The Five – "Anti-ICE Sniper Attack"

Date: September 24, 2025
Host & Panel: Jesse Watters, Paul Morrow, Jessica Tarlov, Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld
Podcast: FOX News Podcasts

Overview:

This episode tackles the aftermath of a sniper attack on an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) facility in Dallas, exploring links between political rhetoric and violence, media responsibility, freedom of speech controversies, and the viability of existing policies and security measures. The panel debates whether heightened political hostility is translating into radical action and the implications for both public discourse and law enforcement.

1. The Dallas ICE Sniper Attack

[01:04–05:35]

• Incident Recap: A gunman opened fire from a rooftop onto an ICE facility, hitting an unmarked van transporting migrants; one detainee was killed, two critically injured. The shooter committed suicide. Shell casings inscribed with “Anti ICE” were found at the scene. The facility had faced a bomb threat the prior month.

• Political and Media Response:

  • Senators Ted Cruz and JD Vance blamed Democrats' rhetoric for inciting violence against ICE.
  • Jesse Watters: “If your political rhetoric encourages violence against our law enforcement, you can go straight to hell.” [02:11]
  • Greg Gutfeld criticized labeling political opponents as Nazis, which he sees as providing tacit license for attacks.

• Panel Reactions:

  • Dana Perino expressed pessimism about the country's direction, acknowledging how both rhetoric and insular online communities are fueling violence:
    “Rhetoric against the people of ICE is not just endangering now ICE agents, but also the detainees.” [05:12]
  • Paul Morrow focused on operational limits, noting ICE lacks resources for “deep prophylactic intel” and called for:
    • Better threat monitoring
    • Consideration of a federal domestic terrorism law:
      “We need a domestic terrorism law. We use that phrase... But... we don’t have much of the capacity for that.” [06:27]
    • He referenced previous ideological crimes tied to left-wing actors (citing perpetrators by name).

2. The Rhetoric Blame Game: Are Both Sides at Fault?

[08:22–14:29]

• Responsibility for Violent Rhetoric:

  • Jesse Watters challenged Jessica Tarlov regarding her party’s rhetoric against ICE.
  • Jessica Tarlov rebuked the overuse of terms like “fascist” but argued, “It has become too common...That is a both sides problem.” [08:34]

• Greg Gutfeld and Jessica Tarlov Spar:

  • Greg Gutfeld dismissed the equivalence: “On one hand you have the hard left and on the other hand you have the left. Why are you the both sides of the same coin?... There is no both sides.” [09:26]
  • Jessica Tarlov insisted young, mostly white men—motivated by online nihilism and potentially inflamed by community or political messages—are responsible for many recent tragedies.
  • Repeated heated exchanges around whether credible evidence supports the “both sides” argument.
  • Greg Gutfeld:
    “You label someone a fascist or a racist or a Nazi, it makes you free to attack them. And that has been the ideology from the start.” [12:01]
  • The discussion highlighted deep divides in assigning blame and interpreting data or motives.

3. Media, Apology, and Free Speech—The Jimmy Kimmel Segment

[15:34–17:00 and 17:06–23:19]

• Jimmy Kimmel’s Return: Kimmel returned after a four-day suspension for suggesting Charlie Kirk’s killer was MAGA-affiliated.

  • He offered regret, not a full apology:
    “For those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset. I don’t think the murderer…represents anyone.” (Kimmel via Tarlov, [15:50])
  • Jesse Watters was unimpressed and called it “not really an apology” and suggested market forces, not censorship, should dictate Kimmel’s future. “He has a right to say whatever he wants. He doesn’t have a right to a job in network television.” [18:01]

• Panel Critiques of Media & Censorship:

  • Jessica Tarlov: Trump’s public criticism of Kimmel may have made him “unfirable,” effectively making him a lightning rod in the ongoing First Amendment debate. “Now he has become…the avatar for this fight about the First Amendment and government overreach.” [20:07]
  • Paul Morrow: Criticized the lack of ideological diversity among late-night hosts, lamented network “hyper-left” bias. “If you’re going to invoke the First Amendment…even the playing field, give us one.” [22:06]

