Donald Trump went after Jacqui Heinrich by name on Truth Social on Sunday, escalating a fresh round of criticism of after the co-anchor of The Sunday Briefing interviewed Rep. Ro Khanna. Trump had already hinted at the same grievance about an hour and a half earlier, saying Khanna should not be allowed on unless someone capable of disputing his claims was doing the questioning.
In his post, Trump said Khanna lied “without any pushback, or competent rebuttal” from Heinrich and singled her out as the reason the interview fell flat. He also said Fox should not put people such as Khanna, Bill Maher or House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries on the channel, arguing that “MAGA Republicans,” whom he described as close to 100% of the party, hate Fox because its coverage is undone by “professional Liars, Conmen, and Liberal, Crooked Politicians.”
Trump’s attack was not a one-off burst. He has been regularly bashing recently, including last week when he criticized the channel over a segment on Bill Maher’s interview with California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Real Time. Sunday’s post kept the focus on a familiar complaint from Trump: that Fox gives a platform to Democrats and other critics he believes are not being challenged hard enough.
The immediate spark was Khanna’s appearance on ’s The Sunday Briefing, where Trump said the California Democrat tried to take credit for the steel industry “pouring back into the U.S.” Trump instead claimed he had saved the industry through tariffs and attacked Khanna as a “sleazebag” and a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” He wrote that the day’s news at Fox may be “Fair and Balanced,” but the network’s end result is ruined by guests and commentators he views as hostile to him.
The friction in Trump’s criticism is familiar, but the timing matters. He is not only attacking a guest who challenged his record; he is also naming the anchor who allowed the exchange to air, signaling that his complaint is now as much about the broadcaster as the politician. That matters because his posts can shape how his supporters view conservative media outlets that do not fully mirror his message.
For Heinrich, the episode is a reminder that even a routine Sunday interview can become a target when Trump decides the exchange did not go his way. For Fox, it is another sign that the former president is willing to keep pressuring the network publicly, even as he continues to treat it as a major stage for his message.
