Trump AG War Erupts Behind Closed Doors

Summary

Legal AF - "Trump AG War Erupts Behind Closed Doors"
Date: April 9, 2026
Host: Michael Popok (MeidasTouch Network)

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Episode Overview

In this episode, host Michael Popok delivers a deep dive into the ongoing internal battle for the position of Attorney General in a hypothetical second Trump administration. Through sharp legal analysis and trademark wit, Popok examines the competition between key MAGA world figures—including Alina Habba, Jeanine Pirro, Todd Blanche, and Lee Zeldin—for the coveted AG spot. The discussion explores their qualifications (or lack thereof), legal track records, internal MAGA politics, and the broader implications for the rule of law and democracy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Attorney General Reality Show: MAGA Edition

[02:49]

• Popok frames the current jockeying for the AG position as a gladiatorial contest:

  "Two female MAGA lawyers enter, one leave for the job of Attorney General. Perhaps it's time to revisit that new game show: Who Wants to be Donald Trump's Attorney General?"

Alina Habba: Ever-Present, Ever-Failed

[03:00-05:45]

• Chronicles Habba's persistent presence in Trump’s orbit despite repeated legal mishaps:
  • Sanctioned $1M for bad faith suits (Judge Middlebrooks).
  • Fumbled the E. Jean Carroll defense, leading Trump to be judged a sex abuser.
  • On the periphery of Trump Organization's 19-count conviction and the Stormy Daniels case.
  • Lost the headline $400M+ NY AG civil fraud trial.
• Commentary on her staying power:

  "Don't you see a pattern? Lost ... lost ... lost ... and yet she remains in Donald Trump's orbit, oftentimes mockingly referred to as his office wife."

• Popok notes her personal moves—allegedly leaving her husband and relocating nearer to Mar-a-Lago—suggesting her ambition to become AG.

Jeanine Pirro: Conspiracy Cheerleader

[05:45-07:55]

• Explores Pirro’s self-promotion, unsuccessful prosecutions as DC US Attorney, and relentless social media campaigns:
  • Strengthens her MAGA credentials through anti-establishment grandstanding, attempts (and failures) to prosecute political enemies.
  • Not qualified for AG: "Never a federal prosecutor. Not qualified, doesn't have the chops..."
• Pirro's tactics within MAGA world:

  "There's even insider information that Jeanine Pirro threw Pam Bondi under the bus, frequently questioning her legal acumen or abilities." [07:44]

Todd Blanche: The Reluctant Contender

[10:06-11:23]

• Blanche’s candidacy hindered by Trump’s internal “Hunger Games” approach—pitting allies against one another:

  "Trump likes Hunger Games. He likes to pit people in his administration against each other to destabilize them. And Todd Blanche is not well trusted within the MAGA world."

• MAGA skepticism about Blanche centers on (perceived) insufficient loyalty and his "principled" boundaries.

Lee Zeldin & the Dark Horses

[11:25-12:07]

• Zeldin, ex-congressman and current EPA administrator, seen as a leading contender due to MAGA loyalty.
• Senate Judiciary member Tom Tillis highlighted as a possible kingmaker, with a “bulletproof” ability to block extreme nominees and little to lose:

  "He’s already retired. ... Trump’s threats of, I’m gonna do a primary challenge against you, he doesn’t care. ... He’s bulletproof, he’s untouchable." [12:07]

Why Would Anyone Want the AG Job?

[12:20-13:32]

• Popok muses on the dubious attraction of a likely short-lived AG post under Trump:

  "... Why would anybody want to be the temporary part time Attorney General for Donald Trump? He went through five of them in the first term... could be his third by the time this whole thing is over ... doesn’t sound like something you’d want to do."

• Explains that the desire is about maximizing fleeting influence:

  "...they all realize that once this gig is up, right, once Donald Trump is out of office, their power and their luster all shrinks by comparison ... they need a giant malignant narcissistic sun to shine on them because they can’t generate their own power..." [13:09]

Final Thoughts: The AG Contest’s Broader Consequences

[13:40-14:47]

• Popok concludes with skepticism that these candidates—especially Habba—will further any true DOJ reform.
• Raises questions about internal Trumpworld politics, including the influence of Melania Trump and Susie Wiles in the final AG selection.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Popok on Habba’s record:

  "Don’t you see a pattern? Lost ... lost ... lost ... and yet she remains in Donald Trump’s orbit, oftentimes mockingly referred to as his office wife." [05:30]

• On the whole competition:

  "Who would win between Jeanine Pirro and Alina Habba? What about Lee Zeldin? What about Todd Blanche? Is there anyone else orbiting around MAGA World who could slip into the race and become Donald Trump’s next short-lived Attorney General?" [02:56]

• On MAGA job-seekers:

  "...They need a giant malignant narcissistic sun to shine on them, because they can't generate their own power, their own light, if you will. And so when he's gone, their careers are about done." [13:09]

• On Todd Blanche:

