US Attorney Pirro seems to walk back threats to arrest lawful gun owners following backlash
UNITED STATES - DECEMBER 4: Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., conducts a news conference at the Department of Justice on Thursday, December 4, 2025, announcing the arrest of Brian Cole Jr., who allegedly placed pipe bombs near th
WASHINGTON - Washington, D.C.'s chief federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, seemed to backtrack on her previous comments regarding the arrest of lawful gun owners who came to the District following backlash from Second Amendment (2A) advocates.
During an appearance on Fox News on Monday, Pirro said that anyone who brings a gun to D.C., even if they're licensed to carry it elsewhere, should count on facing arrest.
"A gun into the District, you mark my words, you’re going to jail," she said. "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."
A day later, Pirro posted on X appearing to clarify her comments, saying, "Let me be clear: I am a proud supporter of the Second Amendment."
"Washington, D.C. law requires handguns be licensed in the District with the Metropolitan Police Department to be carried into our community," the post went on. "We are focused on individuals who are unlawfully carrying guns and will continue building on that momentum to keep our communities safe."
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 26: Seized guns are displayed as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro speaks during a news conference. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
2A advocate backlash
What they're saying:
The backlash to Pirro's initial comments was quick and fierce.
The National Association of Gun Rights posted on X referring to her comments as "unacceptable and intolerable."
"Jeanine Pirro threatening to arrest people…shows how broken and out of touch these gun laws are," the group wrote.
"This is why we need Real Constitutional Carry nationwide," the statement went on. "Bureaucrats act like the 2A [Second Amendment] does not exist and brag about jailing people for exercising their rights." More on that later.
Gun Owners of America commented as well, posting on X that "concealed carry permit holders are statistically some of the most law-abiding citizens in society—even more law-abiding than police."
"We ARE NOT the problem," the group wrote.
U.S. Representative Greg Steube, a Florida Republican, wrote on X that he "brings a gun into the District every week."
"I have a license in Florida and D.C. to carry," he went on. "And I will continue to carry to protect myself and others. Come and take it!"
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Trump administration criticized for Pretti comments
Dig deeper:
Pirro's comments come as the Trump administration itself faces backlash over recent comments the president made regarding the shooting death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
On Jan. 24, while protesting ICE enforcement actions in the city, Pretti was shot multiple times and killed by Border Patrol officers. On Tuesday, Pretti's death was ruled a homicide by The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office.
After Pretti's killing, President Donald Trump criticized him for having a firearm at the protest (which he was licensed to carry), saying, "I don't like that he had a gun."
Other members of the administration, including FBI Director Kash Patel and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, made negative comments about Pretti's carrying of a weapon.
Patel said during an appearance on Fox News' ‘Sunday Morning Futures,’ that "you cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest you want."
"You don't have the right to break the law and incite violence," he said.
Leavitt said during a White House press briefing that carrying a gun at a protest "raises the assumption of risk."
It's worth noting that two witnesses to Pretti's killing said in court that he never brandished his weapon when approached by law enforcement.
Gun rights backlash threatens GOP margins
Big picture view:
Per POLITICO, some 2A champions are warning the GOP that the administration's comments following Pretti's death could hurt Republicans' chances of retaining their slim control of Congress as the 2026 midterms approach.
One 2A advocate who spoke with the publication on the condition of anonymity said that "Trump has got to correct his statements now," adding that other advocates are "furious."
‘They will not come out and vote," they added. "He can’t correct it three months before the election."
Dudley Brown, president of the National Association for Gun Rights, echoed this sentiment, telling POLITICO that all the GOP has to do is "lose four, five, six percent of their base" to lose in November.
"Especially marginal districts — and the House is not a good situation right now," he said.
GOP looks to buck precedent in '26 midterms
With Republicans holding the majorities in the House and Senate, their slim leads might complicate efforts to maintain control after the 2026 midterms. After all, the President's party often loses seats during midterm elections. The GOP is already gearing up to change that, as NOTUS reporter Riley Rogerson shares on "The Final 5 with Jim Lokay."
This isn't the first time that Trump's White House has drawn ire from the 2A community, either.
For example, following the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting in Minneapolis earlier this year, Department of Justice reports surfaced showing that the Trump administration was considering a ban on transgender Americans' ability to own firearms. The suspect in the case was a transgender woman, and the shooting killed two children and injured nearly two dozen others.
The National Rifle Association was one of the groups that responded, saying that it did not support any attempts to "arbitrarily strip law-abiding citizens of their Second Amendment rights without due process."
What's next in gun legislation
What's next:
In the National Association of Gun Rights' statement regarding Pirro's initial comments, the group referred to "real constitutional carry."
The group is referring to the National Constitutional Carry Act introduced by Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, which aims to protect gun rights nationwide by prohibiting penalties for certain individuals at the federal, state and local level. The bill specifically seeks to eliminate state-level gun permit requirements, which would allow gun owners to carry their guns across state lines.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 14: U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) looks on during a House Select Subcommittee on January 6th hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on January 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
While it's true that federal law already allows for guns to be transported across state lines, it requires that they be unloaded. Therefore, they can't actually be used for self-defense while traveling through states with stricter gun laws, or "non-reciprocal laws," 2A advocates argue.
Another piece of legislation recently introduced by National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson aims to address the disparity between states' gun laws. If passed, the bill would require all states to recognize the concealed carry permits of other states, and allow those guns to be loaded.
The bill already has the support of over 120 House Republicans and one Democrat—Rep. Jared Golden of Maine.
Trump has already said that he'd sign the bill if it passes and reaches his desk. In fact, it was one of his campaign promises.
The Source: Information above was sourced from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, The National Association of Gun Rights, Gun Owners of America, U.S. Representative Greg Steube, Congressional Bill text, POLITICO, NPR and FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. Fox News, Instagram, The Guardian, the Minneapolis city government's website, the National Rifle Association, a press release from U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie's office, Encyclopedia Britannica and PolitiFact were also referenced.