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The Senate voted Saturday to confirm former Fox News host and longtime prosecutor Jeanine Pirro as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, solidifying a key legal appointment in President Donald Trump’s second-term administration.
Pirro was confirmed in a 50-45 vote, with no Democrats voting in favor. Five senators — including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; Tim Scott, R-S.C.; Peter Welch, D-Vt.; and Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. — did not vote.
Pirro has been serving as interim U.S. attorney in Washington since May, following her appointment by Trump to replace conservative activist Ed Martin. Her confirmation marks the latest in a string of Trump-era media figures elevated to prominent government posts.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump praised Pirro as a “powerful crusader for victims of crime” and said she was “incredibly well qualified for the position.”
Pirro rose to national prominence as a fiery personality on Fox News, where she hosted “Justice with Judge Jeanine” and co-hosted “The Five.” She became one of Trump’s most vocal defenders following the 2020 presidential election, using her platform to amplify debunked claims about voter fraud and election manipulation — claims that later became central to Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation suit against Fox News. The network settled that case for $787.5 million in 2023.
Her media career followed a lengthy tenure in New York law enforcement. Pirro began as an assistant district attorney in Westchester County before becoming the county’s first female district attorney. She earned accolades for launching one of the nation’s first domestic violence units — a credential Trump highlighted during her nomination.
But Pirro’s political career has been marked by controversy. A 2005 Senate bid against Hillary Clinton collapsed early, and her subsequent campaign for New York attorney general faltered after reports surfaced of a federal investigation into Pirro’s plan to secretly record her husband over suspected infidelity.
Her appointment has drawn criticism from Senate Democrats and outside ethics watchdogs, who questioned her impartiality and cited her role in promoting election conspiracy theories. Still, Republicans stood firm behind her.
“She has a prosecutorial record and a media presence that will bring real strength to the Department of Justice,” said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., during floor debate.
Saturday’s vote followed intense procedural wrangling. Democrats had attempted to slow-walk Trump’s nominees by forcing individual procedural votes, drawing the ire of the president.
“Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Despite the standoff, party leaders reached an agreement late Saturday to advance a broader batch of Trump’s executive nominees before lawmakers depart for the August recess. Senate Republicans are now signaling they may pursue rules changes in September to fast-track future confirmations — a move Democrats are expected to oppose.
Pirro now officially leads the largest U.S. attorney’s office outside New York and California, with jurisdiction over many of the highest-profile federal cases, including matters involving the federal government, political corruption, and national security.
