Donald Trump Takes Aim at 'Incompetent' Fox News Star Jacqui Heinrich

In a series of Truth Social posts on May 10 and May 11, President Donald Trump launched a blistering verbal attack against Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, labeling her "incompetent" and claiming she is not capable of "rebuttal" against Democratic guests.

The primary catalyst for the rant was Heinrich’s interview with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on Fox News' The Sunday Briefing.

The California Democrat, a main sponsor of The Epstein Files Transparency Act, told Heinrich, “Gas prices are up, food prices are up... people don’t like the fact that we’re in a war in Iran, that the Trump administration hasn’t released the Epstein files.”

Khanna said he was “horrified” after seeing Chinese steel at the Port of Cleveland.

“The president needs to make it clear to China that they should not be opening up manufacturing in the United States, subsidizing it, and violating the law,” Khanna said. We want to have steel be American steel, not be importing Chinese steel, and we don’t want China playing unfairly.”

Trump took particular issue with Khanna's criticisms regarding the steel industry and export markets, accusing Heinrich of failing to provide a "competent rebuttal" to the congressman's statements.

Trump referred to Heinrich as incompetent and suggested the network should not allow Democratic guests on air unless they have an anchor capable of "disputing lies" and "closing down his FAKE narrative.”

“You could listen to Fox News all day long, absolutely devour it, but then, when you hear SLEAZEBAGS, like Congressman Ro Khanna, 'a wolf in sheep’s clothing,’ LIE, LIE, LIE, AND LIE AGAIN, without any pushback, or competent rebuttal from an anchor, in this case, Jacqui Heinrich, the entire Common Sense dialogue that has been going on all day at Fox is completely obliterated!” Trump wrote.

The former president claimed that "MAGA Republicans" now "hate Fox" because the network includes Democratic voices and alleged failure to fact-check them.

Kanna replied to Trump’s taunts with his own post, saying, “This is why I go on Fox,” the Democrat explained. “This is why I talk about an economic agenda to build steel, ship & battery plants in hollowed out communities. This is why I talk to everyone, including Trump voters, without hurling insults. This is how Democrats will win & unite the country.”

The interview took place just before Trump's scheduled state visit to China on May 13, during which he is set to meet with President Xi Jinping.

This isn’t the first time the president attacked the Fox News reporter, although he usually prefers to hit at the network's lone liberal star, Jessica Tarlov.

In March 2025, Trump previously blasted Heinrich for questioning his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a promotional stunt involving Tesla vehicles at the White House, suggesting at the time that she "should be working for CNN.”

Heinrich was also the subject of an internal Fox News controversy when colleagues Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson reportedly tried to get her fired for fact-checking a Trump tweet about Dominion Voting Systems.

Heinrich, 37, who is engaged to Georgia Republican, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, 52, has previously addressed such attacks, stating that they do not "keep her up at night.”