching implications for the former president's political future and the broader political landscape in the United States.
