Jeannine Pirro Prompts Outrage From Gun Rights Advocates After Threatening ‘Law-Abiding Gun Owners’ With Jail Time for Bringing Guns to Washington

The Trump Administration has once again found itself at odds with gun rights advocates after the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeannine Pirro, suggested that “law-abiding gun owners” will be jailed if they bring their firearms to the nation’s capital.President Trump and members of his administration have faced withering criticism from supporters of gun rights over their messaging about firearms. The outrage began after federal agents shot and killed an American citizen, Alex Pretti, protesting immigration enforcement while legally carrying a firearm. Several administration officials, including Mr. Trump, have made statements implying there are strict restrictions on where Americans can carry firearms in public.On Monday, Judge Pirro reignited the criticism during an appearance on Fox News when she touted the deployment of the National Guard to Washington, which she said has led to a historic decline in violent crime in the city. She said there have been more than 9,500 arrests and “almost 1,000 guns taken off the streets.”“We find the disruptors and those committing violence, and we make sure that they are the ones who are accountable,” she said. “You bring a gun into the district, you mark my words, you’re going to jail. 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.”While her comments appeared to be aimed at individuals accused of committing violent crimes — and not individuals merely carrying a firearm — the reference to “law-abiding” gun owners set off another flurry of criticism.Congressman Greg Steube wrote on X, “I bring a gun into the district every week, @USAttyPirro. I have a license in Florida and DC to carry. And I will continue to carry to protect myself and others. Come and Take it!”Congressman Thomas Massie said, “The District of Columbia has been ‘shall issue’ since 2017 when the requirement that you must have a ‘good reason’ to carry a handgun was struck down. Non-residents can obtain a permit in DC — don’t ask me how I know.”Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also chimed in, saying, “Second Amendment rights are not extinguished just because an American visits DC. American gun owners who conceal carry are among the most law-abiding citizens in the nation. They are friends of law enforcement; they should not be targeted by law enforcement.”The National Association for Gun Rights wrote, “Jeanine Pirro threatening to arrest people for carrying in DC, even if they are law-abiding and licensed, shows how broken and out of touch these gun laws are. Unacceptable and intolerable comments by a sitting US attorney.”Stephen Gutowski, the founder of a firearm-focused site, the Reload, wrote, “If you have a non-resident DC carry permit (like I do), it’s perfectly legal to carry into the city. What is Pirro talking about here, and why is a Fox anchor cheering her on?”“Dang they turned against the 2A faster than I’ve seen before,” a former congressman, Adam Kinzinger, said.The vice president of the National Foundation for Gun Rights, Hannah Hill, wrote, “This is a wild, scary thing to hear from a sitting US attorney. Has she even read the Constitution? And if she gets the Second Amendment this wrong, what else is she getting wrong?”On Tuesday morning, Judge Pirro tried to clean up her comments, writing on X that she is 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,” she said. “We are focused on individuals who are unlawfully carrying guns and will continue building on that momentum to keep our communities safe.”Washington offers permits to residents and nonresidents who live or work in the district. Nonresidents who do not have a place of business in the district can also apply for a permit if they have a valid concealed carry permit from another state. However, there are restrictions on where people can carry firearms, including bans at public memorials on the National Mall, the White House, schools, and on public transportation.

Jeannine Pirro Prompts Outrage From Gun Rights Advocates After Threatening ‘Law-Abiding Gun Owners’ With Jail Time for Bringing Guns to Washington

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