A bombshell revelation has thrust U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, into a firestorm of controversy. Newly unredacted court documents from a defamation lawsuit filed by Smartmatic against Fox News have exposed text messages in which Pirro, a former Fox News host, admitted to actively supporting Donald Trump and the Republican Party during her tenure at the network. These messages, sent in 2020 to then-RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, appear to violate Fox News’ explicit policy prohibiting on-air personalities from political involvement, raising serious questions about Pirro’s impartiality and her fitness for one of the nation’s most powerful prosecutorial roles.

In a September 2020 text, Pirro boasted, “I work so hard for the party across the country,” and claimed, “I’m the Number 1 watched show on all news cable all weekend. I work so hard for the President and party.” The messages, uncovered by The Washington Post, suggest Pirro was not merely a commentator but an active partisan operative, potentially leveraging her platform to curry favor with Trump. Critics argue this undermines the credibility of Fox News, which marketed Pirro as an objective voice, while she was, in reality, aligning herself with Trump’s political machine, possibly angling for the high-profile role she now holds.

The Smartmatic lawsuit, which accuses Pirro and other Fox hosts of knowingly spreading false claims about the 2020 election, adds another layer of gravity to the scandal. Pirro’s on-air promotion of baseless election fraud narratives, including allegations against Smartmatic’s voting technology, contributed to a $787.5 million settlement Fox paid to Dominion Voting Systems in a similar case. Her texts reveal a calculated effort to bolster Trump’s campaign, contradicting the network’s public stance of journalistic integrity. This has fueled accusations that Pirro deceived viewers who trusted her to provide fair analysis, instead using her platform to advance a political agenda.

Adding to the controversy, another leaked text from October 2020 reveals Pirro’s disdain for colleague Sean Hannity, whom she called an “egomaniac.” Describing a tense Oval Office encounter, Pirro recounted Hannity barging in, tossing papers on the President’s desk, and using Trump’s private bathroom without permission. “It’s all about him, period. No one else matters,” she wrote, exposing a cutthroat dynamic among Fox News hosts vying for Trump’s attention. This glimpse into the network’s internal rivalries paints a picture of ambition and opportunism, with hosts seemingly prioritizing personal advancement over professional ethics.

Pirro’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for D.C., confirmed by a 50-45 Senate vote in August 2025, was already contentious due to her history of election denialism and unwavering Trump loyalty. Critics, including Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, have labeled her a “partisan hack,” arguing that her actions at Fox News—now further illuminated by these texts—disqualify her from overseeing the nation’s largest U.S. Attorney’s office. The role, which handles high-stakes cases involving national security and public corruption, demands impartiality, a quality Pirro’s detractors say she lacks.

The scandal has sparked broader outrage over the politicization of judicial roles under Trump’s administration. Progressive voices on social media and Democratic leaders are calling for accountability, with some demanding Pirro’s removal. “MAGA has made a mockery of our judicial system,” one critic posted, reflecting a sentiment that Pirro’s ascent represents a dangerous erosion of institutional integrity. As the Smartmatic lawsuit progresses, these revelations could further damage Pirro’s credibility and intensify scrutiny of her tenure. For now, the leaked texts have cast a long shadow over her role, exposing the murky intersection of media, politics, and power.