Trump hires new lead counsel for Manhattan district attorney case 

Alina Habba, an attorney representing former President Donald Trump in several civil matters, argued Trump shouldn’t need to take a mugshot, telling CNN This Morning, “There’s no need for theatrics.”

Habba told host Don Lemon, “Mugshots are for people so that you recognize who they are. He’s the most recognized face in the world, let alone the country, right now, so there’s no need for that.” 

Sources familiar with the preparations were uncertain as to whether there would be a mugshot.

Trump’s attorney says she believes that the indictment will be unsealed “no matter what,” and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of leaking the number of counts in the indictment.

When pressed by host Don Lemon about the claim, Habba declared, “it’s not speculation.”

On Trump’s social media posts attacking the judge in the case, Habba said, “We have many judges, frankly, and I’m before some of them, who have shown a venomous vitriol against President Trump that is like nothing we’ve ever seen in the state of New York.”

She also called Bragg a “woke DA who’s now bringing a misdemeanor stacking it and trying to make it a felony” and dismissed the looming indictment as “30-34 counts of garbage.” 

When asked about her role in searching Mar-a-Lago for documents, Habba said she wasn’t looking for classified documents, adding, “I was looking for tax documents in another garbage case by [New York Attorney General] Leticia James.”

When pressed by Lemon about the accuracy of these claims, Habba responded, “I’m not in a deposition right now and I’m not going to continue this conversation.” She said her affidavit “is very public and I recommend you read it.”

“Yes, that’s not a secret. I testified to the grand jury,” she acknowledged.