CNN’s Brian Stelter Predicts Trump Won’t Fire Jeanine Pirro, But Will ‘Let Her Suffer’ Instead

Rather than oust Jeanine Pirro as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, President Donald Trump is more likely to “let her suffer” in the position, CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter predicted Monday.

Stelter’s comments come after Pirro’s office, on Friday, dismissed the case against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who was accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The motion to dismiss explained that newly disclosed Interior Department records showed the damage to the Reflecting Pool stemmed from a “botched” installation rather than vandalism. Hearn had previously pleaded not guilty.

Earlier on Monday, Trump publicly criticized Pirro, saying he believed she “choked” in her handling of the case. Just hours later, multiple outlets reported that Pirro arrived at the White House for a meeting with the president and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, with ABC News adding that Trump had privately discussed firing her.

Speaking with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Stelter emphasized the friendship between Trump and Pirro, explaining, “This is not an ordinary Trump relationship. Pirro and Trump have been friends for 35 years. They go way back to the 90s. In the 90s, he once said, ‘She’s sexy as hell’… It’s a very unique relationship. This is someone — Trump once called her ‘Justice Jeanine,’ suggesting she could be on the Supreme Court for him someday.”

He continued, “So, this relationship is so tight, and that’s what makes the schism so dramatic today.”

When asked by Collins if there’s a world in which Trump might actually fire Pirro, despite their close relationship, Stelter responded, “I do, given what you’ve covered for the past decade with the president, but I think it’s more likely that he’ll just let her suffer. Keep her in the job, make her life as difficult as possible — does that sound right?”

Watch the full clip above via CNN.

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