Podcast Summary: The Five

Episode: 7 Million People Estimated At Weekend “No Kings” Protest
Date: October 20, 2025
Host: Dana Perino, with Jesse Watters, Katie Pavlich, Jessica Tarlov, Greg Gutfeld

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the weekend's widespread "No Kings" protests, in which organizers claim more than 7 million people demonstrated against former President Trump across all 50 states, with especially large turnouts in major cities. The hosts debate the significance, makeup, and political implications of the protests, discuss President Trump’s law-and-order response to urban unrest, and take on topics ranging from California governance to the theft of Napoleon’s crown jewels in France.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "No Kings" Protest: Scope, Significance, & Skepticism

• Main Topic: Reports of over 7 million Americans protesting Trump’s leadership and alleged authoritarian tendencies; debates about the actual impact and demographics.
• Dana Perino introduces the protest coverage, noting older participants and lack of visible Gen Z presence.
  • [00:55] “Gen Z, though, must have been at brunch…older demonstrators were out in large numbers among other colorful characters.”
• Jesse Watters offers a dismissive take:
  • [03:02] “I know my mom was there… sometimes I think I was adopted. The issues change, but the one thing that stays the same is Trump. They think this guy’s like crack cocaine…this has been bad for their health. They’ve lost the culture, they’ve lost the media, they’ve lost two of the last three elections, they’ve lost all power in Washington and they've lost their minds.”
  • [04:24] “They love the government telling them what to do. Give me a shot. Take over my healthcare. Tell me what not to say.”
• Jessica Tarlov describes attending the Times Square rally:
  • [05:26] “It was very peaceful. Police officers were having a good time…a lot about the importance of human rights and civil rights.”
  • [06:42] “As of the count right now, it was 5 million in June, now 7 million this time.”
• Dana Perino questions the protest numbers’ credibility:
  • [07:53] “I interrupted Jessica because I keep hearing the number 7 million and nobody ever supplies the backup sentence…There is no official accounting. When you go and you look for it, it's from the organizers.”
  • [09:55] “This is an imaginary solution to an imaginary problem...Crime, drugs, immigration are real things that generate statistics...You can't measure authoritarianism.”

Memorable Moment & Quote

• Greg Gutfeld on the protest demographic:
  • [08:09] “This is the parade of the woke white liberals...the same people you've seen cause shopping for years and years. They just show up when they feel like they have something to say, even if it’s counterintuitive to what they’ve been saying or believed in.”
• Perino wraps up the protest coverage:
  • [13:06] “How lucky are they that they get to spend their afternoon not worrying about the things that everybody who lives in a city does?”

2. President Trump’s Law-and-Order Push & Controversy over Using Force

• Trump responds to latest unrest & ICE facility riot (Chicago):
  • [14:46] “President Trump’s not giving up on restoring order. Vowing to save Democrat cities...He says San Fran’s next and toying with the I word to get it done.”
  • [15:25] Trump (clip): “I can use the Insurrection Act.”
• Debate over National Guard/Insurrection Act:
  • [16:06] Dana and Greg discuss Marc Benioff’s (Salesforce CEO) walk-back after suggesting Trump send the National Guard to San Francisco.
  • Greg Gutfeld: [16:06] “It’s funny, like how we saw night and day with the no kings and then the stuff happening at night. The media shows the day, it doesn't show the night because the night doesn't fit their narrative.”
  • [17:50] Jesse Watters: “It really proves the point that for years we’ve been told illegal immigration has nothing to do with crime, when in fact we are finding out it’s actually the undercurrent of a lot of this violence that is happening in New York and Chicago.”

3. City Crises—San Francisco, Houston Comparisons, and Blue City Governance

• Debate on city safety and political spin:
  • [18:32] Katie Pavlich: “He [Houston mayor] basically is like, why does everybody want to fight?…He wants the scooters off the sidewalks, he wants the loud music to stop in the neighborhoods and he just wants crime to go down.”
  • [19:39] Jessica Tarlov: “Daniel Lurie, the mayor [of San Francisco], does a ton of social media…running a very transparent administration. He’s riding around on the trolley showing everyone what’s going on.”
  • Perino expresses skepticism about “transparency over substance” and returns to crime as the root concern.
  • [20:34] Jessica: “…majorities of Americans oppose deploying the National Guard and Donald Trump is double digits underwater on immigration.”

