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White House counselor Alina Habba ignited controversy on Tuesday after suggesting that some veterans might be “not fit” for government jobs amid the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to streamline federal spending.
Remarks on Veterans’ Employment
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Habba addressed concerns about veterans employed by the federal government.
“As you know, we care about veterans tremendously. I mean, that’s something the President has always cared about, anybody in blue, anybody that serves this country. But at the same time, we have taxpayer dollars, we have a fiscal responsibility to use taxpayer dollars to pay people that actually work,” she said.
Habba added, “That doesn’t mean that we forget our veterans by any means. We are going to care for them in the right way, but perhaps they’re not fit to have a job at this moment, or not willing to come to work. … I wouldn’t take money from you and pay somebody and say, ‘Sorry, they’re not going to come to work.’ It’s just not acceptable.”
Alina Habba Recieves Backlash from Officials
Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D) criticized Habba’s comments on social media platform X.
“Our veterans risked everything for America—now they come home to be told by those who’ve given nothing for this country that they’re ‘not fit.’ They’re more than fit to serve,” Moore wrote.
The remarks come as the Trump administration’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, carries out significant cuts in government spending and workforce size. Veterans advocates have raised alarms over the impact of these cuts, particularly at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where veterans make up approximately 30 percent of the federal workforce.
Last week, Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) estimated that around 6,000 veterans had been laid off as part of the government overhaul spearheaded by DOGE.
Habba confirmed that the president planned to emphasize the cuts in his speech later on Tuesday night, highlighting the administration’s fiscal priorities.
Who is Alina Habba?
Alina Habba, 41, was a little-known litigator before becoming one of former President Donald Trump’s key legal representatives. She gained attention for her clashes with judges during high-profile cases, including Trump’s defamation trial.
Earlier this year, she was part of Trump’s legal team during his historic hush-money trial in New York, where the former president was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Habba’s career began in the fashion industry, working for American luxury brand Marc Jacobs. After several years, she pursued a law degree at Widener University in Pennsylvania, graduating in 2010. She clerked for New Jersey Superior Court Judge Eugene Codey Jr. before entering private practice and later founding her own firm in 2020.