  "There are just certain things he won't stoop beneath to do. That doesn’t usually do well for Donald Trump, who wants you to steep lower than you ever thought you would go in order to enable his worst instincts." [10:43]

• On Tom Tillis as kingmaker:

  "He's bulletproof, he's untouchable. He's not running for office again. He's already retired. ... They can't do much against Tom Tillis." [12:07]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:49 – Introduction: "Who Wants to Be Donald Trump's Attorney General?"
• 03:00-05:45 – Deep dive on Alina Habba’s qualifications, missteps, and MAGA persistence
• 05:45-07:55 – Profile of Jeanine Pirro and her AG ambitions
• 10:06-11:23 – Trump’s motivation for pitting Todd Blanche against MAGA world
• 11:25-12:07 – Case for Lee Zeldin and the Senate’s potential to block extreme nominees
• 12:20-13:32 – Why the AG post under Trump still draws ambitious candidates
• 13:40-14:47 – Wrap-up: MAGA AG contest’s impact on DOJ and democracy

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Episode Tone & Style

Michael Popok, with his acerbic style and legal experience, infuses the episode with biting sarcasm, skepticism of Trumpworld, and empathy for the stakes involved for both the rule of law and individual ambition. Listeners are treated to both factual insight and pointed critique—framed in accessible, engaging language aimed at a pro-democracy audience.

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The Takeaway

The contest for Attorney General in Trump’s world is more spectacle than substance, filled with candidates whose legal experience (or lack thereof) matters less than fealty to Trump and MAGA media prowess. Popok’s sharp analysis serves as both a warning and a reality check on how far the rule of law could be bent in future administrations—and just how transactional MAGA’s power circle remains.

Transcript

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[Michael Popok (Legal AF Host)]

[e-mail] Alina harbor in one quarter, Janine

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Pirro in the other.

[Michael Popok (Legal AF Host)]

Two female MAGA lawyers enter one leave for the job of Attorney General. Perhaps it's time to revisit that new game show who Wants to be Donald Trump's Attorney General? Alina Haba throwing her hat back in the ring with a recent Instagram posting in the last couple of days of her in the Oval Office under the quote or the quip always a pleasure as she visits Donald Trump and J.D. vance. Who would win between Jeanine Pirro and Alina Haba? What about Lee Zeldin? What about Todd Blanch? Is there anyone else orbiting around MAGA World who could slip into the race and become Donald Trump's next short lived Attorney General? Let's cover it all on Midas Touch and Legal af Michael Popo Take a minute, hit the free subscribe Button on Legal AF YouTube channel. Alina Haba never really leaves the public stage, even when she gets fired. Alina Haba was Donald Trump's criminal defense lawyer, got in trouble representing him in cases, had a million dollar sanction against her by Judge Middlebrooks for bringing a suit in bad faith in a civil context. Screwed up the first E. Jean Carroll case for Donald Trump where he lost it was a judge to be a sex abuser and so on. Was also on the on the team, on the periphery at least when Donald Trump lost a 19 felony count conviction against two of his companies for business record fraud and tax fraud and also was on the periphery of the team that lost the 34 felony count case related to Stormy Daniels in in the New York case in front of Judge Bershon. She also was the lawyer that lost a lot of losses here. Don't you see a pattern? Lost the $400 million plus civil fraud case brought by the New York Attorney General against Donald Trump, all of his family and his companies for persistent fraud. And yet she remains in Donald Trump's orbit, oftentimes, you know, mockingly referred to as his office wife, would accompany him to MMA fighting and other events at Mar a Lago. She apparently has left her husband, maybe getting ready to be Attorney General, and has moved from New Jersey to where near Mar a Lago, right? And now continues to be in the orbit. Now when she was appointed to be the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, which a federal prosecutor's office, she was eventually tossed by a series of judges in appellate courts because she was illegally appointed. And then she overstayed her 120 day welcome under the Vacancy Reform Act. But did Donald Trump throw her out like the morning trash, like day old fish. Like Pam Bondi or even Lindsey Halligan. No, he kept her in the government. She became the special assistant to Pam Bondi, advising about U.S. attorneys. In fact, federal judges, like a judge that a senior, a federal judge in New Jersey believed for a time that Alina Haba was still running the New Jersey office, even though she had been tossed by a federal judge from doing exactly that. And yet she kept showing up like a bad penny whenever Pam Bondi was around. So now Pam Bondi's gone. So she's the special assistant to who? Todd Blanche. She didn't post a photo of Todd Blanche, who's right now got the job at least as an interim level. Which, which moves us on to Jeanine Pirro. Yes, Jeanine Pirro, formerly of Fox and Fox News and Fox and Friends and all the Foxes. She a conspiracy theorist. The Jan6 denier election. Denier of the first order. Jeanine Pirro had been a Westchester county judge for a bit, never a federal prosecutor. Not qualified, doesn't have the chops to be the Attorney General of the United States. But that hasn't stopped her from her in her position as the District of Columbia U.S. attorney. To try to gain attention, she's been trying out with an extended tryout. She constantly posts on her social media and Instagram about how she's lowered crime in D.C. and gone after Donald Trump's political targets like the Federal Reserve chairman, Jay Powell, unsuccessfully. A series of unsuccessful prosecutions. You know, that she, you know, litters the playing field in front of Jeanine Pirro. You know, she wasn't able to prosecute Jay Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, because Chief Judge Boasberg quashed the subpoenas. She wasn't able to obtain an indictment from a grand jury against six members of Congress, including two sitting senators, because they made a 96 second video encouraging people in the military not to file or follow unconstitutional orders. But in maga world, she's got her bona fides. Constantly posting on Instagram, pictures of herself at like Carolyn Levitt's baby shower, propagandist in chief, all sorts of other things. So for me, in terms of if Donald Trump's going to go the female attorney general route again, he's got Jeanine Pirro versus Alina Haba. Both terrible for the rule of law in our democracy, but certainly they are openly campaigning for it. There's even insider information that Jeanine Pirro threw Pam Bondi under the bus, frequently questioning her legal acumen or abilities. Which brings us back to Todd Blanche.

