Alina Habba's COVID Comments Raise Questions

Alina Habba, a lawyer for Donald Trump, has been criticized on social media after admitting that she had been exposed to COVID-19.

Habba, who previously worked in real-estate law before becoming part of Trump's legal team, is representing the Republican in the second defamation trial brought against him by the writer and journalist E. Jean Carroll. Newsweek contacted representatives for Habba by email on Tuesday to comment on this story.

In May 2023, Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages after a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming the one-time Elle columnist. The former president has repeatedly denied sexually assaulting Carroll at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York in the 1990s.

Carroll's lawyers are seeking another $10 million in compensatory damages and substantially more after the former president continued to deny the accusations that he assaulted her; he said he had no idea who Carroll is and that she was not his type. In May, Trump called Carroll's account fake and labeled her a "whack job" during a CNN town hall broadcast. In early September, Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that Trump's comments against Carroll were defamatory.

Before proceedings began Monday, Habba asked Judge Kaplan for a one-day adjournment when she said she wasn't feeling well after one or both of her parents were exposed to COVID-19. The attorney tested negative for the virus Monday morning, as did her co-counsel in the case, Michael Madaio, but Habba said that her babysitter also has symptoms.

In addition to Habba, one juror has been feeling sick and is being tested for COVID-19, according to NBC News.

Trump stood between Habba and Madaio, and none of them wore a mask as Kaplan agreed to the postponement. The trial is scheduled to resume Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, commentators wrote that it was irresponsible for Habba to attend court maskless after being exposed to the virus, and interact with Trump. He is set to appear at New Hampshire rallies ahead of the state's primary.

Former attorney Joyce Vance wrote: "Alina Habba, who told the court she'd been exposed to COVID and felt sick sat next to Trump in court this morning. How many hands did he shake as he campaigned in New Hampshire?"

Another X user named Don Lewis wrote: "Alina Habba says she's been exposed to Covid. She's been right by Trump's side. No masks. Interesting."

Former federal prosecutor and frequent Trump critic Ron Filipkowski wrote: "Alina Habba said she wasn't feeling well this morning in court and she was exposed to her parents who have covid. Trump was sitting next to her at the Counsel table where they were repeatedly whispering to each other. Now Trump is heading to a rally in NH [New Hampshire]."