Jeanine Pirro Tapped as Interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. in Latest Move From Trump’s Fox News Pipeline

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President Donald Trump on Thursday named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, reinforcing his pattern of selecting high-profile Fox personalities for top government roles.

Pirro, who co-hosts The Five and previously served as a judge and district attorney in New York, replaces Ed Martin, whose nomination was withdrawn after failing to gain Senate support. Trump praised Pirro as “incredibly well qualified,” calling her “one of the top district attorneys in the history of the State of New York.”

Pirro’s appointment marks the latest in a long line of Fox News-affiliated figures to rise within Trump’s administration. The so-called “Fox News Pipeline” has become a key recruitment pool for Trump, who values media savvy and ideological loyalty. Axios reports that at least a dozen former Fox News hosts, contributors, or frequent guests now hold major roles.

Among them:

Kimberly Guilfoyle, former The Five co-host, is now U.S. Ambassador to Greece.
Sean Duffy, one-time Fox Business host, serves as Secretary of Transportation.
Pete Hegseth, formerly of Fox & Friends Weekend, is Trump’s Secretary of Defense.
Monica Crowley, a longtime Fox contributor, is now Assistant Secretary of State and Chief of Protocol.
Mike Huckabee, a former Fox host, serves as U.S. Ambassador to Israel.
Tulsi Gabbard, who joined Fox in 2022, is Director of National Intelligence.
Tom Homan, ex-Fox contributor, returned as “border czar.”
Sebastian Gorka, once a Fox commentator, is deputy assistant to the president.
Keith Kellogg, former Fox national security analyst, now serves as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.
Marty Makary, Fox health contributor, leads the FDA.
Janette Nesheiwat, another Fox contributor, was briefly nominated for Surgeon General.
Dan Bongino, ex-Fox host and right-wing influencer, is deputy FBI director.

Trump’s transition team defends the appointments as merit-based, while critics argue they reflect a media-to-government revolving door that prioritizes loyalty and image over expertise. Pirro is expected to serve in the D.C. role until a permanent nominee is confirmed.