Day 17 In Desperate Search for Nancy Guthrie

Summary

The Five — Detailed Episode Summary

Episode Title: Day 17 In Desperate Search for Nancy Guthrie
Date: February 17, 2026
Podcast: The Five – FOX News Podcasts
Panelists/Hosts: Kennedy, Harold Ford Jr., Lawrence Jones, Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters
Guest Correspondent: Jonathan Hunt

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Overview

This episode dives into the latest news on the high-stakes search for missing woman Nancy Guthrie, then pivots to hard-hitting animated debate and critique about Democratic politicians’ overseas performances, President Trump’s 2026 “affordability tour,” transgender violence and gun policy debates, Rosie O’Donnell’s return to the U.S., and the newly surfaced “erotic poetry” of Congressman Eric Swalwell. The panel blends sharp analysis, humor, and memorable quotes to break down the day’s top controversies and urgent national debates.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Nancy Guthrie Disappearance Update

Timestamps: [00:34] – [03:22]
Main Points:

• DNA Dead Ends: The panel opens with a “Fox News alert” – Day 17 of the search has brought no DNA matches from evidence found at Nancy’s home and on a glove located two miles away.
  • “A disappointing setback… there is no match in the federal database for the DNA.” – Kennedy [00:35]
  • Jonathan Hunt relays the sheriff’s confirmation: the DNA is not in CODIS (Combined DNA Index System), meaning no hits, stalling the investigation. [01:15–01:52]
  • Genealogical testing is mentioned as the next investigative step.
• Crime Profile: Sheriff, per Hunt, leans toward a “targeted kidnapping,” not a burglary, though there are no signs of Guthrie being taken to Mexico.
  • “I believe it was a kidnapping. I believe whoever did that knew what they were up to.” – Sheriff, via Lawrence Jones [02:48–02:53]

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2. Democrats’ ‘Overseas Selfie Tour’ in Germany & Foreign Policy Gaffes

Timestamps: [03:22] – [13:52]
Main Points:

• Panel Roasts AOC & Gavin Newsom:

  • Kennedy dubs their attendance at the Munich Security Conference “the unofficial kickoff for 2028,” ridiculing them for appearing “like interns on their first day.” [03:22]
  • Panel critiques AOC’s awkward answers and Newsom’s “bad look for the country.”
  • “The socialist rep not happy with how her word linguini turned her into a global laughingstock…” – Kennedy [04:14]

• Notable Gaffes Highlighted:

  • AOC claims American cowboys originated in Spain—panel finds the remark ignorant:
    • “The Mexicans and descendants of African enslaved peoples would like to have a word…” – Kennedy [04:53]
    • “She’s a direct descendant of the guy that brought the horses to Mexico…Cortez… and then later gave us an ass.” – Harold Ford Jr. [07:46]
  • AOC’s muddled defense of Venezuela’s Maduro and flubs on China, Taiwan, and basic global politics are lampooned.
  • Kennedy compares AOC’s missteps to Kamala Harris':
    • “If Kamala Harris had a flub, she would say… injustice and inequality… then flub the answer, and then you are a racist and a sexist because you noticed.” – Dana Perino [05:33]

• Reflecting on U.S. Politicians vs. Overseas Reality:

  • “Democrats are blessed with the binary filter… but once you step outside the country, that equality evaporates…” – Greg Gutfeld [08:01]
  • The panel contrasts AOC and Newsom’s struggles with Marco Rubio’s successful foreign policy reception in Europe.

• Meta-commentary on Political Training:

  • “The Democrats have a training wheels problem. They have a press that always guides them.” – Jesse Watters [10:06]
  • “What she did in her prep was rehearse. She didn’t learn… that’s why she paused.” – Watters [11:16]

• Suggestions for Better Democratic Representation:

  • “We have a number of Democrats in our party who are very smart, like Mark Warner and Jack Reed… I thought we did not put our best foot forward.” – Harold Ford Jr. [12:16]

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3. Trump’s ‘Affordability Tour’ & The Language of ‘So-Called’ Politics

Timestamps: [15:05] – [23:12]
Main Points:

• Trump’s Message:

  • Trump returns to the campaign trail in Georgia, boasting economic achievements, especially on inflation and fuel prices.
  • “Prices are down, way down. Gasoline is less than $2 in many places…We inherited a mess and we’ve brought our country back…” – Harold Ford Jr. (quoting Trump) [15:19]

• Democratic Messaging Critiqued:

  • Mockery of Democrats’ overuse of the phrase “so-called” to delegitimize GOP initiatives.
  • “They always find one word and then they squeeze all the juice out of it. And then they wonder why no one listens to them anymore.” – Harold Ford Jr. [16:16]

• Affordability Issues Remain:

  • Despite positive economic news, real-world prices for consumer goods (citing the Wall St Journal) are rising due to tariffs, healthcare costs, and higher wages.
  • “All of the shutdowns is around illegals. The first shutdown was about health care for illegals. The second shut down was about ICE… now they’re fighting for the legals to vote.” – Jesse Watters [20:44]
  • Upcoming State of the Union will offer an “open field” for clear economic messaging.

