Donald Trump criticized Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on social media on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, suggesting she should consider working for CNN. This reaction followed her questioning the legal grounds for his administration’s deportation flights.
“I watched Jacqui Heinrich from Fox over the weekend and I thought she was absolutely terrible. She should be working for CNN, not Fox,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump’s remarks came after Heinrich’s appearance on Fox News Sunday and her questioning during a White House press briefing about the administration’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members.
Heinrich, a three-time Emmy Award recipient who joined Fox News in 2018 and is the network’s Senior White House Correspondent, raised concerns during Wednesday’s briefing about the legal justification for deportation flights targeting members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, labeled as a terrorist organization by the U.S.
During the briefing, Heinrich referenced Fox News legal analyst Andy McCarthy’s opinion that he’s “not sure that the law is completely on his side” regarding the deportations. She noted that McCarthy supported the president’s actions and highlighted his concerns that “while [Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua] has been designated as a terrorist organization, these individuals hadn’t been prosecuted for terrorism.”
Heinrich then asked press secretary Karoline Leavitt: “Will the president ask Congress to potentially declare war on these cartels for the invasion that he’s talked about so that he’s on stronger legal footing?”
The administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, a law that permits the president to detain, relocate, or deport non-citizens from enemy countries during wartime, has faced significant legal scrutiny. Legal experts point out that it has only been used three times historically during major wars and argue that using it for immigration enforcement during peacetime could be legally problematic.
A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order against the deportations, though the administration claimed some flights had already departed before the order was issued. The judge has pressed Justice Department lawyers about their non-compliance with his order and demanded more information about the deportation flights.
In his social media post, Trump specifically mentioned Heinrich’s role with the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA), which has recently disagreed with his administration over press access policies. Heinrich, a WHCA board member, has publicly criticized the White House’s decision to take control of the press pool from the association.
“This White House is now giving itself power, not the people power,” Heinrich said in response to the administration moving away from the WHCA-coordinated press pool system.
Trump’s critique of Heinrich may also relate to her questioning during her Sunday hosting appearance, where she challenged Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) about the president’s recent White House event showcasing Tesla vehicles.
Trump’s comments about Heinrich continue his pattern of criticizing Fox News figures he views as insufficiently loyal. Despite having at least 20 former Fox News personalities and employees in his administration, Trump maintains a complex relationship with the network.
This is not the first time Heinrich has faced backlash from Trump supporters. The Dominion Voting Systems defamation case against Fox News revealed that former network stars Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity had called for Heinrich’s firing after she fact-checked Trump’s election fraud claims following the 2020 election.
Fox News commentator Brit Hume has defended Heinrich, stating she “plays it straight, covering both sides of a story” and has been fair in her coverage of the president.
Heinrich’s journalistic career includes work as a local anchor and reporter for Boston 25 News in Massachusetts, where she was named the 2017 General Assignment Reporter of the Year by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Boston/New England Chapter. She attended George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and interned for Congress, MSNBC, and NBC’s local affiliate before joining Fox News.
The lawsuit challenging the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act is ongoing in the courts. Civil rights organizations argue the president’s interpretation could potentially allow him to designate any group as “enemy aliens,” facilitating arrest, detention, and deportation without due process protections. The case is expected to reach the Supreme Court eventually.
