Trump Brings Jeanine Pirro Into Top D.C. Prosecutor Role
President Donald Trump stirred up Washington’s legal scene by tossing Fox News firebrand Jeanine Pirro right into the role of interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. This move landed with a thud on Capitol Hill late on May 8, 2025, after Trump booted Ed Martin from the post following a bumpy tenure plagued by political headaches and crumbling Senate backing.
Pirro isn’t just a familiar face to cable news junkies—she’s a seasoned prosecutor, cutting her teeth as Westchester County’s tough-on-crime district attorney before trading the courtroom for TV lights. Trump was full of praise for her, hyping her as “one of the Top District Attorneys in the History of the State of New York.” It’s no secret she’s been one of Trump’s loudest defenders on Fox, and now she’s got a shot at the top prosecutor job in the nation’s capital—at least for now.
Ed Martin’s Rocky Tenure and Pirro’s Controversial Arrival
The shakeup came after the Senate started grumbling about Ed Martin’s handling of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot prosecutions. Several senators lost patience with Martin, especially after revelations that he failed to reveal his appearances on Russian state TV and had sidestepped the toughest cases related to the Capitol attack. On top of that, he demoted prosecutors working on the Jan. 6 cases, which didn’t win him many friends in Congress. Senate sources say Martin was on thin ice for weeks, and his decision to call Tesla vandalism “domestic terrorism” raised eyebrows, too. He also targeted medical marijuana dispensaries located near schools, doubling down on a law-and-order stance, but critics called his approach politically motivated.
So in steps Pirro, who’s never been one to shy away from controversy—or from the spotlight. Her time as New York’s DA saw her handling high-profile murder cases and building a reputation as a dogged prosecutor and media-savvy personality. Since joining Fox News, she’s made a name for herself delivering fiery monologues that echo Trump’s toughest policies.
The White House says Pirro will only serve in an interim capacity, at least until the Senate weighs in on a permanent appointment. But with such a big-name pick, Trump is signaling he wants a U.S. Attorney in D.C. who will stick closely to his aggressive law-and-order playbook. Whether Pirro wins over the Senate, or simply makes waves during her temporary term, is a question that’s got plenty of folks in D.C. watching closely.