US president Donald Trump on Thursday named Fox Information hostJeanine Pirro because the interim prime federal prosecutor for Washington, D.C., changing his authentic choose, Ed Martin Jr., whose nomination confronted heavy opposition. The announcement was made on Trump’s Reality Social account, the place he praised Pirro as “extremely nicely certified” and “one of many prime district attorneys” in New York’s historical past.

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Pirro, a former decide and three-term district lawyer in Westchester County, New York, joined Fox Information in 2006 and now co-hosts “The 5.” Her appointment follows a sample of Trump tapping Fox Information figures for senior posts — together with Pete Hegseth, now Defence Secretary. Trump pulled Martin’s nomination earlier within the day after Republican senators raised issues about his defence of Capitol rioters and lack of authorized expertise. Martin, who had by no means prosecuted a case earlier than, drew criticism throughout his transient tenure for controversial workers modifications and social media posts. Pirro’s authorized background stands in distinction. A 1975 Albany Legislation College graduate, she helped set up one of many nation’s first home violence prosecution models. She additionally ran unsuccessfully for New York lawyer basic in 2006 after briefly trying to problem then-Senator Hillary Clinton. Whereas Pirro’s media profession has included public help for Trump, it has additionally introduced authorized bother. In 2021, she was named in a $2.7 billion defamation go well with by Smartmatic for spreading false claims concerning the 2020 election.