The US Senate on Saturday confirmed Jeanine Pirro, a well-known Fox News personality and President Donald Trump loyalist, to a high-profile federal prosecutor role in Washington, DC.With a vote count of 50-45, Pirro secured confirmation as the US Attorney for the District of Columbia. Trump encouraged the Republican-controlled Senate to process his nominations during weekend sessions, following his return to the White House six months prior.Trump provisionally appointed Pirro to the role in May, continuing his pattern of selecting hosts from the conservative television network and steadfast supporters for influential governmental positions. Trump previously praised the outspoken 74-year-old former Westchester County district attorney when he nominated her, as being “in a class by herself.”
Who is Jeanine Pirro?
Jeanine Pirro is a former judge, prosecutor, and prominent conservative television personality, best known for her outspoken commentary on Fox News.Before rising to national media fame, Pirro built a lengthy legal career in New York. She served as the district attorney of Westchester County from 1994 to 2005, becoming the first woman to hold that position. During her tenure, she established the nation’s first domestic violence prosecution unit, according to the US Justice Department. Earlier in her career, she also served as a county judge.Pirro transitioned to television in the 2000s, hosting shows like Judge Jeanine Pirro (2008–2011) and Justice with Judge Jeanine on Fox News, which ran for over a decade. She later became a co-host on Fox’s popular roundtable show The Five. Her on-air segments often included inflammatory rhetoric and conspiracy theories—particularly surrounding the 2020 election—which at times led to temporary removals from the network lineup.She joins a growing list of cable news figures with political roles, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, both of whom had careers at Fox.Pirro is also a published author. Her 2018 book, Liars, Leakers, and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy, was described by The Washington Post as overly loyal to Donald Trump.Her personal life has not been without controversy. Her ex-husband, Albert Pirro, was convicted of tax evasion during her time as district attorney and later received a pardon from Trump during his presidency.Earlier, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s leading Democrat, Dick Durbin, opposed Pirro’s permanent appointment as US Attorney, describing her selection as a “rubber stamp for Donald Trump.” Durbin referenced her role in spreading conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, which Trump lost to Biden, AP reported.Pirro was sued by Dominion Voting Systems after she promoted false claims of election fraud on Fox News. The company accused Fox of airing defamatory statements about its role in the vote count. Fox later settled the lawsuit for around $800 million.