Donald Trump criticized Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on social media on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, suggesting she should work for CNN after she questioned the legality of 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.
This comment followed Heinrich’s hosting of Fox News Sunday and a White House press briefing where she questioned the administration’s application of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members.
Heinrich, a three-time Emmy Award winner and Senior White House Correspondent for Fox News since 2018, questioned the legal grounds for deportation flights targeting members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S.
During the briefing, she referenced Fox News legal analyst Andy McCarthy’s view that he is “not sure that the law is completely on his side” despite supporting the president’s actions, noting 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 asked press secretary Karoline Leavitt: “Will the president ask Congress potentially to 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 has faced significant legal scrutiny. The law permits the president to detain, relocate, or deport non-citizens from enemy countries during wartime. Legal experts point out it has only been used during major wars and argue its use for immigration enforcement during peacetime could be legally questionable.
A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order against the deportations, although the administration stated some flights had already occurred before the order. The judge has questioned Justice Department lawyers about non-compliance and requested more details about the deportation flights.
In his social media post, Trump also mentioned Heinrich’s role with the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA), which has clashed with his administration over press access policies. Heinrich, a WHCA board member, criticized the White House’s decision to take press pool control from the association.
“This White House is now giving itself power, not the people power,” Heinrich said about the administration’s move away from the WHCA-coordinated press pool system.
Trump’s criticism of Heinrich may also relate to her questioning during her Sunday hosting, where she challenged Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) about the president’s White House event showcasing Tesla vehicles.
Trump’s attack on Heinrich continues his pattern of targeting Fox News personalities he deems insufficiently loyal. Despite including at least 20 former Fox News personalities in his administration, Trump has a complex relationship with the network.
Heinrich has previously been targeted by Trump supporters. In the Dominion Voting Systems defamation case against Fox News, former network stars Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity demanded Heinrich’s firing for fact-checking 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 journalism career includes work as a local anchor and reporter for Boston 25 News, 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 continues in the courts, with civil rights organizations arguing the president’s interpretation could allow him to designate any group as “enemy aliens,” enabling arrest, detention, and deportation without due process protections. The case is expected to eventually reach the Supreme Court.