U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro spent Tuesday attempting to contain fallout after remarks she made about firearms in Washington, D.C. ignited fierce criticism from Second Amendment advocates and conservatives.
The controversy began during a Monday interview with her former Fox News colleague Martha MacCallum, where Pirro was discussing a reported decrease in crime in the nation’s capital. During the exchange, Pirro touted her office’s efforts to take firearms off the streets, arguing that removing guns prevents them from being used in violent crimes such as homicides, assaults with deadly weapons, carjackings, and robberies.
“You bring a gun into the district, you mark my words, you’re going to jail,” Pirro said. She added that she did not care whether an individual possessed a license from another jurisdiction or was otherwise a law-abiding gun owner elsewhere. “You bring a gun into this district, count on going to jail,” she said, adding that recovering the firearm afterward was far from guaranteed.
Those comments immediately triggered outrage among gun rights supporters, who accused Pirro of abandoning President Donald Trump’s stated support for the Second Amendment. Conservative activists and organizations blasted her remarks as extreme and out of step with core Republican principles on gun ownership.
By Tuesday morning, Pirro moved quickly to clarify her position. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, she stressed that she remains a firm supporter of the Second Amendment. Pirro said Washington, D.C. law requires handguns to be licensed in the district through the Metropolitan Police Department in order to be legally carried.
“We are focused on individuals who are unlawfully carrying guns,” Pirro wrote, adding that her office would continue efforts aimed at public safety. The clarification, however, did little to calm the reaction online. Many responses came from conservatives expressing skepticism about her explanation, while others mocked both Pirro and Trump’s MAGA supporters.
A few hours later, Pirro made a second attempt to reassure critics, releasing a short video message addressed to gun owners. The clip, captioned “[a] message to my fellow gun owners…put your safety back on,” featured Pirro speaking directly from her office.
“I want to be crystal clear,” Pirro said in the video. “I am a proud supporter of the Second Amendment.” She noted that she personally owns firearms, including long guns and handguns, and described herself as a “proud high-heeled gun owner.” Pirro also pointed out that she previously served as a keynote speaker at a convention hosted by the National Rifle Association.
At the same time, Pirro emphasized what she called responsible gun ownership. She said lawful gun owners must understand and comply with the laws of any jurisdiction they enter, including registration requirements.
Pirro argued that both she and President Trump share the same objective: keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals. She pointed to what she described as the lowest homicide rate in recorded history, crediting efforts to remove illegal guns from criminals who seek to victimize law-abiding citizens.
“There’s a big difference here,” Pirro said. “You’re responsible, you follow the laws, you’re not gonna have a problem with me.”
Despite her clarifications, the episode highlighted tensions within conservative circles over gun enforcement in Washington, D.C., and underscored how quickly Second Amendment issues can fracture even staunchly pro-Trump allies when rhetoric is seen as going too far.
