President Donald Trump announced Thursday the appointment of former Fox News host and longtime legal commentator Jeanine Pirro as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, following the collapse of his previous nominee, Ed Martin, whose nomination faced growing Republican resistance.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, praising Pirro’s history as a prosecutor, judge, and television personality. He highlighted her role as a “powerful crusader for victims of crime” and noted her decade-long run as host of Justice with Judge Jeanine on Fox News, as well as her current position on The Five.
Pirro’s appointment comes after Ed Martin, Trump’s first pick, failed to gain enough support from Senate Republicans. His nomination was marred by controversy over past media appearances on far-right and Russian-state platforms, unreported disclosures, and comments sympathetic to Capitol riot defendants.
Martin had also referred to the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office as “President Trump’s lawyers” and demoted prosecutors handling January 6 cases, drawing sharp criticism from both parties.
Senator Lindsey Graham called the decision to drop Martin’s nomination “probably a good decision,” and hinted Pirro’s appointment would be “big.”
Trump did not say whether Pirro would be nominated permanently. For now, she will serve in an interim capacity as the head of the nation’s most politically sensitive U.S. attorney’s office — one that has handled many high-profile cases, including those related to the January 6 Capitol riot.
The Justice Department and Fox News have not commented on Pirro’s appointment.