This isn’t the initial occasion where a Trump administration official has mishandled their firearm rights messaging

Jeanine Pirro seems to have backtracked on her warnings to arrest anyone bringing firearms into Washington, D.C., after triggering outrage from Second Amendment advocates.

The D.C. U.S. attorney, who made the remarks on Monday, apparently infuriated GOP members and gun rights organizations after declaring that even licensed gun carriers would face imprisonment.

“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,” she said.

“You bring a gun into this district, count on going to jail, and hope you get the gun back,” she stated during a Fox News appearance. Yet within 24 hours, Pirro changed her stance and proclaimed herself a “proud supporter of the Second Amendment,” reports the Express US.

READ MORE: Congressman slams Kristi Noem for pulling DHS agents off human trafficking investigationsREAD MORE: Jeanine Pirro says anyone who brings a gun into her district can ‘count on going to jail’

“Let me be clear: I am a proud supporter of the Second Amendment,” she posted on X. “Washington, D.C. law requires handguns be licensed in the District with the Metropolitan Police Department to be carried into our community.

“We are focused on individuals who are unlawfully carrying guns and will continue building on that momentum to keep our communities safe,” she continued.

Pirro also addressed the backlash in a video shared on her social media platforms.

“Good morning, everyone. I’m here in the office, and some people are concerned about something I said yesterday, so I want to be crystal clear. I am a proud supporter of the Second Amendment,” Pirro comments. “I have guns myself, long guns, handguns, and I’m a proud high-heeled gun owner.

“In fact, I even keynoted an NRA convention,” she noted. “However, you need to be responsible, and every responsible gun owner that I know makes sure that they understand the laws, where they are going, and understand whatever registration requirements there might be.

“President Trump’s goal here and my goal as well is to make sure we take guns out of the hands of criminals,” she added. “There is a reason that we have the lowest homicide rate in recorded history.

“We’re taking guns off the street, illegal guns in the hands of criminals who want to use those guns to victimize law-abiding citizens,” she concluded. “There’s a big difference here. You’re responsible, you follow the laws, you’re not going to have a problem with.”

Mixed messaging

This isn’t the initial occasion where a Trump administration official has mishandled their firearm rights messaging. Gun rights advocates from Minnesota recently criticized the administration for asserting that Alex Pretti was carrying a handgun with valid authorization.

National Association for Gun Rights President Dudley Brown criticized FBI Director Kash Patel to Politico, saying he “needs to brush off that thing called the Constitution, because he clearly hasn’t read it.”

Brown continued: “I know of no more crucial place to carry a firearm for self-defense than a protest.”

Reports indicate Patel told Fox News: “You cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It’s that simple. You don’t have a right to break the law.”

His remarks mirror those of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who said she didn’t “know of any peaceful protester that shows up with a gun and ammunition rather than a sign.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also noted that “any gun owner knows” carrying a weapon increases “the assumption of risk and the risk of force being used against you,” when encountering police.

Even the NRA, a strong Trump supporter, condemned a statement from Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. Essayli claimed: “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.

“This sentiment from the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California is dangerous and wrong,” the NRA responded in a repost. “Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.”