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.”
