Hold onto your hats, patriots—President Donald Trump’s battle to keep loyal U.S. attorneys in office just hit a brick wall with two high-profile resignations.
President Trump’s push to retain loyalist prosecutors stumbled as Julianne Murray in DE and Alina Habba in NJ resigned on Dec. 13, 2025, amid legal rulings and Senate procedural roadblocks, marking a rare defeat for the administration’s efforts, as The Hill reports.
This week, the Trump administration faced unexpected hurdles in its mission to maintain handpicked federal prosecutors. Two key figures, Julianne Murray of DE and Alina Habba of NJ, stepped down from their posts. Their exits signal a crack in the administration’s armor.
Habba, who led NJ’s federal prosecuting office, resigned earlier in the week prior to Dec. 14, 2025, followed by Murray, DE’s GOP chair-turned-prosecutor, on Friday, Dec. 13. Both pointed to the Senate’s “blue slip” tradition as a major barrier. This custom lets home-state senators stall nominations.
Habba also criticized NJ federal judges for disrupting court dockets over doubts about her tenure’s legality. Her temporary term ended back in July 2025, and judges refused to extend it, opting to appoint her deputy instead. It’s a clear judicial pushback.
To counter this, Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed the judges’ appointee, and President Trump withdrew Habba’s formal nomination, reassigning her as acting U.S. attorney. Similar tactics unfolded in NV, CA, NY, NM, and DE. Yet, judges in these states resisted interim appointments without Senate approval.
A federal appeals court panel upheld Habba’s disqualification, rejecting the administration’s efforts to keep her and others in office past expired interim terms. Murray’s term lapsed in November 2025, and a judge declined to extend it, citing similar legal grounds. The law isn’t bending here.
Murray faced no direct lawsuit but blamed her exit on the “blue slip” practice, accusing DE Democratic Sens. Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester of blocking her for partisan reasons. Meanwhile, Habba called the NJ situation untenable, faulting judges for overreach. It’s a frustrating double bind.
President Trump has voiced mounting irritation over these stalled confirmations, pinning the legal woes of his prosecutors on Senate inaction. He’s called on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to scrap the “blue slip” custom after failing to sway Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley. The gridlock persists.
Elsewhere, judges disqualified Sigal Chattah in NV and Bill Essayli in Los Angeles, with both appealing. Legal fights involving John Sarcone III in NY and Ryan Ellison in NM remain unresolved. The administration’s legal strategy is under siege on multiple fronts.
In VA, Trump’s chosen prosecutor Lindsey Halligan faces comparable woes, with a judge ruling she never legally held office and tossing cases tied to figures like former FBI Director James Comey. Despite this, Halligan stays put, though judges question her role and suggest resignation.
Here’s Trump’s take on the mess: “Too many GREAT REPUBLICANS are being, SENT PACKIN’. None are getting approved!!!” His Truth Social post captures raw frustration. But isn’t it ironic that a party championing law and order faces such legal roadblocks?
Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche have accused judges of bias in these rulings. Habba echoed this sentiment in her resignation, decrying judicial interference. Yet, one wonders if this is less about bias and more about upholding constitutional checks.
Another perspective comes from Julianne Murray: “This is not about advice and consent. Because of this incredibly flawed tradition, I wasn’t even considered by the Judiciary Committee, let alone the entire Senate.” Her words spotlight a broken process. Shouldn’t loyal public servants at least get a fair hearing?
The Justice Department might pursue further appeals, possibly to the Supreme Court, though experts caution Habba’s resignation could render her case irrelevant. For President Trump, these resignations are a rare stumble in a term defined by bold moves. It’s time for Senate Republicans to rethink outdated customs.
