Who is Jeanine Pirro? Trump's loyalist moves closer to becoming DC's top federal prosecutor; awaits full Senate confirmation
Former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro has moved closer to becoming the top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia, following a Senate Judiciary Committee vote on July 17 that advanced her nomination.
The Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee, after approving Jeanine Pirro's nomination, moved it forward to a full Senate vote. She has been serving as the interim US attorney for Washington DC, since mid-May. Her nomination followed President Trump's decision to withdraw Ed Martin's name after Senator Thom Tillis opposed Martin's support for defendants linked to the January 6 Capitol riot.
The US attorney's office in Washington DC, plays a key role in enforcing laws involving the country's top government officials. It led more than 1,000 prosecutions related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, where individuals were accused of trying to stop the peaceful transfer of power after former President
Joe Biden
's 2020 election win.
On his first day in office in 2025, President Trump granted clemency to all those charged in connection with the incident.
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee boycotted the vote, leaving Republican members to unanimously advance Pirro's nomination. Despite the technical unanimity, the Democratic minority has indicated it will challenge the legitimacy of the process through the Senate parliamentarian, as reported by USA Today.
Pirro's nomination marks a highly politicized shift for the DC US attorney's office. She has remained a loyal aide to Trump. During her swearing-in ceremony as interim US attorney, Pirro spoke about her close ties with President Trump, describing him as 'one of my earliest supporters and champions' who has always stood by her.
Who is Jeanine Pirro?
Before entering television, Jeanine Pirro had an extensive legal career. She served as Westchester County's district attorney in New York for three consecutive terms from 1994 to 2005.
There she launched the country's first domestic violence prosecution unit, according to her Justice Department biography. Pirro also served as a county judge duringher initial years of career.
Pirro became a well-known conservative media figure through her work at Fox News. Her commentary often veered into conspiracy theories including false claims after the 2020 election prompting Fox executives to temporarily remove her from the air.
NBC, citing Media Matters, reported that internal Fox News communications revealed through court filings showed Pirro's executive producer had described her as a 'reckless maniac' who is 'nuts,' promotes 'conspiracy theories' and 'should never be on live television.'
The Washington Post reported that following the president's announcement, Jeanine Pirro has consistently been one of his most loyal supporters, often strongly criticizing his opponents using bold and strong language.
Pirro is often known for her controversial remarks. In 2014, Pirro delivered a highly controversial segment in which she claimed that then-President
Barack Obama
was secretly training ISIS militants. The remarks were so extreme that BuzzFeed ran a headline asking, 'Is This The Craziest Rant A Fox News Host Has Ever Done?', as reported by NBC News.
Her nomination will now go to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote. Unless four Republican senators vote against her, Pirro is expected to be confirmed. Former US attorney and University of Michigan law professor Barbara McQuade warned that if she gets nominated then President Trump may use Pirro as 'a tool of retribution in our nation's capital.'
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