Jeanine Pirro was put in charge of cleaning up Washington, D.C.
She made her first big misstep.
And Jeanine Pirro issued one wild threat that had Ron DeSantis crying foul.
Pirro's crime crackdown goes too far
President Trump tapped former Fox News host and judge Jeanine Pirro as U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. with a clear mission: crack down on violent crime plaguing the nation's capital.
But during a Monday appearance on Fox News, she said something that sent conservatives scrambling for their phones.
"You bring a gun into the district, you mark my words: You're going to jail," Pirro stated. "I don't care if you have a license in another district and I don't care if you're a law-abiding gun owner somewhere else. You bring a gun into this district, count on going to jail and hope you get the gun back."
Wait — did a Trump appointee just threaten to arrest law-abiding gun owners?
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis didn't waste time responding.
"Second Amendment rights are not extinguished just because an American visits DC," DeSantis fired back.
The base makes its voice heard
Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie called out the problem with Pirro's blanket threat.
"Why is a 'conservative' judge threatening to arrest gun owners?" Massie wrote on social media.
He pointed out that Washington has been "shall issue" for concealed carry permits since 2017.
Legal gun owners can get D.C. permits.
"Non-residents can obtain a permit in DC — don't ask me how I know," Massie added.
Representatives Greg Steube of Florida, Chip Roy of Texas, and Andrew Clyde of Georgia all pushed back hard.
The National Association for Gun Rights called her remarks "unacceptable and intolerable comments by a sitting US attorney."
The National Rifle Association's legislative director John Commerford said the situation proved why Congress needs to pass national concealed carry reciprocity.
Conservatives didn't stay quiet when one of their own crossed a line.
And the Trump administration listened.
Pirro corrects course in under 24 hours
Less than a day after her Fox News appearance, Pirro clarified her position.
"Washington, D.C. law requires handguns be licensed in the District with the Metropolitan Police Department to be carried into our community," Pirro wrote on X. "We are focused on individuals who are unlawfully carrying guns and will continue building on that momentum to keep our communities safe."
She posted a video acknowledging the backlash and refocused on criminals instead of legal permit holders.
"I'm a proud supporter of the Second Amendment," Pirro clarified.
Washington, D.C. became a war zone under Democrat leadership, and Pirro has a tough job cleaning it up.
Homicides spiked, carjackings terrorized residents, and violent crime made the nation's capital one of the most dangerous cities in America.
Trump put Pirro in charge of fixing that disaster, and she's going after it aggressively.
Sometimes that aggressive approach can overshoot the target.
Trump's team actually listens when the base pushes back — something Democrats never figured out.
Pirro's Monday statement went too far.
Gun rights advocates erupted.
She course-corrected by Tuesday morning.
That's not weakness — that's an administration that actually listens to its supporters instead of lecturing them.
DeSantis called her out.
Massie pushed back.
Pirro adjusted her approach within hours.
That's what accountability looks like when an administration actually respects its base.
Pirro can still crack down on criminals terrorizing D.C. residents — she just needs to make sure legal gun owners aren't caught in that net.
The quick correction suggests she understands that now.
This whole episode proves something Democrats will never admit: Trump built an administration that responds to pressure from its own side.
When the base speaks up, Trump's people listen.
That's exactly what grassroots conservatives demanded when they elected Trump — accountability to the people who put him in office.
Pirro stumbled out of the gate, but she corrected course fast.
Now she can get back to the real job: making Washington, D.C. safe again by putting actual criminals behind bars.
Sources:
- Brady Knox, "Massie recoils at Pirro's vow to arrest anyone who enters DC with a gun," Washington Examiner, February 2, 2026.
- Jacob Wendler, "Pirro appears to walk back threats to arrest gun owners in DC," Politico, February 3, 2026.
