WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia, is facing widespread criticism from conservatives after she said in a Fox News interview Monday that anyone who brings a gun into the nation’s capital would face jail time.<\/p>\n
“You bring a gun into the district, you mark my words, you’re going to jail,” Pirro said in the interview. “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.”<\/p>\n
Her comments prompted swift backlash from a slew of Republican lawmakers and gun rights advocates, marking another rare divide among conservatives who typically are in lockstep on gun policies. Pirro walked back her comments<\/a> Tuesday morning in a pair of posts on X, saying she was focused on people “unlawfully” carrying firearms.<\/p>\n Pirro said she<\/a> is \u201ca proud supporter of the Second Amendment” and a gun owner herself.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are focused on individuals who are unlawfully carrying guns and will continue building on that momentum to keep our communities safe,\u201d she said in a post.<\/p>\n Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche reposted her Tuesday comments, adding that<\/a> “this Administration and Department of Justice will fiercely protect Second Amendment rights.”<\/p>\n The backlash from proponents of gun rights was swift and fierce, with some lawmakers pointing to their own firearms.<\/p>\n Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., said in a post on X<\/a> on Tuesday that he brings a gun to D.C. \u201cevery week,\u201d adding that he was licensed to carry a firearm in Florida and D.C.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I will continue to carry to protect myself and others,\u201d he said in the post. \u201cCome and Take it!\u201d<\/p>\n Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., pointed out in a post on X<\/a> on Monday that nonresidents in D.C. can obtain gun permits, adding, \u201cdon\u2019t ask me how I know.\u201d <\/p>\n “Why is a ‘conservative’ judge threatening to arrest gun owners?” he added Tuesday.<\/a><\/p>\n Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said in a post on X<\/a> on Monday, “This is not how this works,” adding that Attorney General Pam Bondi “needs to have a quick conversation & course correction here.”<\/p>\n Gun rights groups also chimed in, with the National Rifle Association urging Congress to pass the National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would broaden concealed carry rights across state lines. <\/p>\n “Your right to self-defense should not end simply because you crossed a state line or into Washington, D.C.,” the NRA said in a post. <\/a><\/p>\n The National Association for Gun Rights called Pirro’s comments<\/a> “unacceptable and intolerable.”<\/p>\n Pirro\u2019s comments mark the latest rupture on the right in recent weeks over Second Amendment rights. The issue flared last month <\/a>when administration officials pointed to the fact that Alex Pretti, who was licensed to carry, was armed <\/a>when he was shot and killed by federal agents while protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As NBC News has previously reported, multiple videos <\/a>of the shooting showed that Pretti was not holding a firearm during his struggle with officers.<\/p>\n Several gun rights groups slammed the implication <\/a>from Trump administration officials that lawful gun carriers could not bring a firearm to a protest. <\/p>\n President Donald Trump was asked by a reporter last week whether he believed that Pretti was acting as an “assassin,” referencing deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’s comments, for which Miller did not provide evidence.<\/a> Trump said no, but criticized Pretti for having a gun, saying, “You can’t walk in with guns.” <\/p>\n