President Donald Trump escalated his long-running feud with Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on Wednesday, publicly rebuking both the reporter and her fianc, U.
S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., during an exchange with journalists at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
According to WND, Trump brushed aside Heinrichs question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and instead turned his fire on Fitzpatrick, who represents a suburban Philadelphia district and has frequently broken with the president on key votes. Addressing the assembled media, Trump remarked: Her husband votes against me all the time. I dont know whats with him.
You better ask him whats with him. Shes married to a certain congressman.
Trump then sharpened his criticism, casting Fitzpatrick as emblematic of the kind of Republican he believes undermines the partys populist base. He likes voting against Trump. You know what happens with that? Doesnt work out well. I dont know why he does.
Conservative commentator Jim Hoft of the Gateway Pundit has previously described Fitzpatrick, who holds a swing seat in Bucks County north of Philadelphia, as a textbook example of the GOP establishments reluctance to embrace the America First agenda. Hoft wrote that Fitzpatrick has earned his reputation as a classic establishment squish.
Hoft further noted that the Pennsylvania lawmaker has repeatedly sided with Democrats on immigration and amnesty, placing him at odds with Trumps border-security platform. Last month, Fitzpatrick was one of the House reps to extend Temporary Protected Status to 350,000 Haitians for three years. He also backed the Mass Amnesty Bill pushed by Maria Salazar that would allow illegal aliens deported under President Trump since 2017 flood back into U.S.
In that context, Trumps remarks at Joint Base Andrews were widely interpreted by conservatives as a warning shot to Republicans who seek to distance themselves from his movement while still benefiting from its voters. As Hoft summarized it: Trumps pointed message wasnt subtle. It was a warning not just to Heinrich and her husband, but to every fair-weather Republican in Washington: Voting against Donald Trump doesnt end well.
The clash with Heinrich is only the latest in a series of confrontations between Trump and the Fox News reporter, whom he has repeatedly accused of failing to challenge Democrats on-air. This pattern reflects a broader conservative frustration with Foxs news-side programming, which many on the right say has drifted leftward even as its prime-time opinion hosts remain popular with Republican viewers.
On May 10, as WorldNetDaily reported, Trump blasted Heinrich for what he saw as her failure to rebut claims by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., during an appearance on The Sunday Briefing. Venting on Truth Social, Trump wrote: The Sleazebag, Radical Left Congressman from the failed State of California, Ro Khanna, should not be allowed on FoxNews unless you have an anchor who is capable of disputing his lies, one after another, and closing down his FAKE (Bullsh**!) narrative, Trump on Truth Social.
Trumps anger intensified in a follow-up post that same day, where he accused Fox of allowing left-wing narratives to go unchallenged on its airwaves. He complained: You could listen to FoxNews all day long, absolutely devour it, but then, when you hear SLEAZEBAGS, like Congressman Ro Khanna, a wolf in sheeps 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!
He then broadened his criticism to include other liberal figures frequently featured on Fox, arguing that the network is inadvertently legitimizing them. Why would Fox put SCUM like this on, or others, such as Low Rated Bill Maher, who gains credibility by constant referral to him as though he were a Liberal source of Wisdom, or very Low IQ Hakeem Jeffries, who considers the Supreme Court illegitimate, and probably hates our Country. No matter how Fair and Balanced the days News at Fox may be, the end result is destroyed by professional Liars, Conmen, and Liberal, Crooked Politicians. This is why MAGA Republicans, who are actually close to 100% of the Party, hate Fox, despite the wonderful contributions made by so many of their great anchors and commentators. Hard to win Elections like this!
Earlier this month, as WorldNetDaily noted, Trump again took aim at Fox for elevating HBO host Bill Maher, a longtime critic of conservatives and Christianity. He argued that conservative outlets undermine their own cause when they repeatedly showcase liberal pundits who mock Republican voters and their values, saying: I hate seeing Fox, and other Conservative Outlets, constantly making Low Rated Bill Maher relevant as it pertains to the Republican Party, and beyond.
Trumps irritation with Fox has also extended to its coverage of Democratic candidates in deep-blue states, which he contends receive more favorable exposure than conservative challengers. Last month, the president slammed FNC for giving , one of several Democrats vying to replace Gavin Newsom for the Golden States top job.
He questioned the networks editorial judgment in a pointed Truth Social post. Why is FoxNews showing SLEAZEBAG Tom Steyer, doing a big piece on him right now, and probably putting him into play, instead of talking about Republican Candidates, and really good ones like Steve Hilton, and Republicans? Trump asked on Truth Social.
Trump then tied the media environment to what he views as systemic election vulnerabilities in Democrat-run states, particularly California. How can a Republican expect to win that State, with their Mail In Voting and Rigged Elections, when you have FoxNews promoting the Democrats?
His grievances with Foxs handling of Democrats are not new, and they have surfaced repeatedly when he believes the networks anchors fail to challenge progressive talking points. Last October, after he appeared on The Sunday Briefing, Trump ripped Fox anchor for refusing to push back against Democrat U.S. Sen. Mark Kellys claims about health care and the shutdown of the federal government.
Trumps distrust of the broader media ecosystem, including Fox, has also encompassed the polling industry, which he argues was weaponized against him in 2016 and 2020 to depress Republican turnout and shape public opinion. In April 2021, as WorldNetDaily reported, Trump said pollsters for major media companies including Fox News, the New York Times and Washington Post should be investigated for election fraud, as he expressed outrage at surveys about his approval rating.
For many conservatives, Trumps latest broadside against Heinrich and Fitzpatrick underscores a deeper divide between the Republican base and a Washington establishment still clinging to pre-Trump orthodoxies on immigration, foreign policy and deference to legacy media. As the 2024 election cycle intensifies, his message is unmistakable: Republicans who side with Democrats on core issues, or media figures who give the left a free pass, should expect to be called out by name and held accountable by the voters who now overwhelmingly identify with the MAGA movement.
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