• Long-term Economic Uncertainty:

  • Panel debates the impact and speed of incoming investment, AI, and potential market growth running up to the next election.

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4. Transgender Violence & Gun Policy Debate

Timestamps: [23:38] – [32:56]
Main Points:

• Rhode Island Rink Tragedy:

  • Panel discusses a mass shooting by a transgender individual, with Kennedy and Gutfeld framing the act as rooted in severe mental illness and failed intervention.
  • “If you’re thinking about killing your family and killing yourself, cut out the middleman. Just go ahead and kill yourself.” – Kennedy [26:05] (provocative and intentionally shocking commentary on media coverage)

• Transgender Rights, Mental Illness, & Gun Access:

  • Debate emerges on whether gender dysphoria should bar gun ownership:
    • “If you mentally think you’re someone that you’re not, that has to be addressed.” – Jesse Watters [27:38]
    • The panel broadly agrees mentally unstable people shouldn’t have firearms, regardless of their gender identity.
  • Gutfeld connects social acceptance of “self-identification” with the rise in violent incidents:
    • “It became a self-reported phenomenon where, if you said you were trans, you were trans… That activists… portrayed this as some kind of civil rights thing when it was a mental illness married to a social contagion.” – Greg Gutfeld [28:48]

• Potential for Agreement on Gun Control:

  • “If you are unstable and you are… whatever you are, we shouldn’t let you have a gun. If you beat your wife or you have a record, you shouldn’t be able to have [a gun].” – Harold Ford Jr. [30:18]
  • “We have finally reached a point, at least around this table, about where there are limitations to the Second Amendment.” – Lawrence Jones [32:27]

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5. Rosie O’Donnell Returns: ‘TDS Exile’ & The Psychology of Partisanship

Timestamps: [33:47] – [38:25]
Main Points:

• Rosie’s Dramatic Homecoming:

  • Panel mocks O’Donnell’s public explanation for returning from “self-imposed TDS exile” in Ireland, suggesting she left the U.S. over Trump’s reelection.
  • “I thought I was depressed about Trump. No. The weather was driving her crazy.” – Dana Perino [34:34]
  • “She is an ordinary person in Ireland, they’re not impressed by her. She has to be near [Trump]… That is her life force.” – Kennedy [35:17]

• Rich People’s Privilege:

  • The ability to move between countries is characterized as something only the wealthy can do.

• ‘Positive vs. Negative Thought’ Political Framework:

  • Gutfeld delivers a soliloquy on partisan psychology:
    • “The Democrats are the bad thought party… The good thought party is clearly the Republicans. America is a great place. Family, you should have a family… Power of positive thinking.” – Greg Gutfeld [36:23]
  • He connects “negative obsessional thinking” (TDS = Trump Derangement Syndrome) with Democrats’ political woes.
  • “TDS is a continuous build of negative obsessional thinking. People driven to violence… not from thinking positive.” – Gutfeld [38:10]

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6. Eric Swalwell’s ‘Secret Erotic Poetry’

Timestamps: [39:39] – [41:27]
Main Points:

• The internet recirculates poetry written by Congressman Eric Swalwell at 19, which the panel reads and lampoons for its pomposity and the double standard in media coverage versus Republicans.
  • “If Brett Kavanaugh’s high school diary is up for grabs, then so is Eric Swalwell’s. Creepy.” – Kennedy [40:45]
• Panel jokes about the tendency for liberal politicians (e.g., Bernie Sanders, Stacey Abrams) to write poetry in youth.

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7. Tribute & ‘One More Thing’

Timestamps: [41:41] – [42:10]
Main Points:

• Harold Ford Jr. pays tribute to the late Reverend Jackson, acknowledging his role as a civil rights leader and friend to presidents.
  • “He inspired me… God bless you and rest in peace.” – Harold Ford Jr. [41:43]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the search for Nancy Guthrie: “A disappointing setback on day 17… no match in the federal database for the DNA found.” – Kennedy [00:35]
• On Democratic foreign policy blunders: “She didn’t learn the material. And that’s why she paused. Everyone knows it.” – Jesse Watters [11:16]
• On political media bias: “The Democrats have a training wheels problem. They have a press that always guides them along the way. Any mistake, they’re there to catch them…” – Jesse Watters [10:06]
• On psychological gender identity & gun control: “If you mentally think you’re someone that you’re not, that has to be addressed.” – Jesse Watters [27:38]
• On positive vs negative partisanship: “The Democrats are the bad thought party… the good thought party is clearly the Republicans… That separation in thinking is explaining a lot…” – Greg Gutfeld [36:23]

