Podcast Summary: The Five

Episode: Anti-ICE Lunatics Storm Church in MN
Date: January 19, 2026
Host & Panel: Dana Perino, Emily Compagno, Jessica Tarlov, Brian Kilmeade, Greg Gutfeld
Source: FOX News Podcasts

Overview

This episode of The Five dives into several hot-button issues: a controversial protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota by anti-ICE activists; reactions to local law enforcement and ICE operations; deep debates on the Democrats' and Republicans' positions leading up to the 2026 midterm elections; the polarizing trans athletes in women's sports issue; and spiky commentary on cancel culture, media figures, and current polling.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Minnesota Church Protest: Anti-ICE Activists Storm Sanctuary

[00:19–07:08]

• Incident Recap:
  Left-wing activists stormed a church in St. Paul, protesting because they thought the pastor was collaborating with ICE. Don Lemon was present during the chaos, reporting as events unfolded.

• Panel Debate:

  • Jessica Tarlov suggests the protestors believe they're acting out of love and community:
    • "We are standing up for one another. You've got neighbors helping neighbors. You've got people uniting and coming together in this beautiful way." (02:00)
  • Emily Compagno robustly argues the protest was criminal and should be prosecuted:
    • "If I were a federal prosecutor, I would charge them with interference of free exercise of religion, violations of the Civil Rights act..." (02:22)
    • Calls for severe consequences up to firing, deplatforming, and social shunning for involved protestors.
    • Praises a woman caught on video calmly praying in the midst of the chaos as the true Christian example.

• ICE Agent Soundbite:

  • "That vehicle right there is honking and impeding our investigations while we're trying to..." (04:28)
  • Jessica interjects: "...arrest a child sex offender. That's who you guys are protecting." (04:32)

• Panel's Consensus:

  • Most argue such protests in a place of worship are counterproductive, making the protestors' cause seem unreasonable to the general public; draw comparisons to climate protesters blocking highways. (04:39, 04:56)

2. Broader Context: Law Enforcement & Political Reaction

[07:08–09:24]

• Potential Spread:

  • Emily: "It seems like it's just getting started...I think it's gonna spread to other cities." (07:10)
  • Discussion of differing attitudes between police cooperators and non-cooperators with ICE.

• Narrative of Fear vs. Reality:

  • Brian Kilmeade criticizes officials for stoking fears among illegal immigrants and taking insufficient action:
    • "The only reason they're afraid to go to the supermarket is because they're an illegal immigrant. They're not going to get scooped up buying celery at the supermarket." (05:48)

• Statistics Disputed:

  • Kristi Noem cited as noting a high proportion of those ICE targets are convicted or charged criminals.

• Law Enforcement Frustration:

  • Brian laments police not supporting other law enforcement efforts inside the church; calls for standing up for law and order.

3. Underlying Social Factors: The 'Rescue Fantasy' Argument

[09:48–14:09]

• Greg Gutfeld's Theory:

  • Frames modern protest activity—particularly among white, liberal women—as driven by a "rescue fantasy":
    • "It is about suicidal empathy that is driven by a rescue fantasy. You have all of these young, middle aged women...in this kind of rescue delusion, helping people they don't know, strangers who are guilty of crimes." (09:56)
  • Argues these actions replace traditional sources of meaning with activism—“Your life is meaningless unless you're out there screaming at a cop's face.” (13:08)

• Criticism of Political Leadership:

  • Asserts that local leaders are caving to activists. Greg’s take:
    • "Fry's a pussy. He's scared of these people, or else he would stand up for it, calling it love. There's no such thing as a mob with love." (12:46)

4. 2026 Midterm Elections: Polls, Messaging, and Party Weaknesses

[15:16–24:01]

• Polling & Predictions:

  • Wall Street Journal poll: Republicans currently trusted more on the economy, foreign policy, even tariffs. (15:16)
  • James Carville is quoted predicting a Democratic sweep—panel is skeptical, calling his track record unreliable.

• Key Issues:

  • Dana Perino: Dems ignoring critical issues like economic security, instead focusing on dogmatic or divisive policies.
  • Jessica Tarlov notes Dems still lead on healthcare, despite poor polling on economy, security, and immigration.

• Turnout vs. Policy:

  • The team agrees that turnout will decide the results, not just policy alignment. Motivation and forgiving previous polling misses are discussed.