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See Terms for details. The reason I think that Todd Blanche hasn't gotten the top job just yet, where Donald Trump announces that he's nominating him for the Attorney General position is first of all, Donald Trump likes Hunger Games. He likes to pit people in his administration against each other to destabilize them. And Todd Blanche is not well trusted within the MAGA world. So Trump's trying to see if MAGA backs off and supports Todd Blanche or not in the position. If they do, I think Todd Blanch will probably get the job. And if MAGA continues to attack him as a closet Democrat, I think Todd Blanche won't get the job. I mean, Todd Blanche let it be known that he is a principled conservative, a Republican. There are just certain things he won't stoop beneath to do that doesn't usually do well for Donald Trump, who wants you to steep lower than you ever thought you would go in order to enable his worst instincts. Which brings us to Lee Zeldin. I've talked about him at length, a former congressperson from Long island who's now the EPA administrator, busy wrecking our water and health in the back pocket of Big Oil, but a a leading candidate because Donald Trump likes the cut of his jib. He likes the way he defends the Trump administration. Now, there are others out there, including Some that, that, that may come in as a dark horse candidate and get picked at the very end. Although Tom Tillis, of course, the senator from North Carolina who's made it clear that anybody that's an election denier, anybody that's a Jan6 denier, is not going to get the job. And he's got the ability to be the kingmaker there because he sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee. And, and if he slides over from the Republican side to the Democratic side, boom, that person is blocked. And they can't do much against Tom Tillis. He's bulletproof, he's untouchable. He's not running for office again. He's already retired. He's already said he's not gonna run again. So you know Donald Trump's threats of, I'm gonna do a primary challenge against you, he doesn't care. I'm gonna undercut your fundraising, who cares? I'm gonna take away your Senate positions. No, that's not happening. I mean, I guess there's been threats to do that, but that's not going to happen. So at the end of the day, what do we have? Is the Alina Haba to be Attorney general? Is that just to scare the crap ever out of everybody so that it'll soften us up for a more reasonable proposition? Maybe, maybe. But I think Alina Haba definitely wants the job. She didn't fire her husband, move to Near Mar a Lago to start a life as a debutante running around with Donald Trump if she didn't want to stay in that orbit. And I think they all realize that once Donald, once this gig is up, right, once Donald Trump is out of office, their power and their luster all shrinks by comparison, right? Because they're all moons and they need a giant malignant narcissistic sun to shine on them because they can't generate their own power, their own light, if you will. And so when he's gone, their careers are about done. So they're trying to maximize what they can do now. Which answers the question, why would anybody want to be the temporary part time Attorney General for Donald Trump? He went through five of them in the first term. He's already on his second now, could be his third by the time this whole thing is over or more. And it seems to be something that you wouldn't want this short term. I know we're in a gig economy that doesn't sound like something you'd want to do. But these people, depending upon where they are in their own careers, I mean Haba right now is out of a job. I mean, she has, she has a made up, no work, no show job. She could use a little luster of being an attorney general, although I think it would be terrible for her, for Donald Trump, if what he's trying to accomplish is some sort of rehabilitation of the Department of Justice and him, especially about the Epstein files. It's not going to be through Alina Habba, another political hack, taking the job. And the real question is, is Susie Wiles the chief of staff, and Melania Trump his wife, which seems to be his closest advisors? Are they gonna allow Alina Haba in there? I don't really know what Melania Trump's Alina Haba thing is or if she sees now that she's single, if she sees her as a potential younger version, a younger model replacement. But I just don't think that she's gonna support Alina Haba for that. But we'll follow it. You're here on Midas Touch and on Legal af. Take a moment, hit the free subscribe button over on Legal AF YouTube as we continue to grow our Pro Democracy channel. Until my next report, I'm Michael Popak.

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