Photo: Jason Alpert-Wisnia/Sipa USA /AP Photo
On Thursday, President Donald Trump officially withdrew the nomination of Ed Martin to be the next U.S. Attorney of Washington, D.C., conceding that the conservative activist and one-time counsel for January 6 rioters would be unable to survive Senate confirmation. Trump quickly announced that another staunch loyalist would soon be appointed to fill the seat: Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro.
“Jeanine is incredibly well qualified for this position, and is considered one of the Top District Attorneys in the History of the State of New York. She is in a class by herself,” he wrote in a Truth Social post announcing her appointment.
Pirro, 73, served as a Westchester County judge and district attorney before her three failed runs for office. Since then, she has gained notoriety for her frequently eccentric commentary and consistent defense and support of Trump and his presidency on TV, including by spreading lies about the 2020 election that got Fox News sued. Pirro was so over the top that she earned a scathing Saturday Night Live impression by actress Cecily Strong. Here are some of the most notorious moments from Pirro’s television career.
Pulled briefly from Fox after Islamophobic comments
In 2019, Pirro targeted Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, during a segment on her show Justice With Judge Jeanine, trying to imply that Omar was a supporter of Sharia because of her Muslim faith.
“Think about it: Omar wears a hijab, which according to the Quran, 33:59, tells women to cover so they won’t get molested,” Pirro said at the time. “Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to Sharia law, which in itself is antithetical to the United States Constitution?”
Pirro’s comments were quickly denounced by Democrats and most notably by Pirro’s own network, which issued a statement following the show’s airing. “We strongly condemn Jeanine Pirro’s comments about Representative Ilhan Omar. They do not reflect those of the network and we have addressed the matter with her directly,” the statement read.
The following week, Pirro’s show did not air as expected, and CNN reported at the time that she had been suspended. The apparent slight prompted a response from Trump himself, who tweeted she should be put back on the air. Pirro returned after a two-week absence.
Promoted voter-fraud claims; named in Dominion lawsuit
Like many of her Fox News colleagues, Pirro used her platform to promote debunked lies about voter fraud in the 2020 election, hosting prominent deniers like Sidney Powell and Lin Wood on her show. In one monologue following the presidential election, Pirro told her audience, “They didn’t just steal the election from Donald Trump. They stole it from all of you.”
Pirro’s antics were enough to be cited in a civil lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems, a voting-machine firm, against Fox News and its parent company. Dominion alleged that the network knowingly spread lies and falsehoods about the company, claiming its voting machines and software were used to manipulate vote tallies in order to secure a win for Joe Biden in the 2020 election. In addition to Pirro, prominent Fox stars like Tucker Carlson, Lou Dobbs, and Sean Hannity were deposed in the case. Fox would later reach a $787 million settlement with Dominion.
Compared January 6 rioters to Revolutionary War soldiers
Days before thousands of Trump supporters would attack the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Pirro invoked the imagery of soldiers in the Revolutionary War in comparison to the approaching day.
“These hungry, tired, cold, defeated soldiers knew that it was their moment to stand up and fight for freedom. To many, January 6 is such a moment,” she said. “As we are all being told to shut up and move on, January 6 will tell us whether there are any in Congress willing to battle for the America that those soldiers fought for, the one that you and I believe in.”
Said federal investigators looking into Trump should be taken out “in handcuffs”
Though Pirro is set to join the ranks of federal law enforcement, she has an extensive history of railing against the Justice Department. In a 2017 monologue, she called for those involved in the ongoing investigations into Trump to be put behind bars.
“There is a cleansing needed in our FBI and Department of Justice — it needs to be cleansed of individuals who should not just be fired, but who need to be taken out in handcuffs!” Pirro said.
She specifically named James Comey and Robert Mueller as some of the federal employees deserving of prison time.
“There is a cleansing needed in our FBI and department of justice– it needs to be cleansed of individuals who should not just be fired. But who need to be taken out in cuffs.” My #OpeningStatement pic.twitter.com/rhebkWev6R
— Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) December 10, 2017
