Former Fox News host and longtime prosecutor Jeanine Pirro has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, following a 50–45 vote largely along party lines. Her confirmation marks a significant moment in the Trump administration’s push to fill key federal positions, as Pirro becomes the top federal prosecutor in the nation’s largest U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The confirmation took place during an unusual weekend Senate session as Republicans accelerated efforts to approve a backlog of President Donald Trump’s nominees. Four senators — Republicans Mitch McConnell (KY), Roger Wicker (MS), Tim Scott (SC), and Democrats Ruben Gallego (AZ) and Peter Welch (VT) — were absent from the vote.
Pirro, who has been serving as interim U.S. Attorney since May, expressed her gratitude in a post on X (formerly Twitter):
“I am blessed to have received a Senate confirmation vote this evening of 50 to 45 to be the United States attorney for the District of Columbia… DC—get ready for a real crime fighter.”
Prior to her media career, Pirro served as district attorney and county judge in Westchester County, New York. She rose to national prominence as host of Justice with Judge Jeanine on Fox News for over a decade. Her media role also placed her at the center of controversy, including being named in the high-profile Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit, which Fox settled for $787.5 million.
Pirro’s confirmation follows the withdrawal of Trump’s earlier nominee, Ed Martin, after backlash from some Republicans regarding Martin’s support for individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot. Trump had granted clemency to several rioters on his first day back in office.
The confirmation came against the backdrop of heightened political friction. President Trump had urged lawmakers to remain in session to address delayed nominations, accusing Senate Democrats of leveraging the process for financial concessions.
In a fiery post on Trump Social during the vote session, Trump claimed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was “demanding over One Billion Dollars in order to approve a small number of our highly qualified nominees,” calling it “political extortion.”
Schumer responded at a late-night press conference, criticizing the president for abruptly halting negotiations and “throwing in the towel in a fit of rage.” He accused Trump of walking away from bipartisan talks and undermining the confirmation process.
Despite the tensions, Pirro’s confirmation cements her as a central figure in Trump’s reshaped Justice Department and signals continued partisan clashes over judicial and executive branch appointments heading into the latter half of Trump’s term.