Alina Habba, a top attorney for former President Donald Trump, is facing intense scrutiny after walking back her earlier praise of controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate. The dramatic shift in her stance comes after facing a wave of criticism from Trump supporters.
During a January 2025 appearance on “The Benny Show,” a right-wing podcast, Habba openly expressed admiration for Tate, who, at the time, was facing serious charges in Romania, including human trafficking and rape.
“Nice to meet you. I’m a big fan,” Habba said, initiating the exchange. Tate responded in kind, calling her Trump’s savior. Habba then went further, comparing Tate’s legal troubles to Trump’s ongoing legal battles: “I also have to say that I sympathize with you because I think you go through a lot of the same ‘show me the person, I’ll find the crime’ that President Trump has gone through.”
However, after intense backlash, Habba attempted to clarify her remarks during a March 2025 interview. Her tone had changed significantly.
“The accusations against the Tate brothers are stomach-turning. They are disturbing, and as I will say, and I’ve said many times since then, that is for the court to handle and they should handle it,” she stated, distancing herself from her earlier praise.
When pressed about her past comments, she deflected, claiming, “That was, what I said was, it’s some great manipulation… Now that is very separate, I want to be very clear, than accusations of human trafficking, accusations of anything, rape, whatever the accusations are against them.”
Her sudden change of heart comes just as Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, returned to the U.S. after Romanian authorities lifted their travel ban. The brothers, who deny all allegations, were arrested in late 2022 and formally indicted last year. Now back in Florida, they face a fresh criminal investigation by the state’s attorney general.
Adding to the controversy, Andrew Tate has remained vocal in his support for Trump, recently declaring on social media, “The Tates will be free, Trump is the president. The good old days are back. And they will be better than ever. Hold on.”
Their release has sparked speculation, especially after reports surfaced that a Trump administration official had taken an interest in their case during a high-level security conference in Munich. Romania’s foreign minister has denied that any outside pressure influenced their legal situation, but the timing has only fueled debate.
As the legal drama unfolds, Habba’s abrupt shift in tone is raising eyebrows, leaving many to wonder: Was her initial praise a genuine show of support, or just another case of political maneuvering gone wrong?