5. Trans Athletes in Women’s Sports: A Culture War Flashpoint

[24:35–31:44]

• ACLU Ad & Dem Contenders' Silence:

  • Dana replays a new advert supporting trans women’s participation in women’s sports; notes the reluctance of 2028 Dem hopefuls to address the topic.

• Emily Compagno:

  • Strongly critical:
    • "Elite voices are not voter voices. And that commercial is so out of touch and it's so deeply offensive..." (25:49)
    • "Fairness is being reframed as hate... The public is ahead of this. Courts and voters have said absolutely not." (26:47)

• Greg Gutfeld:

  • Satirical and cutting:
    • "You know that her entire team was beaten by a team of 15 year old boys." (re: Megan Rapinoe) (27:40)
    • "On this pyramid of identity politics, the man who claims he's a woman is on top." (27:54)

• Debate Over the Issue’s Salience:

  • Panel doubts that mainstream voters are swayed by activist celebrity voices and suspect the Democrats will be out-of-step with the public if they continue to avoid the issue.

6. Cancel Culture & Forgiveness

[32:36–37:49]

• Matt Damon & Ben Affleck on Joe Rogan:

  • Damon and Affleck lament the permanence of cancel culture:
    • "When you go to jail, you settle your debts. When you come out, society has said, okay, you're ready to come back, but that with Cancel Culture, it's permanent." –Dana Perino paraphrasing Damon (33:25)
  • Emily highlights the isolated pain of social ostracism and loss-of-career over minor offenses.

• Greg Gutfeld:

  • Claims The Five was ahead of the curve warning about this trend:
    • "There was this movement coming up. It was like a population that found joy in hate. And the one thing that they did not have or offer was forgiveness." (36:20)
  • He touts a need for solidarity (“share the risk”) when cancel mobs strike:
    • "If somebody comes after Brian, I will defend him... And that's how it works." (36:55)

• Brian Kilmeade:

  • Notes that Hollywood elites fueled the cancel culture only to be shocked by its blowback on themselves.

7. Life & Culture: Early Risers, Sleep Health, and More

[38:00–39:57]

• Lighthearted discussion about myths of productivity around getting up at 5 a.m., differences in work schedules, and personal anecdotes on sleep habits.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Emily Compagno, legal fury:
  "If I were a federal prosecutor, I would charge them with interference of free exercise of religion, violations of the Civil Rights act, violations of the Face act..." (02:22)

• Greg Gutfeld, on rescue activism:
  "This isn't about immigration. It isn't about ICE. It isn't about Trump. It is about suicidal empathy that is driven by a rescue fantasy." (09:56)

• Jessica Tarlov, on protest motives:
  "We are standing up for one another. You've got neighbors helping neighbors. You've got people uniting... in this beautiful way." (02:00)

• On cancel culture’s permanence:
  (Dana Paraphrasing Damon, 33:25)
  "When you go to jail, you settle your debts. When you come out, society has said, okay, you're ready to come back, but that with Cancel Culture, it's permanent."

• Greg Gutfeld, on the ACLU & trans athletes:
  "You know that her entire team was beaten by a team of 15 year old boys." (27:40)

• Emily Compagno, on the Dem party’s blind spots:
  "I continue to be shocked by the fact that the Democrat Party seems to not see that the issues that they prioritize...are the ones that are fundamental..." (22:13)

Timestamps to Important Segments

• [00:19–07:08] — Minnesota church protest, protest motives, and legal accusations
• [07:08–09:24] — Spread of protests, law enforcement debates, ICE and police dynamics
• [09:48–14:09] — Greg Gutfeld: 'rescue fantasy', gender, activism, and culture critique
• [15:16–24:01] — 2026 midterm election predictions, polling analysis, party strengths and weaknesses
• [24:35–31:44] — Men's participation in women’s sports, ACLU ad, Democratic candidate silence, public backlash
• [32:36–37:49] — Matt Damon on cancel culture, forgiveness, panel’s personal takes
• [38:00–39:57] — Early rising and sleep habits of the panel

Tone & Language

The panel maintains an assertive, conversational, often sarcastic and combative tone, typical for The Five. Speakers do not hold back in their opinions, frequently use humor or derision, and occasionally veer into personal critique or cultural commentary. The broadcast is lively, with quick exchanges and pointed arguments.

Summary Usefulness

This summary captures the breadth and flavor of the episode for listeners who missed it, highlighting both the main topics and the energy with which they were debated. For listeners seeking a digest of the latest news controversies—with candid views and the trademark Five frisson—this summary delivers both content and context.