President Trump attacked Rep. Ro Khanna over a Fox News interview, arguing he should not appear unless an anchor can challenge him.
President Donald Trump renewed his long-running feud with Fox News on Sunday by targeting Rep.. Ro Khanna. saying the California Democrat “should not be allowed” on the right-leaning network unless the interview is conducted by someone Trump believes can actively challenge what he called Khanna’s “lies.”
In a Truth Social post. Trump complained that Khanna—whom he described in harsh terms as a radical liberal—was being presented without enough pushback to prevent what he characterized as a “fake” narrative.. He framed the dispute as a matter of who gets to appear on television and how aggressively an interview host should confront a lawmaker’s claims.
Trump also went after Khanna’s stance on industrial policy and the steel sector. accusing him of trying to take credit for the steel industry investing more in the United States “on behalf of the” Democrats.. Trump argued that Khanna’s credit-taking ignores what he claims was damage done during a prior period when. in Trump’s view. the steel industry was effectively harmed. and that the current rebound is tied to Trump’s own actions.
The president specifically credited “strong Tariffs” with improving the situation. saying the country was “dead” during the last administration and is now “hotter than ever before.” His language was part of a familiar political framing: attributing manufacturing gains to his trade approach while portraying Democrats as trying to claim credit they did not earn.
Trump further bashed Khanna by comparing him to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. suggesting Khanna was. in Trump’s view. even worse than Jeffries. though he gave Khanna a grudging acknowledgment of having a “somewhat higher IQ.” The remarks underscored how Trump’s criticism in this case extends beyond policy disagreements into personal and ideological characterizations.
The post arrived roughly five hours after Khanna appeared on Fox News in an interview on “The Sunday Briefing. ” where co-anchor Jacqui Heinrich spoke with the congressman.. In that conversation. Khanna said he was “horrified” after seeing Chinese steel used at the Port of Cleveland. and he questioned why the materials were not coming from Cleveland-Cliffs or other American firms.
Khanna also urged Trump to make the case more directly to Chinese President Xi Jinping that China needs to halt investing in manufacturing inside the United States.. That recommendation fits into a broader push by lawmakers who argue that U.S.. trade policy should directly address the flow of investment and supply chains, not just tariffs or immediate import levels.
Trump’s criticism of Fox News has been frequent in recent weeks. and this latest clash adds to a pattern of public disagreement over how the network covers interviews and political debates.. He previously criticized Fox News for a segment that included praise for Bill Maher’s interview with California Gov.. Gavin Newsom. a Democrat. highlighting that Trump’s tension with the network is not limited to a single guest or segment.
For Khanna, the stakes are both policy and messaging.. By pressing for clarity on why Chinese steel is showing up at an Ohio port and urging tougher direct diplomacy with Beijing. he was presenting a case that U.S.. industrial resurgence should come with stronger safeguards.. Trump. meanwhile. is treating the interview as an opportunity to insist that Democrats are attempting to reclaim credit for changes he attributes to his own tariff-driven trade strategy.
In the immediate term. the dispute also reflects how cable news appearances are becoming battlegrounds for control over the narrative on manufacturing and trade.. Trump’s demand for an anchor he considers “capable of disputing” Khanna’s claims suggests he views the format of interviews—who challenges whom—as central to how voters understand the policy record and competing explanations for economic change.
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Trump Fox News Ro Khanna interview Truth Social post U.S. steel tariffs Chinese steel Port of Cleveland Xi Jinping