Trump ally Pirro threatens jail for anyone bringing a gun into D.C.
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U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro in D.C. in December. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
U.S. Attorney and President Trump ally Jeanine Pirro warned Monday that anyone who brings a gun into Washington, D.C., would face "going to jail."
The big picture: Many Republican members have shifted their tone on gun control since federal agents fatally shot Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti, who was legally carrying a licensed firearm at the time of his death.
Driving the news: "You bring a gun into this district, count on going to jail," Pirro said on Fox News.
- "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."
- The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia did not immediately respond to Axios' Monday evening request for comment.
- Trump, FBI Director Kash Patel and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made similar comments last week, suggesting Pretti should never have been carrying a firearm.
State of play: D.C. law requires all gun owners to register weapons with local police. The nation's capital prohibits residents from registering AR-15-style rifles and similar weapons — essentially preventing civilians from owning them.
- Pirro's office in August directed D.C.'s federal prosecutors not to seek felony charges against people carrying rifles or shotguns in the capital, with limited exceptions for permit-holders. That's despite a local policy barring most individuals from carrying those weapons.
- The Justice Department sued D.C. police in December, arguing the district's ban on AR-15s and other firearms was unconstitutional.
Flashback: The Trump administration has previously been vocal about defending supporters exercising their Second Amendment rights, including Kyle Rittenhouse, who fatally shot two men during racial justice protests in 2020.
- Trump characterized Rittenhouse, who was acquitted in 2021, as a "nice young man." He said he "should not have had to suffer through a trial" for what Trump considered to be self-defense.
The other side: Other GOP lawmakers and influential Second Amendment groups quickly pushed back on the emerging pro-gun control rhetoric.
- "The NRA unequivocally believes that all law-abiding citizens have a right to keep and bear arms anywhere they have a legal right to be," the organization said on X after pushback from the administration.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Pretti was "in compliance with the laws," and had a "constitutional right," to carry his weapon.
- Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) posted on X on last week, "Your Second Amendment rights don't disappear when you exercise your other rights."
Go deeper: Trump puts Republicans in a tough spot on gun rights
