President Donald Trump publicly targeted the fiancé of a Fox News White House correspondent during a tense exchange with reporters Wednesday, warning that Republicans who oppose him politically often face consequences.
The comments came after Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich asked Trump about a recent phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while reporters gathered at Joint Base Andrews.
Scroll down for video of the exchange
Instead of answering directly, Trump repeatedly shifted attention to Heinrich’s fiancé, Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.
“Her husband votes against me all the time. Can you imagine?” Trump said while gesturing toward Heinrich.
“I don’t know what’s with him. You better ask him what’s with him,” Trump continued. “Her husband — she’s married to a certain congressman and he likes voting against Trump.”
“You know what happens with that, doesn’t work out well,” Trump added.
The remarks came one day after Trump-backed challengers scored a high-profile victory against Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie, another Republican who frequently broke with the president.
Fitzpatrick, a moderate Republican representing a swing district in Pennsylvania, has recently opposed several Trump-backed initiatives.
Among them was a White House funding request that included nearly $220 million tied to a ballroom project favored by Trump.
Fitzpatrick has also criticized a proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund tied to people Trump says were targeted by political “lawfare” during the Biden administration.
“It’s bad news. We’re going to try to kill it,” Fitzpatrick told reporters about the proposal.
Critics from both parties have blasted the fund, with opponents describing it as politically motivated and unprecedented.
Trump defended the proposal by arguing it would compensate people who were “horribly treated.”
During Wednesday’s exchange, Trump repeatedly returned to Fitzpatrick even as reporters attempted to move to other topics.
“I get along with everybody but your husband and a few others,” Trump said at one point to Heinrich.
Heinrich, 37, and Fitzpatrick, 52, announced their engagement earlier this year.
WATCH video of the exchange below:
