Pam Bondi fires U.S. attorney whom N.J. judges had named to replace Trump ally Alina Habba

Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba, who previously served as President Donald Trump's lawyer and spokesperson, has been replaced.

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday fired a federal prosecutor whom New Jersey's federal judges had named to replace the state's interim U.S. attorney, Alina Habba, a close ally of President Donald Trump.

Bondi said on X that Habba — previously Trump’s personal lawyer — had been "doing a great job making NJ safe again" but that "politically minded judges refused to allow her to continue in her position."

Desiree Leigh Grace was named U.S. attorney for New Jersey, according to an order the chief judge for the District of New Jersey, Renee Marie Bumb, signed Tuesday. The order means judges declined to extend Habba’s interim role, which expires after 120 days. Trump appointed Habba on March 24, and she was sworn in on March 28.

But Bondi said that Grace "has just been removed" and that the "Department of Justice does not tolerate rogue judges — especially when they threaten the President’s core Article II powers."

Grace was fired by the Justice Department, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News