• Greg Gutfeld:

  • Highlighted the contrast in media’s treatment of murdered conservatives versus embattled progressive media figures: “They take something real, like a true martyrdom and they turn it into this performative fakery. Charlie Kirk was brutally murdered…the ultimate denial of free speech.” [24:12]

4. Kamala Harris’ "107 Days": Loyalty, Blame, and Memoir Critiques

[26:21–33:34]

• Kamala Harris’ Book Tour:

  • Audio played from Harris, emphasizing imperfection and reflection.
  • Dana Perino: Characterized the book as “a typical book tour,” doubted its impact, and noted Harris failed to demonstrate loyalty to voters (“the loyalty should have been to the Voters of this country” [29:44]).

• Jessica Tarlov: Viewed the book as Harris’ “swan song,” lacking vision for the future: “From what I have seen, what is lacking for me is kind of like a vision for the future or…ideas about what we can do better.” [29:57]

• Jesse Watters: Found the book’s gossip enjoyable but doubted its seriousness, ridiculed Harris’ self-presentation as always the most sensible person in her anecdotes.

• Greg Gutfeld: Warned that memoirs should not be blindly trusted when quoting the author’s own supposed wisdom: “Never believe people when they quote themselves because they’re the least reliable.” [32:14]

5. UN Escalator Scandal & Macron Blocked

[33:53–39:58]

• Trump’s UN Escalator Incident:

  • Debate ensued about whether the escalator and teleprompter malfunction was sabotage or accident.
  • Paul Morrow: Expressed skepticism about the “sabotage” theory, blaming instead the decrepitude of the UN building.
  • Dana Perino: Advised dropping the story and praised Trump’s substantive UN appearance.

• Macron’s Traffic Blockade:

  • French President Macron called Trump after getting stuck in NYC traffic.
  • Panel joked about the universality of gridlock and run-ins with NYPD.
  • Dana Perino:
    “It’s so New York. It’s so America…It affects everyone. Even the president of France.” [38:11]
  • Paul Morrow: Added NYPD anecdotes, highlighting the equalizing effect of city logistics.

6. “One More Thing” – Lighthearted Closer

[40:17–42:22]

• Quaint stories: Dana shared a Spanish cat sanctuary; Greg aired Chilean puppy parades; Jesse showed Kilauea volcano footage; Jessica congratulated a friend’s NASA selection—offering a moment of levity after heated political debate.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jesse Watters:
  “If your political rhetoric encourages violence against our law enforcement, you can go straight to hell.” [02:11]

• Paul Morrow:
  “We need a domestic terrorism law…We don’t have the mechanism.” [06:27]

• Jessica Tarlov:
  “Fascism and fascists is a very special category…and it has become too common…That is a both sides problem.” [08:34]

• Greg Gutfeld:
  “On one hand you have the hard left and on the other hand you have the left…There is no both sides.” [09:26]
  “You label someone a fascist…makes you free to attack them. And that has been the ideology from the start.” [12:01]

• Dana Perino:
  “The loyalty should have been to the voters of this country.” [29:44]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• ICE Sniper Attack News & Reactions: [01:04–05:35]
• Domestic Terrorism Law/Enforcement Needs: [05:35–08:22]
• Political Rhetoric & Blame Debate: [08:22–14:29]
• Jimmy Kimmel/Misplaced Apology Segment: [15:34–24:12]
• Kamala Harris Book/Memoir Debate: [26:21–33:34]
• UN Escalator Incident: [33:53–39:58]
• Macron Blockade Anecdote: [37:43–39:58]
• One More Thing (Animals, Volcano, NASA): [40:17–42:22]

Conclusion

This episode of "The Five" offered a rapid-fire, contentious debate on the dangerous intersection of inflammatory rhetoric, political violence, and the responsibilities of public figures and media, while also veering into lighter cultural commentary. Listeners are left with a sense of urgency around domestic security, a wary eye on the tone of American discourse, and the reminder that real-world consequences flow from how leaders frame their adversaries.