WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia, is facing widespread criticism from conservatives after she said in a Fox News interview Monday that anyone who brings a gun into the nation’s capital would face jail time.

“You bring a gun into the district, you mark my words, you’re going to jail,” Pirro said in the interview. “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.”

Her comments prompted swift backlash from a slew of Republican lawmakers and gun rights advocates, marking another rare divide among conservatives who typically are in lockstep on gun policies. Pirro walked back her comments Tuesday morning in a pair of posts on X, saying she was focused on people “unlawfully” carrying firearms.

Pirro said she is “a proud supporter of the Second Amendment” and a gun owner herself.

“We are focused on individuals who are unlawfully carrying guns and will continue building on that momentum to keep our communities safe,” she said in a post.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche reposted her Tuesday comments, adding that “this Administration and Department of Justice will fiercely protect Second Amendment rights.”

The backlash from proponents of gun rights was swift and fierce, with some lawmakers pointing to their own firearms.

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., said in a post on X on Tuesday that he brings a gun to D.C. “every week,” adding that he was licensed to carry a firearm in Florida and D.C.

“And I will continue to carry to protect myself and others,” he said in the post. “Come and Take it!”

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., pointed out in a post on X on Monday that nonresidents in D.C. can obtain gun permits, adding, “don’t ask me how I know.”

“Why is a ‘conservative’ judge threatening to arrest gun owners?” he added Tuesday.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said in a post on X on Monday, “This is not how this works,” adding that Attorney General Pam Bondi “needs to have a quick conversation & course correction here.”

Gun rights groups also chimed in, with the National Rifle Association urging Congress to pass the National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would broaden concealed carry rights across state lines.

“Your right to self-defense should not end simply because you crossed a state line or into Washington, D.C.,” the NRA said in a post.

The National Association for Gun Rights called Pirro’s comments “unacceptable and intolerable.”

Pirro’s comments mark the latest rupture on the right in recent weeks over Second Amendment rights. The issue flared last month when administration officials pointed to the fact that Alex Pretti, who was licensed to carry, was armed when he was shot and killed by federal agents while protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As NBC News has previously reported, multiple videos of the shooting showed that Pretti was not holding a firearm during his struggle with officers.

Several gun rights groups slammed the implication from Trump administration officials that lawful gun carriers could not bring a firearm to a protest.

President Donald Trump was asked by a reporter last week whether he believed that Pretti was acting as an “assassin,” referencing deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’s comments, for which Miller did not provide evidence. Trump said no, but criticized Pretti for having a gun, saying, “You can’t walk in with guns.”

Later that day, during the president’s trip to Iowa, a reporter again pressed Trump on top administration officials jumping to label Pretti an “assassin” or “domestic terrorist,” which officials later walked back.

Trump echoed his previous comments, saying that Pretti, who had a gun license, “shouldn’t have been carrying a gun.”

“I don’t like that he had a gun. I don’t like that he had two fully loaded magazines,” Trump said, though there’s no evidence that Pretti was carrying additional ammunition. “That’s a lot of bad stuff. And despite that, I say that’s very unfortunate.”

More than 2,000 members of the National Guard stationed in Washington, D.C., are set to be there until the end of the year.

But the around 150 Guardsmen and women from Ohio won’t be among them.

Guard troops from various states were sent to major cities—including Los Angeles and Washington—last fall at President Donald Trump’s orders in an effort the administration said was to stamp out crime.

In 2024, however, the violent crime rate was higher in Cleveland than it was in Washington D.C., according to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data. Cincinnati and Columbus saw lower violent crime rates than both cities.

The Statehouse News Bureau asked Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday whether DeWine was on board with the latest extension of their services.

“The (Ohio) National Guard will be coming home next month,” DeWine said Jan. 30. “They’ll be done in February.”

DeWine has defended his decision to send to Washington the Guard, who the Secretary of the Army requested for 30 days in August. He said then he has fulfilled similar requests for governors outside of the state and mayors inside it, from both political parties.

The governors of West Virginia, Tennessee and half a dozen other GOP-led states also sent Guard troops to Washington. In November, a gunman shot two Guard members from West Virginia in a targeted attack near the White House. 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom later died from her injuries.

Democratic politicians and progressive organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have denounced the federal militarization of the Guard.

D.C., you’ll soon be able to see Noah Kahan in the season of the sweats.

Kahan will perform at Nationals Park on July 22, 2026.

D.C. is one of more than 20 stops on his summer tour promoting his upcoming album, “The Great Divide,” which is due out April 24.

Tickets are set to go on sale next week, but fans will want to sign up for the Artist Presale by 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 5, to improve their chance of getting a ticket.

Noah Kahan’s 2026 tour dates

06/11/26 – Orlando, FL @ Kia Center

06/26/26 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park

06/28/26 – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Stadium

07/01/26 – Cincinnati, OH @ Great American Ballpark

07/03/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PNC Park

07/10/26 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park

07/11/26 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park

07/14/26 – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field

07/18/26 – New York, NY @ Citi Field

07/22/26 – Washington, DC @ Nationals Park

07/25/26 – Raleigh, NC @ Carter Finley Stadium

07/27/26 – Atlanta, GA @ Truist Park

07/30/26 – Dallas, TX @ Globe Life Field

08/02/26 – St. Louis, MO @ Busch Stadium

08/05/26 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Field

08/08/26 – Denver, CO @ Coors Field

08/15/26 – Pasadena, CA @ Rose Bowl

08/17/26 – San Diego, CA @ Petco Park

08/19/26 – Phoenix, AZ @ Chase Field

08/21/26 – San Francisco, CA @ Oracle Park

08/25/26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ America First Field

08/28/26 – Vancouver, BC @ BC Place

08/30/26 – Seattle, WA @ T-Mobile Park

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