Washington — President Trump announced Thursday that Fox News host Jeanine Pirro will serve as the top prosecutor in Washington, D.C., for the time being.
Pirro replaces interim U.S. attorney Ed Martin, whose nomination was pulled earlier Thursday by Mr. Trump after losing support in the Senate.
“I am pleased to announce that Judge Jeanine Pirro will be appointed interim United States Attorney for the District of Columbia,” Trump wrote. “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.”
Pirro, a former judge and district attorney for Westchester County in New York, takes the helm of one of the largest federal prosecutor’s offices in the country. It’s been two decades she has held a position in law enforcement.
She ran for the Republican nomination for a Senate seat in New York in 2006, but ended her bid to run for attorney general in the state instead, which she ended up losing to Democrat Andrew Cuomo.
Pirro went on to host her own show on Fox News and was a co-host of “The Five” when Mr. Trump announced her appointment.
False statements she repeated about voter fraud in the 2020 election, which Mr. Trump lost to former President Joe Biden, were part of a lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems against the cable news giant. Fox settled the case and acknowledged that “certain claims” that the network aired were false.
Pirro’s friendship with Mr. Trump stretches back decades, and she has been a staunch defender of the president amid the numerous investigations that have plagued his political career.
In the final hours of Mr. Trump’s first term, the president pardoned Pirro’s ex-husband, Albert Pirro, who was convicted of tax evasion and conspiracy while his wife was district attorney.
In a statement, a Fox spokesperson praised Pirro for her contributions to the network.
“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,” the spokesperson said.
Mr. Trump said he was “disappointed” about withdrawing Martin’s nomination, but recognized that “it would be hard” to get him confirmed after he lost the support of at least one Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said his opposition to Martin, a “Stop the Steal” activist who defended Jan. 6 rioters, was related to the Capitol riot.
Martin could only serve as the interim pick until May 20, when his 120-day term expired.
Mr. Trump said later Thursday that Martin would take on a new role at the Justice Department, focusing on the alleged “weaponization” of the government during the Biden administration and pardons.
