'We're sending a message': DC US Attorney General Jeanine Pirro talks federal takeover

Jeanine Pirro talks federal takeover in D.C. following Trump announcement | FOX 5 DC Exclusive

Jeanine Pirro discusses the federal takeover in Washington, D.C. following President Donald Trump's announcement during this FOX 5 DC exclusive interview.

WASHINGTON - D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro spoke with FOX 5 on Monday about how President Donald Trump's takeover in the District will work in her office.

Right now, Trump is invoking a section of the Home Rule Act that allows him to federalize D.C.'s police force in an emergency so long as he notifies leadership on Capitol Hill within 48 hours. 

What she says:

Pirro says the president's move will bring forth more prosecutions. 

"The National Guard being deployed is working with the Metropolitan Police Department to make sure that there will be arrests made that are capable of being prosecuted," Pirro said. 

"What we're doing right now is we're sending a message to criminals who've been emboldened in this area who believe that they can get away with crime because they have gotten away with crimes because no one has been arresting them because the superior courts and my office has no jurisdiction over them because the DC council has literally prevented my office from prosecuting anyone who's 14, 15, 16, 17 years old even if they shoot you with a gun. I have no authority to arrest them. So this is a dual approach."

But the so-called "takeover" can only last 30 days unless the president gets Congress to pass a joint resolution extending his authority. 

Big picture view:

There are several unanswered questions about how exactly this is going to work.

Georgetown Law Professor and Home Rule historian Meryl Chertoff says a key piece of information is how we define the term emergency in the Home Rule Act. 

The president calls it a crime emergency, but violent crime has been down year over year since 2023. 

Chertoff says the way we define emergencies, like a public health emergency or national security emergency, would generally be something beyond the capacity of local law enforcement to respond. 

But she says there are a number of things that can be done, including filling vacancies on the D.C. Superior Court, that don't require a federal takeover.

"Such as restoring that $1 billion that Congress has yet to restore in the D.C. budget. There are a number of steps that the president and Congress could take in order to increase the ability of MPD to police the District," Chertoff said. "Until it takes those steps, at least it would be my argument. We don't have an emergency. It's not beyond the capacity of the MPD to respond."

Dig deeper:

Pirro's office will be responsible for prosecuting all criminal cases except for juvenile cases that she is prohibited from prosecuting by D.C. law. 

She says Monday's announcement doesn't change much about her office's ability to prosecute juveniles but it sends a message that the Trump administration is coming after them. 

"Today is the beginning," Pirro said. "It is the beginning where we're telling criminals, young criminals and older criminals, emboldened by the fact that they are so free to commit crime based upon the non-action by government previously. We're telling them now—we're watching you, we know who you are and we're going to prosecute you and we're going to change the laws to make sure you can come within my jurisdiction." 

FOX 5 also asked her about some former law enforcement officials who feel Monday’s announcement rings hollow given the president's sweeping pardons of people who assaulted and injured police officers on Jan. 6. 

"Look, I think the message is very clear. So far this year, I am prosecuting 300 individuals for assaults on police officers. That's what I'm here to do. That's what I will continue to do and the police need to understand that I have their back,"she said. "Today is about making sure that the police are supported with the National Guard, with the Park Police, with DEA, with ATF, with FBI to protect all of us. That's who we are, and that's what we're going to do."

"I'm not here to satisfy people's feelings if they feel bad, I am here to prosecute crime," she went on to say.