Jeanine Pirro sworn in as D.C.'s top prosecutor

Jeanine Pirro took the oath of office as the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia during an Oval Office ceremony Wednesday, making her the latest Fox News host to jump to the White House.

President Trump earlier this month tapped Ms. Pirro, a former judge and prosecutor, who most recently hosted “The Five” on Fox News, to replace his earlier pick, Ed Martin. Republican senators had voiced opposition to Mr. Martin — who had served as interim U.S. attorney for Washington —  because of his defense of those who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and inflammatory rhetoric around the attack.

Mr. Martin moved over to the Office of the Pardon Attorney.

Mr. Trump hailed Ms. Pirro as a prosecutor who will pursue justice, defend freedom and support the “fair, equal and impartial rule of law.” 

“Jeanine Pirro, I have no doubt, will be an exceptional U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, one of the truly most important positions in our country … where she will restore public safety in our nation’s capital, break up vicious street gangs and criminal networks and ensure equal justice under law,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “You’ll see very, very big improvements in the D.C. area, that I can promise you.” 

Attorney General Pam Bondi administered the oath of office to Ms. Pirro.

“Today, Mr. President, you bring me back to my roots, and it is a larger arena, but no less an arena where we need justice, where we need to send a message that justice will be honored,” Ms. Pirro said.

Ms. Pirro briefly spoke about the response to the deadly shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers last week. 

“This will not go without a just accounting,” she said. 

As the latest Fox News alumna to join the Trump administration, Ms. Pirro joins Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino as notable appointees. 

A long-time ally of Mr. Trump, Ms. Pirro was an early supporter during the president’s 2016 campaign. One of Mr. Trump’s final acts before leaving office in 2021 was to pardon her ex-husband, Albert Pirro.

Mr. Pirro was convicted more than two decades ago on 34 counts of conspiracy and tax evasion after he was found to have improperly deducted more than $1 million in lavish personal expenses in tax write-offs for his business. 

Democrats have blasted the selection of Ms. Pirro, saying that Mr. Trump is sacrificing quality candidates in exchange for Fox News mouthpieces.

“The U.S. attorney in D.C. should have an unquestioned commitment to justice, public integrity and the truth,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, Maryland Democrat. “Jeanine Pirro has used her platform at Fox News to promote dangerous conspiracy theories and to traffic in election lies so outlandish they landed her network in court and cost it hundreds of millions of dollars. American deserves a serious public lawyer of the highest scruples, not another election-denying Fox Corporation propagandist.”