President Trump Taps Judge Jeanine Pirro to Serve as Interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. After GOP Senator Blocks First Pick

In a decisive move that underscores his commitment to law and order, President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Judge Jeanine Pirro, the longtime Fox News host and former Westchester County District Attorney, will serve as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.

The announcement came just hours after Trump formally withdrew Ed Martin from consideration for the role following opposition from within his own party.

“I am pleased to announce that Judge Jeanine Pirro will be appointed interim United States Attorney for the District of Columbia,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “Jeanine was Assistant District Attorney for Westchester County, New York, and then went on to serve as County Judge, and District Attorney, where she was the first woman ever to be elected to those positions.”

Highlighting her decades-long record of fighting crime, Trump added: “During her time in office, Jeanine was a powerful crusader for victims of crime. Her establishment of the Domestic Violence Bureau in her Prosecutor’s Office was the first in the Nation.”

Trump concluded his announcement with praise that left no ambiguity: Pirro “is incredibly well qualified for this position, and is considered one of the Top District Attorneys in the History of the State of New York. She is in a class by herself.”

Shift Comes After GOP Senator Sinks Nomination of Ed Martin

Earlier Thursday, President Trump expressed frustration after being forced to pull Ed Martin’s nomination due to a lack of Republican backing, particularly from North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“He’s a terrific person,” Trump said of Martin during remarks in the Oval Office. “He wasn’t getting the support from people that I thought. He’s done a very good job. Crime is down 25 percent in D.C. during his period of time,” referencing Martin’s service as acting U.S. attorney since January.

“We have somebody else that will be great. I just want to say, Ed is unbelievable. Hopefully, we can bring him into — whether it’s DOJ or whatever, in some capacity,” the president added.

Martin’s nomination ran aground earlier this week after Sen. Tillis voiced opposition over his prior legal defense of January 6 defendants.

“I met with Mr. Martin. He seems like a good man,” Tillis said. “Most of my concerns related to Jan. 6. I think anybody that breached the perimeter should have been imprisoned for some period of time, whether it’s 30 days or three years is debatable.”

“But I have no tolerance for anybody who entered the building on Jan. 6, and that’s probably where most of the friction was,” the senator added.

With Tillis unwilling to back the nomination, the Judiciary Committee was likely headed for an 11–11 stalemate, effectively blocking Martin from moving forward. While the nomination could technically have reached the Senate floor, other potential GOP holdouts—Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, John Curtis, and Mitch McConnell—made confirmation increasingly unlikely, according to Politico.

Judge Jeanine: From Courtroom to Cable to the Capital

Pirro’s appointment marks a return to prosecutorial power for a woman who made her name as one of New York’s toughest district attorneys before gaining national prominence as a fiery, no-nonsense legal analyst and conservative voice on Fox News.

Now, as interim U.S. attorney for the nation’s capital, Pirro is expected to bring her trademark intensity to a city plagued by rising crime and political gridlock. With the clock ticking toward a potential permanent nomination, her appointment is being hailed by Trump allies as a powerful message to both the criminal element and the entrenched bureaucracy: the days of lawlessness in Washington are numbered.