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“Not a great statement”: Legal experts say Trump lawyer just destroyed his argument to delay trial

Alina Habba told Fox News Trump didn't need to "prep" for his trial because he's "incredibly intelligent"

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Trump legal spokesperson Alina Habba speaks to media as former President Donald Trump arrives for a first court appearance at Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Miami, FL. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Trump legal spokesperson Alina Habba speaks to media as former President Donald Trump arrives for a first court appearance at Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Miami, FL. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Trump attorney Alina Habba claimed that the former president will not need any preparation ahead of his numerous overlapping trials because he is “incredibly intelligent” unlike the “average person.” Habba told Fox News host Shannon Bream that “if this was a normal person… I could understand the concern” but Trump is “incredibly intelligent and he knows the ropes.” She questioned, “What is he going to have to be prepped for? The truth? You don’t have to prep much when you’ve done nothing wrong.”

Some legal experts cautioned that Habba undercut Trump’s argument that he needed extensive time to prepare for his trials. “Trump’s lawyer tells FOX her client ‘knows all the facts’ and doesn’t need time to prep for the coup trial — while his other lawyer says he needs till April 2026 because it’s so complex,” noted longtime Harvard legal scholar Laurence Tribe. “Wow,” marveled attorney George Conway, writing that Habba “really did” destroy Trump’s lawyers’ argument. “Not a great statement to make just prior to DC Judge anticipated ruling tomorrow on DC trial date,” warned former Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissmann. “The more his lawyers speak for political purposes, the more they harm/impact the legal case,” tweeted national security attorney Mark Zaid.

By Gabriella Ferrigine

Gabriella Ferrigine is a former staff writer at Salon. Originally from the Jersey Shore, she moved to New York City in 2016 to attend Columbia University, where she received her B.A. in English and M.A. in American Studies. Formerly a staff writer at NowThis News, she has an M.A. in Magazine Journalism from NYU and was previously a news fellow at Salon.


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