Alina Habba Had a Much More Emotional Reaction To Trump’s Shooting Incident Than Melania

This July 2024, when an assassination attempt was made on Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, legal advisor Alina Habba was strikingly raw in emotion compared to the measured response of the former First Lady Melania Trump . Habba is an attorney who has been very closely aligned with Trump through many legal battles . Talking about the incident in an Oklahoma event, “He’s my friend, and I was devastated,” she said, as her voice rang with profound emotion. “He’s a human being and I think America forgets that these are human beings.”

The personal reaction underlined the solid bond Habba had been in a position to forge with the president-elect over time — but it was much more emotional than Melania’s reaction. The former First Lady took a more measured tack, publishing a brief written statement on X , formerly known as Twitter, that struck a tone of appeals to unity rather than personal distress. However, Melania’s reaction did surprise many people; it was much like when she was in the White House and made extremely reserved public appearances. Even when she appeared at the Republican National Convention during Donald’s acceptance speech, for instance, she remained composed and quiet.

The assassination attempt did nothing to weaken Trump’s determination and his campaign. “The man has no fear in the face of opposition. He is absolutely determined to save this country,” Habba shared about Donald. After the incident, he “cared more about whether his friend, Steve Witkoff, was okay than himself,” she told the Washington Examiner .

The situation became increasingly grave in September 2024, when an alleged second assassination attempt occurred at Trump’s International Golf Club in Florida. Taken into custody was 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, who allegedly pushed a rifle through the perimeter fence. Similarly outraged, Habba called the incident an ’embarrassment to our country’ while on Jesse Watters Primetime , per The Hill . Predictably, this triggered bipartisan action in Congress, with Representatives Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., and Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., introducing legislation to extend security for former presidents. It unanimously passed the House, highlighting how serious such threats are.

Habba’s fierce loyalty to Trump was even more pronounced in her criticism of what she saw as lax security. “No president in this country, and I mean, no president, Republican or Democrat should be in this situation, not once, but twice,” she said, notably concerned about the configuration of resource protection. But while Melania eventually responded to the assassination attempt back in September, her response was in the form of a video that questioned the official narrative of the story and coincided with the time her memoir was promoted. Certainly, the timing gave many a reason to believe her response was strategic rather than emotional, underscoring all the more powerfully the difference with the immediate, heartfelt responses of Habba.