U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro came out swinging at a Department of Justice press conference Tuesday, forcefully backing the Trump administration’s decision to take control of Washington’s police force.
The move, announced Monday by President Donald Trump, puts the city’s Metropolitan Police Department under federal authority and deploys 800 National Guard troops to the capital. Trump called it a “public safety emergency,” saying it was needed to curb street crime.
When a reporter pressed Pirro about DOJ cuts to gun violence prevention programs, she cut them off. “Oh, stop it,” she said sharply. “We are putting all kinds of resources onto the street.”
Another reporter asked about the recent drop in D.C.’s crime rate and what might have triggered it. The question seemed to reference Trump’s takeover of the police department. Pirro, standing at a podium flanked by posters of homicide victims, didn’t mince words.
“It’s never enough. This changed. This changed,” she said, jabbing a finger toward the victims’ photos.
“It’s never enough,” she repeated. “You tell these families, ‘Crime has dropped.’ You tell the mother of the intern who was shot going out for McDonald’s near the Washington Convention Center, ‘Oh, crime is down.’”
Pirro was referring to 21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a University of Massachusetts Amherst student who was in Washington for an internship with Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan. On June 30, Tarpinian-Jachym was caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting. He wasn’t the intended target. He died in a hospital the next day.
According to authorities, Pirro also cited the August 3 beating of former Department of Government Efficiency employee Edward Coristine. Two teenagers allegedly attacked him, leaving him with a severe concussion and a broken nose. They are now facing unarmed carjacking charges, reported TechCrunch.
“You tell the kid who was just beat the hell and back with a severe concussion and a broken nose, ‘Crime is down,’” Pirro said. “No, that falls on deaf ears and my ears are deaf to that and that’s why I fight the fight.”
Her fiery defense comes as critics question whether federalizing D.C.’s police force is the right approach. Supporters of the move argue it will boost resources and coordination, while opponents see it as an unnecessary federal overreach that sidelines local leadership.
Pirro, however, made it clear she isn’t interested in crime stats that don’t match the reality on the streets. “You can quote your numbers all day long,” she seemed to suggest, “but the families left shattered by violence aren’t feeling safer.”
The policy shift is already drawing national attention, with some wondering if it could become a template for other cities facing high-profile crime cases. For now, Pirro and the Trump administration appear committed to making D.C. the first test case.
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