Trump's roster of DOJ lawyers is shrinking

Plus, Trump pardons 'world's most prolific drug trafficker' |

VIEW IN BROWSER MS NOW DAILY Understand today's news Tuesday, Dec. 02, 2025   THE LATEST Trump is running out of personal lawyers to elevate to the DOJ By Hayes Brown Trump is running out of personal lawyers to elevate to the DOJ By Hayes Brown It's been a bad week for President Donald Trump's attempts to transform the Justice Department into his personal retribution squad. Monday saw a federal appeals panel confirm that Alina Habba's controversial appointment as the U.S. attorney for New Jersey wasn't kosher. Their ruling came on the heels of a federal judge's determination that Lindsay Halligan was unlawfully appointed to serve as the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.   Both Habba and Halligan came to their roles after previously acting as personal attorneys to Trump. That they were tapped at all showcases how weak the backbench of lawyers willing to defend the MAGA agenda in court really is. And with their dismissals, it's safe to say that Trump is running low on lawyers to fill in the massive gaps needed to skillfully defend his most controversial policies.   Between the Russia investigation, his two impeachment trials, the failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election, four criminal indictments, and several major civil cases against himself and his companies, Trump has accrued a massive roster of personal lawyers over the last decade. While their success rate in court has varied, along with their job satisfaction with their client, the sheer number has provided a fertile ground for presidential appointments this term.   This is a preview of Hayes Brown's latest column. Read the full column here. TOP STORIES ZEESHAN ALEEM The Trump administration just admitted to what legal experts call a war crime After days of denial the White House offered up an absurd defense of a double tap strike. Read more. KEN DILANIAN Trump DOJ argues key anti-discrimination law doesn't apply to federal workers An immigration judge says she was fired based on her race and gender – and because she's a Democrat. Read more. NICHOLAS GROSSMAN Why JD Vance keeps trying to help Russia win the war with Ukraine The vice president pushed a Russia-friendly peace plan, which tracks with his far-right worldview that sees Putin as an "anti-woke" culture war ally. Read more. ERUM SALAM Trump's MRI was for his heart and his abdomen, the White House says A memo from the president's doctor said the imaging test was simply preventive due to his age, and that it came back clean. Read more. TOP VIDEOS DEADLINE: WHITE HOUSE Trump saves 'world's most prolific drug trafficker' with a pardon of former Honduras president WATCH NOW KATY TUR College student deported before flight home to Texas for Thanksgiving WATCH NOW THE LAST WORD Lawrence: After report of Hegseth's 'kill everybody' order, Trump's first instinct was to lie WATCH NOW THE WEEKNIGHT Rep. McBride says consequences of GOP inaction on healthcare will be 'vast, dangerous and deadly' WATCH NOW MORE FROM MS NOW Rachel Maddow tells the story of one of the most shocking decisions in American history in her new podcast, "Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order." The first two episodes are now available. In episode one, the bombshell discovery of a document ordered to be destroyed has the potential to expose the truth about the U.S. government's radical policy decisions at the outbreak of World War II. In episode two, hear how that policy came to be. Subscribe to MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free listening. This week on "The Best People," Nicolle Wallace speaks with the star of Netflix's "The Beast in Me," Claire Danes, to discuss her evolution as an actor, how she navigates live in the public eye, and the joy of raising children in New York City. Listen now and subscribe to MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts for early access, ad-free listening and bonus content.  229 West 43rd St. New York, NY 10036 PRIVACY | CONTACT | UNSUBSCRIBE