Pirro Backs Trump’s Push to Federalize D.C., Calls for Tougher Juvenile Crime Measures

Download IPFS

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro expressed full support for President Donald Trump’s recent threat to place Washington, D.C., under federal control if city leaders fail to curb rising youth crime. Pirro, who serves as the chief federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia, argued that the current system shields violent juvenile offenders from true accountability and called for the minimum age for adult prosecution to be lowered to 14.

During an appearance on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle Wednesday, Pirro said she could not take legal action against violent minors under current D.C. law, which directs such cases to family court focused on rehabilitation rather than prosecution. “I support [Trump] totally,” she stated. “If that’s what we need to do to get it done, that’s what he should do. And I support the president.”

Pirro said she briefed the president on the legal limitations her office faces in prosecuting youth offenders in the nation’s capital. “If you’re 14, 15, 16, or 17 years old, you get coddled as you do in most American Democrat cities, so I can’t charge these people,” she told host Laura Ingraham. She emphasized that only Trump has been vocal about restoring safety and order to Washington, D.C.

The prosecutor cited a recent violent incident near the White House as an example of how current laws hinder justice. Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old tech employee formerly with the White House, was assaulted early Sunday morning during an attempted carjacking by a group of nearly ten individuals. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has no jurisdiction over two of the suspects, both 15-year-olds from Maryland, because they are juveniles. “None of them come to my office because they’re not considered criminals,” Pirro explained. “They go to family court, where the effort is rehabilitation.”

Calling for legislative change, Pirro criticized the D.C. Council for policies she says fail to hold minors accountable. “We’ve got to lower the age of responsibility to 14,” she urged. “If you tell me I can’t prosecute a 17-year-old for carjacking… and you want to send them to some arts and craft program, then you’re out of your mind.”

Pirro’s comments reflect a broader concern about youth violence in Democrat-led cities, with D.C. consistently ranking among the U.S. cities with the highest murder rates. Both she and President Trump have made clear that unless meaningful action is taken at the local level, federal intervention remains on the table.