Alina Habba says her looks helped her career: “I caught attention”

Donald Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, has said that while her looks have helped her career, they have been a “double-edged sword.”

In 2021, the former president hired Habba to be part of his legal team and since then, he has worked with her to fight multiple lawsuits. Her role in Trump’s team has resulted in a variety of media appearances, with her starting to be considered a TV personality by many.

On Thursday, she appeared on an episode of the PBD Podcast with hosts Patrick Bet-David, Adam Sosnick and Vincent Oshana. The podcast “discusses current events, trending topics and politics as they relate to life and business” and during her appearance, Habba was asked if Trump hired her because of her looks.

Newsweek reached out to Habba for comment via email on Friday.

“Say what you will about Trump, [an] alpha man, you would suspect he would pick an alpha guy but he picks a feminine, smart, capable woman. How much of you being an attractive, smart woman played into the role of this?” Sosnick asked her while on the show.

Habba responded by saying that while her appearance has helped her career, it has also resulted in people judging her.

“It’s been something I’ve had to deal with in the positive and in the negative. I don’t think I’d be on TV or sitting here if I didn’t look the way I look. I think I caught attention, I’m very honest about that, I don’t mind,” she said.

“I’m not a feminist, I believe in strong women, but I want my door opened. I’m very much an old school—my parents are Middle Eastern—old school woman. When I’m at home, I cook, I have a husband I respect, I know how to turn it on.

“I’ll tell you something. Somebody said to me, ‘Alina would you rather be smart or pretty’ and I said ‘Oh easy, pretty. I can fake being smart.’ I mean that’s the honest truth…Listen, you have to be honest, it doesn’t hurt to be good-looking in this world, in the PR world, on TV, it doesn’t hurt. When you’re good-looking, that’s great, but it can also mean that people think you’re stupid or people think that President Trump hired me because I was good-looking. That is absolutely not the case.”

Habba has proven to be a divisive figure in recent months and her appearance on the podcast has proven this even further. Ron Filipkowski, the editor-in-chief at MeidasTouch.com, shared a snippet of the interview where she talks about her appearance to X, formerly Twitter. People took to the replies to share their thoughts on what she said and while some of it was fair criticism, other remarks were laced with sexism.

“Not only does this reinforce the idea that women need to conform to certain beauty standards to be successful, but it also trivializes the hard work, qualifications, and skills of women who achieve success in their fields,” one person wrote.

“I honestly can’t understand this reply! It is an insult to all the female attorneys I know! I just can’t deal with this statement! Shame on you, and thank god the female attorneys I know and love are nothing like you!” wrote another.

“I’m a little confused here. All the women in Trump’s orbit are born ugly and just get their hands on a boat load of plastic surgery. So what’s pretty and what’s artificial?” a third person asked.

“Why do MAGA women think they’re sexy beasts just because Donald Trump pays them some attention?” someone else questioned.

A fifth added: “She. Ain’t. That. Hot.”

In contrast to this, in the comment section of the video uploaded to YouTube, people shared their support for the lawyer.

“Great show today, I could’ve listened to another 90 minutes of Alina Habba! She needs to definitely come back after all of Trump’s cases are settled,” one commenter said.

“I love this woman! She is the real feminist energy that we conservatives need to aspire to. She is smart, high moral values, and attractive, honors her femininity, and does not try to be a man,” wrote another.

A third person added: “It’s so attractive to see a very well educated well spoken woman who can stand on her terms and can really get into the conversation.”

Habba has been busy recently as Trump, who is the 2024 Republican frontrunner, is facing several legal challenges from those who believe he is prohibited from serving again due to Section 3 of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which deals with insurrection.

Trump has been removed from primary ballots in Colorado and Maine on this basis, though his team has now approached the Supreme Court to appeal the ruling. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has maintained his innocence, accusing prosecutors of targeting him for political purposes.

On Wednesday, Habba said during an appearance on Fox News that the former president is worried about the Supreme Court ruling on his presidential immunity claim.

Maggie Haberman, White House correspondent for The New York Times, earlier remarked to CNN that Trump has concerns the justices he appointed don’t want to be seen ruling in his favor. Habba confirmed those worries.

“That’s a concern he’s voiced to me, he’s voiced to everyone publicly, not privately. I can tell you his concern is a valid one, you know, Republicans are conservative. They get nervous. They, unfortunately, are—sometimes shy away from being pro-Trump because they feel that even if the law is on our side, they might be swayed, much like the Democratic side, right?” Habba said.

“So, sometimes they’re trying to look so neutral that they make the wrong call. And I really encourage them to look at the law and look at the Constitution. It’s just a simple decision and it should have nothing to do with whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat.”