Senate confirms Jeanine Pirro as US attorney for the District of Columbia
Pirro, who has held the position on an interim basis since May, now permanently assumes one of the most influential prosecutorial positions in the country.
Jeanine Pirro, new U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
On Saturday, the Senate confirmed Jeanine Pirro, a Fox News anchor and nominee of President Donald Trump, as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, by a vote of 50 for and 45 against.
Pirro, who has held the position on an interim basis since May, now permanently assumes one of the most influential prosecutorial positions in the country amid a partisan standoff that has stymied President Trump's approval of multiple nominations.
Pirro, a former district attorney and judge in Westchester County, New York, was nominated by Trump following the failure of his first choice for the position, Ed Martin, who failed to garner enough support among Senate Republicans.
President Trump praised Pirro's credentials in announcing her nomination, stating, "Jeanine 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."
For her part, the new prosecutor noted on her X account, “I am blessed to have received a Senate confirmation vote this evening of 50 to 45 to be the United States attorney for the District of Columbia the largest United States Attorney’s Office in the country. Thank you to those senators who supported my confirmation and DC- get ready for a real crime fighter.”
I am blessed to have received a Senate confirmation vote this evening of 50 to 45 to be the United States attorney for the District of Columbia the largest United States Attorney’s Office in the country. Thank you to those senators who supported my confirmation and DC- get ready…
— Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) August 3, 2025
Well-liked on Fox News
A spokesperson for Fox News Media pointed out: "Jeanine Pirro has been a wonderful addition to The Five over the last three years and a longtime beloved host across FOX News Media who contributed greatly to our success throughout her 14-year tenure. We wish her all the best in her new role in Washington."
Controversy with confirmation
Pirro's confirmation was not without controversy. Senate Democrats, led by Senator Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, criticized Pirro for her record as a Fox News anchor, where, he said, she amplified claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election and defended Trump after the Jan. 6 riots.
In that vein, Durbin described her as "an election denialist, recklessly peddling President Trump’s Big Lie despite even her own Fox News producers and executives warning her to reel it in."
These accusations escalated during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in July, where Democrats walked out in protest of nominations of Pirro and federal judge Emil Bove, who was also recently confirmed.
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Despite the tensions, Pirro advanced through the confirmation process after a Senate Judiciary Committee vote that split along partisan lines, benefiting from Republican control of the committee.
A very important position
In addition, they act as both a local and federal prosecutor for the nation's capital. At the local level, these prosecutions range from misdemeanor drug possession offenses to murder. At the federal level, these prosecutions range from child pornography to gangs, financial fraud, and terrorism. In both roles, the office is committed to being responsive and accountable to the citizens of the District of Columbia.
The Office also enforces the law and defends the interests of the United States in civil lawsuits filed in the District. Its location at the seat of the federal government gives it responsibility for numerous cases of national significance, including wide-ranging challenges to federal policies and labor practices.
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