President Donald Trump took to social media on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, to criticize Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, suggesting she should join CNN instead. This came in response to 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 commented on Truth Social.

The president’s remarks followed Heinrich’s appearance on Fox News Sunday and her incisive questioning at a White House press briefing regarding the administration’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act for deporting alleged gang members.

Heinrich, who has won three Emmy Awards and joined Fox News in 2018 as Senior White House Correspondent, raised questions about the legal justification for deporting members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. has labeled a terrorist group.

During the briefing, Heinrich referenced Fox News legal analyst Andy McCarthy, who stated he was “not sure that the law is completely on his side” concerning the deportations, despite supporting the president’s actions. She pointed out McCarthy’s 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 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 application of the Alien Enemies Act has sparked considerable legal scrutiny. This law permits the president to detain, relocate, or deport non-citizens from countries deemed enemies during wartime. Legal experts highlight that the act has only been invoked three times historically, all during major wars, and argue that using it for immigration enforcement in peacetime could be legally contentious.

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order against the deportations, though the administration asserted some flights had departed before the order was in place. The judge has questioned Justice Department attorneys about their non-compliance with his order and requested more details about the deportation flights.

In his social media remarks, Trump mentioned Heinrich’s role with the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA), which has recently clashed with his administration over press access policies. Heinrich, a WHCA board member, has 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 stated regarding the administration’s shift away from the WHCA-coordinated press pool system.

Trump’s criticism 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.

The president’s targeting of Heinrich continues his pattern of focusing on Fox News figures he perceives as disloyal. Despite filling his administration with over 20 former Fox News personalities and employees, Trump maintains a complex relationship with the network.

This is not the first time Heinrich has been targeted by Trump supporters. The Dominion Voting Systems defamation case against Fox News revealed that former network personalities Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity had called for Heinrich’s dismissal due to her fact-checking of Trump’s election fraud claims after the 2020 election.

Fox News commentator Brit Hume has defended Heinrich, stating that she “plays it straight, covering both sides of a story” and has been impartial in her coverage of the president.

Heinrich’s journalistic career includes roles as a local anchor and reporter for Boston 25 News, leading to her recognition as the 2017 General Assignment Reporter of the Year by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Boston/New England Chapter. She is a graduate of George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and previously 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 moving through the courts, with civil rights groups arguing that the president’s interpretation might allow him to categorize any group as “enemy aliens,” enabling arrest, detention, and deportation without due process. The case is anticipated to eventually reach the Supreme Court.