The NRA publicly rebuked U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after she warned that people who bring guns into Washington, D.C., should expect arrest. Pro-gun voices, including Rep. Greg Steube, pushed back and the NRA urged Congress to pass HR 38, the National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. The exchange follows controversy over the ICE shooting of Alex Pretti and comments by prosecutor Bill Essayli about armed encounters with law enforcement. The dispute underscores tensions between federal reciprocity proposals and local gun regulations in D.C.
NRA Rebukes Jeanine Pirro, Pushes Congress to Approve DC Concealed-Carry Reciprocity
The National Rifle Association publicly criticized U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro on Tuesday after Pirro said on Fox News that anyone who brings a firearm into the district should "count on going to jail." The exchange has reignited debate over concealed-carry reciprocity and local gun rules in the nation’s capital.
Pirro, a former Fox News host, appeared on Fox News Monday to discuss what she described as falling crime in Washington, D.C., since President Donald Trump’s return to office. Speaking to anchor Martha MacCallum, Pirro warned she would pursue arrests of people who bring guns into the district, including individuals who hold legal permits in other jurisdictions.
"And you bring a gun into the district, you mark my words, you’re going to jail," Pirro said. "I don’t care if you have a license in another district, and I don’t care if you are 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 — and that makes all the difference."
Conservative and pro-gun figures pushed back quickly. Republican Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) posted a clip of Pirro’s comments and wrote that he regularly carries into the district and would continue to do so to protect himself and others.
The NRA responded on social media the next morning, urging Congress to pass HR 38, the National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. "Now is the time for Congress to pass HR 38, the National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. Your right to self-defense should not end simply because you crossed a state line or into Washington, D.C.," the group posted.
The exchange comes amid broader tensions between gun-rights advocates and officials after the deadly ICE shooting of Alex Pretti last week. Some comments from government officials about that case drew ire from pro-gun groups.
After the shooting, Bill Essayli, a senior prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, wrote on X: "If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you." The NRA called that comment "dangerous and wrong," saying public officials should await a full investigation rather than make generalizations that could demonize law-abiding gun owners.
In a follow-up post, the NRA added: "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 dispute highlights the ongoing conflict over whether federal concealed-carry reciprocity laws should override stricter local rules in jurisdictions such as Washington, D.C., and how officials discuss deadly encounters involving armed civilians and law enforcement.
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