(DCNF)—U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Thursday that the fatal shooting of a young Capitol intern and a teenage girl by known offenders represents the inevitable outcome of the D.C. Council’s failed approach to crime.
Pirro announced that 18-year-old Naqwan Antonio Lucas has been indicted on 16 counts for the June 30 murder of congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym and separately charged for the July 4 killing of 17-year-old Zoey Kelley. During a press conference, Pirro unleashed a blistering tirade against the Democrat-controlled D.C. Council and accused city leaders of coddling repeat offenders.
“Two innocent souls were taken from us in what I believe were predictable homicides based upon the behavior of these individuals and the records that everyone knew about,” Pirro said.
Pirro said D.C.’s permissive justice system fosters lawlessness.
“The D.C. Council is more interested in protecting young criminals under the guise of protecting the innocence of youth. It’s time for them to start protecting the citizens of the district, because this is what we’re ending up with,” Pirro said.
Pirro said the crime scene proves that public safety is deteriorating.
“We’re having victims five blocks away, 79 rounds on the ground! This is normal behavior in D.C.,” Pirro said. “No more excuses from this council.”
Prior to recent reforms, D.C. courts routinely used GPS monitoring and community supervision instead of detention for juveniles, with city data showing hundreds of youth offenders remaining in the community pretrial each year despite prior arrests. Democrats control every seat on the D.C. Council, with Chairman Phil Mendelson, Chair Pro Tempore Kenyan McDuffie, and At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds leading the body.
The capital’s crime wave has dominated headlines in 2025. This, after the murder of Tarpinian-Jachym and the brutal assault on government staffer Edward Coristine — known online as “Big Balls” — after he tried to stop a carjacking. Due to the surge in violent crime, President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., to restore order and support overwhelmed local authorities.
A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll reported that 54% of voters support Trump’s decision to declare a public safety emergency in the capital and call in the Guard. Data from the D.C. Police Union shows violent crime plunged the first two weeks of the deployment, with robberies down 42% and carjackings down 85%.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
Why the National Debt Is the Looming Threat to Your Retirement Plans
The Hidden Crisis No One Is Talking About
Every day, headlines warn about inflation, market volatility, and global instability—but the greatest looming threat to your retirement might be something far more fundamental: America’s skyrocketing national debt.
You can learn more about how the national debt affects you by reading this 3-minute report titled, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now“.
With debt growing faster than most Americans can possibly fathom, the government’s borrowing habits have reached historic—and dangerous—levels. To cover spending, Washington is making moves with their budget packages, tariffs, and taxes. Is it enough? No. It’s not even close to what would be necessary to stop out-of-control debt, let alone reverse it.
How Debt Erodes Your Nest Egg
There are only so many levers government and the Federal Reserve can pull to try to protect Americans, assuming that’s even a top priority for them. Unfortunately, pulling one level to relive one pressure invariably adds pressure from another direction. This is why prices keep going up even as inflation reportedly slows.
For retirees and pre-retirees, that’s a perfect storm. The dollars you’ve worked hard to save lose value, and your cost of living increases while your investments lag behind.
If you’re relying solely on paper-based assets—stocks, bonds, or mutual funds—you’re essentially tied to the same system that’s creating the problem. It’s a system that was designed to work well in the 20th century, not in today’s world with people living longer and the dollar rapidly losing value.
This is why the 3-minute report, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now,” is so important.
The Precious Metals Hedge
Thousands of Americans are looking for a tangible, time-tested hedge: physical gold and silver.
Unlike paper assets, precious metals aren’t dependent on government policy or the stock market’s mood swings. They’re real, finite resources that have maintained value for thousands of years through wars, recessions, and inflationary periods.
In fact, during times of high inflation and fiscal instability, gold often performs its best—because it’s seen as a store of value when faith in the dollar weakens. This is why prices have skyrocketed this year and are expected by many economists to continue going up in the future.
Take Control with a Gold IRA
One of the most effective ways to protect your retirement from national debt fallout is through a self-directed Gold IRA. This IRS-approved account lets you hold physical gold and silver within your retirement portfolio, giving you:
- Direct ownership of your assets
- A hedge against inflation and dollar decline
- The control to diversify beyond Wall Street
Augusta Precious Metals specializes in helping Americans just like you take this step with confidence. The company has earned a strong reputation for transparency, education, and personalized service—making it one of the most trusted names in the industry.
The Next Step: Secure Your Financial Future
Augusta Precious Metals has helped thousands of Americans with at least $50,000 to invest from their IRAs, 401(K)s, TSPs, and other retirement accounts safeguard their savings through precious metals.
If you’re concerned about what the rising national debt could mean for your future, now is the time to act.
Read this 3-minute report titled, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now“ and learn the simple steps you can take to protect your retirement.