Why Donald Trump Has It Out For Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich

Thou shalt not disagree with the president. At least, that's the message he's sending. It's no secret that Donald Trump's fragile ego doesn't allow him to accept criticism from the media, and in March 2025, he took aim at journalist Jacqui Heinrich after she dared to question his conduct. The president was apparently upset about certain questions Heinrich had for him while hosting "Fox News Sunday." She questioned Senator Bernie Moreno about Trump's decision to broadcast his viewing of Elon Musk's Teslas at the White House (this was before Trump and Musk went from BFFs to bitter enemies). "It was happening as, you know, Americans' 401(k) accounts were facing some struggles because of this tariff war happening right now," Heinrich recapped (via X, formerly known as Twitter), before asking Moreno, "Was that an appropriate thing for the president to do there?" Naturally, the loyal senator proceeded to defend Trump's actions. 

Heinrich also had some uncomfortable questions about the divisive leader's mass deportations. Clearly enraged, Trump took to Truth Social in an attempt to deliver a knock to her reputation. "I watched Jacqui Heinrich from Fox over the weekend and I thought she was absolutely terrible," the president penned. "She should be working for CNN, not Fox." Notably, this wasn't the first time Heinrich had been critical of the Trump administration either. In February 2025, she voiced her concerns over the White House's eyebrow-raising decision to overrule the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) when it came to selecting reporters who have close access to the president. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt touted the decision as an attempt to "give power back to the people," (via X). Heinrich disagreed, arguing on X, "This move does not give the power back to the people — it gives power to the White House."

It's actually kind of surprising that Donald Trump hasn't mentioned Jacqui Heinrich in more Truth Social posts — especially considering Fox News' senior White House correspondent has continued to report the facts instead of embellishing them to make the president look good. In fact, Heinrich likely had some loyal Fox viewers clutching their pearls after she painted his August 2025 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an unfavorable light. Trump, who's made comments that hint his bromance with Putin is stronger than it ever was with Elon Musk, didn't manage to reach a peace agreement to end Russia's war with Ukraine, and while Heinrich was reporting from Anchorage, Alaska, she didn't mince words about his performance. 

She asserted that it appeared Putin got one over on Trump, adding that the tension between the two leaders was palpable following their meeting. "The way that it felt in the room was not good. It did not seem like things went well," Heinrich reported (via the Independent). "It seemed like Putin came in and steamrolled, got right into what he wanted to say and got his photo next to the president and then left."

Heinrich has been praised by colleagues for being an unbiased reporter. "She is not afraid of p*****g off the base," one of her fellow White House correspondents told the Washington Post, clarifying, "Her job isn't to make anyone happy. Her job is to report the news, and that's what she does." Indeed, while speaking to Vanity Fair in April 2025, Heinrich confirmed she doesn't lose sleep over Trump's opinion of her, reasoning, "You can't read the comments. You wouldn't be a good reporter if you were trying to guard against a negative reaction." And that clearly includes the president.