Former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro was confirmed as Washington D.C.’s U.S. Attorney on Saturday, in a confirmation vote that passed along party lines despite Democratic concerns over her election fraud claims and her defense of President Donald Trump following the January 6 Capitol riot. The Senate approved her nomination with a 50-45 vote, marking another step in the ongoing partisan struggle over Trump’s judicial appointments.
Pirro, a former New York judge and prosecutor who served as a District Attorney in Westchester County for over a decade, will serve as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, a post she has held on an interim basis since May. She was not Trump’s first choice for the role, as his initial nominee, Ed Martin, faced opposition from some Republicans over his views on the Jan. 6 events.
During her confirmation hearing, Senate Democrats raised concerns about Pirro’s past statements, including her advocacy for Trump’s 2020 election fraud claims and her defense of him in the aftermath of the Capitol riot. Her confirmation followed a walkout by Democrats during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, where she and U.S. District Judge Emil Bove were both confirmed on a party-line vote. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., criticized Pirro as an election denialist who continues to spread the ‘Big Lie’ of election fraud, despite warnings from her own Fox News executives to stop.
This confirmation comes amid a broader effort by Senate Republicans to push through Trump’s nominations despite the Democratic blockage. The Senate has been working to move through dozens of Trump’s nominations, with plans to confirm additional nominees before the end of the year. But the confirmation of Pirro marks another step in the ongoing struggle between the two parties over the direction of the judiciary, with Republicans continuing to push for confirmation of Trump’s nominees, even as Democrats remain skeptical of their qualifications and loyalties.
The confirmation follows a significant setback for Senate Democrats, who had sought to delay the confirmation of Pirro and other nominees. The confirmation vote also comes amid ongoing debates over Senate rules and procedures, with some Republicans considering a potential rewrite of the confirmation process to expedite Trump’s judicial appointments. As the Senate continues to grapple with the issue, Pirro’s confirmation highlights the deepening partisan divide and the potential for further conflict over the confirmation of Trump’s nominees.