On Thursday, President Donald Trump named former judge and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, stepping in after Trump’s original pick, Ed Martin, failed to gain traction in the Senate.
Pirro—who previously served three terms as district attorney in Westchester County, New York, and as a county judge—returns to public service after nearly two decades in television. She joined Fox News in 2006 and became one of the network’s most outspoken defenders of Trump’s presidency. On Truth Social, Trump hailed her as “one of the top district attorneys in the history of New York.” Fox anchor Bret Baier confirmed Pirro’s departure from the network on Thursday night.
The decision marks yet another personnel move drawing from Trump’s media orbit. Recent Fox-linked appointments include Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, Sean Duffy as transportation secretary, and former Fox contributor Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence.
Martin, a longtime Trump ally and president of the Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund, faced increasing resistance over his involvement in legal defense efforts for January 6 defendants and his repeated claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Though Martin did not enter the Capitol during the riot, his participation in a rally just beforehand drew scrutiny from several Republican senators, including Judiciary Committee member Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina. Facing a dead-end in the Senate, the White House quietly withdrew Martin’s nomination earlier this week.
“We have somebody else that will be great,” Trump told reporters on Thursday morning, foreshadowing Pirro’s appointment, noted Politico.
Martin will remain in the administration, assuming multiple roles at the Justice Department. He has been tapped to serve as director of the new Weaponization Working Group—tasked with investigating alleged government abuses during the Biden administration—as well as associate deputy attorney general and pardon attorney. Trump described Martin’s new portfolio as focused on “restoring justice for the American people and defending those persecuted for standing up to the system.”
Pirro’s appointment also carries a personal footnote: In January 2021, Trump issued a pardon for her ex-husband, Albert Pirro, who had served time for conspiracy and tax evasion charges stemming from a 2000 conviction. The decision drew criticism at the time but underscored Pirro’s longstanding proximity to Trump’s inner circle.
As interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Pirro will oversee some of the most high-profile federal prosecutions in the country—including matters touching on political corruption, national security, and ongoing cases related to January 6.
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