4. California Politics: Gavin Newsom vs. Joe Rogan

• Gavin Newsom targets Joe Rogan after Rogan mocks California governance.
  • [25:12] Greg Gutfeld: “It’s a battle for the manosphere. Gavin Newsom picking a fight with Joe Rogan…calling him a snack sized podcaster…”
  • [27:11] Jesse Watters: “It is good PR to bark at the number one podcaster. It creates headlines... But California is like a Lamborghini…It’s a beautiful car. Treat it like a beautiful car...Now, the number one complaint is the quality of life in paradise.”
  • [28:43] Dana Perino: “California is this incredible supermodel, and Gavin is like, this greasy, rich dude who thinks…he’s somehow special because she’s on his arm for that one event.”

Counterpoint

• [30:28] Jessica Tarlov: “The economy did go from in California—it was the sixth biggest in the world for Gavin Newsom, and now it’s the fourth biggest, which does seem like a change in the positive direction…Are there issues? Homelessness, crime? Yes. Is it getting better? Trending in the right direction? For sure.”

5. Political Memoir: Karine Jean-Pierre's Book & Loyalty to Biden

• Discussion on White House Press Secretary KJP’s memoir and party defection:
  • [32:55] “KJP also making the rounds to say that President Applesauce [Biden] should have never dropped out.”
  • [33:36] Jessica Tarlov: “You gotta pick a lane if you're trying to sell a Biden book. And this is no lane that anyone wants to travel on.”
  • [35:39] Jesse Watters: “No, it’s a loyalty play. So no one will hire her because the Democrats think she’s the face of the COVID up … No, she has no talent and she's a DEI hire.”

6. Heist at the Louvre: Napoleon’s Crown Jewels

• Lighthearted discussion on major museum robbery:
  • [38:02] “Suspected robbers…snatching priceless jewels that once belonged to Napoleon…they took off on electric scooters, which we hate…” [Jessica Tarlov]
  • [38:40] Jesse Watters: “Why do we hate people that do smash and grabs at malls and hate people that steal large sums of money from the government. But we love thieves who break into museums in Europe and steal priceless artifacts and jewelry? … it’s in our DNA rooting for thieves. Because the bad guy here, the real bad guy, is the museum.”
  • [39:21] Dana Perino: “Number one, this is one of the biggest heists in France since Macron had his jewels taken. By the way, I do believe it's an inside job for insurance reasons.”

Notable Quotes & Timed Highlights

• [05:18] “You don’t like, they’re walking around with a 1619 Project in their pocket.” — Katie Pavlich
• [08:09] “This is the parade of the woke white liberals. It's the same people you’ve seen cause shopping for years and years and years.” — Greg Gutfeld
• [13:06] “Imagine how lucky you are on a Saturday that this is your problem.” — Dana Perino
• [16:06] “The media shows the day, it doesn’t show the night because the night doesn’t fit their narrative.” — Greg Gutfeld
• [27:11] “California is like a Lamborghini…It’s a beautiful car. Treat it like a beautiful car.” — Jesse Watters
• [35:39] “No, it’s a loyalty play… No, she has no talent and she’s a DEI hire… She's loyal to Biden because she was a DEI hire.” — Jesse Watters
• [38:40] “Why do we hate people that do smash and grabs at malls…but we love thieves who break into museums in Europe and steal priceless artifacts?” — Jesse Watters

Tone & Style

The discussion is fast-paced, sarcastic, and at times playful, maintaining "The Five’s" characteristic blend of political irreverence, humorous asides, and on-air banter. Sharp distinctions between left and right perspectives are constantly highlighted, with regular interjections and pointed questions among the group.

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [00:55–03:50] – Introduction and Demographics of the "No Kings" protest
• [05:26–07:40] – Analysis & debate on protest turnout, organizing, and impact
• [09:53–13:48] – Broader implications: “Imaginary solutions to imaginary problems”
• [14:46–17:50] – Trump’s response to unrest and law & order narrative
• [18:32–20:21] – Blue cities, effectiveness of Democratic mayors
• [25:12–31:46] – Newsom vs. Rogan, California exodus, and political branding
• [32:55–37:22] – Karine Jean-Pierre’s memoir, Biden White House, media spinning
• [38:02–40:35] – Louvre jewelry heist and humorous reflections

Final Thoughts

This episode showcases “The Five” at their energetic, opinionated, and unscripted best, using current events—especially the massive anti-Trump rally—to launch into wider debates about protest efficacy, party morale, contemporary city governance, and media narratives. The panel's persistent skepticism (especially on protest attendance figures and Democratic strategies) merges with satirical takes on American politics and culture, offering listeners both critique and comic relief.