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Segment Timestamps (Approximate)

• Search for Nancy Guthrie: [00:34] – [03:22]
• Democrats in Germany / Foreign Policy Critique: [03:22] – [13:52]
• Trump Affordability Tour / ‘So-Called’ Language: [15:05] – [23:12]
• Transgender Violence & Gun Rights: [23:38] – [32:56]
• Rosie O’Donnell Returns / Partisan Psychology: [33:47] – [38:25]
• Eric Swalwell Poetry: [39:39] – [41:27]
• Tribute / One More Thing: [41:41] – [42:10]

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Tone & Style

The episode is a trademark blend of sharp, humorous, and sometimes caustic commentary. The Five’s panelists riff off each other with political jabs, real-time pop culture references, and blunt takes, while occasionally pausing for earnest observations on policy and national life.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• This episode features up-to-the-minute reporting on the Nancy Guthrie disappearance and delivers unsparing critique of high-profile Democrats’ performance on the international stage.
• Expect the panel’s signature mix of wit, humor, and pointed analysis — particularly as they debate the limits of gun rights in light of mental illness, the realities of economic pain vs. political messaging, and the foibles of celebrity political activism.
• Notable is the willingness to entertain partial agreement on traditionally divisive issues, especially gun restrictions for the mentally ill, showing rare bipartisan consensus within the discussion.
• As always, the episode closes with “One More Thing,” this time honoring Reverend Jackson’s legacy, capping off a show oscillating between substantive debate and satirical banter.

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Transcript

[Jesse Watters]

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[Dana Perino]

Hello everyone.

[Kennedy]

I'm kennedy along with harold ford jr. Lawrence jones, dana perino and greg gutfeld. It's five o' clock in new york city and this is the five. Fox news alert. A disappointing setback on day 17 of the search for Nancy Guthrie. The Pima county sheriff saying that there is no match in the federal database for the DNA found in Nancy's home or on the glove picked up two miles away. Let's go right to Jonathan Hunt, who spoke with the sheriff himself, Jonathan.

[Jonathan Hunt]

Kennedy. Yeah, we did a wide ranging interview with the sheriff today and here, just minutes before we started the interview, concluded a briefing in which he was told that bad news, no match in the FBI database for the DNA found on that glove that was discovered a couple of miles away from Nancy Guthrie's home. Here's the sheriff talking about that. Listen here.

[Jesse Watters]

The DNA on the glove that was found two miles away was submitted for codis.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

And I just heard that CODIS had.

[Jonathan Hunt]

No hits, no hits on the DNA found in the glove.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Correct.

[Jonathan Hunt]

So you are no closer to a suspect as a result of the DNA test, at least as a result of codis. So then I asked the sheriff about the DNA that he had already told us had been found inside the house. He said they got no match on CODIS for that either. And that would mean, Kennedy, that whomever was inside the house left that DNA behind, has never committed the sort of crime or never been arrested for the sort of crime that would lead to their DNA being in that database. So that leaves them at something of a dead end there. At least they can now maybe look at genealogical testing, etc. I also asked the sheriff, by the way, whether in his 30 years or so of law enforcement, his gut was telling him this was a burglary or a kidnapping. Here he is on that. You just said you and your briefings, you believe it's a kidnapping.

[Lawrence Jones]

I believe it was a kidnapping.

[Jonathan Hunt]

Targeted kidnapping.

[Dana Perino]

Yes.

[Lawrence Jones]

I believe whoever did that knew what.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

They were up to.

[Jonathan Hunt]

So do you believe who they were after? So given that he believes it was a kidnapping, we also talked about whether he believed or there were any indications that Nancy Guthrie might have been taken south to the border with Mexico. And across that border, remember, it's only 60 miles or so south of Tucson. He said, and this is a quote, there are no indications of that at this point.

[Lawrence Jones]

Kennedy, great reporting.

[Kennedy]

Jonathan Hunt, thank you so much. We're going to be keeping a close eye on all of the latest developments and we will bring them to you now. In the meantime, let's talk about the Democrats overseas selfie tour in Germany, aka the unofficial kickoff for 2028. AOC and greasy gavs were strutting around like they were global power players, but ended up looking like interns on their first day. Now President Trump's blasting both of them for making America look bad overseas.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I watched AOC answering questions in Munich. This was not a good look for the United States. I watched Gavin Newskop answering questions for in Munich. And this was a bad look for our country. This was a bad. These two people are incompetent and at least Hillary's competent.

[Kennedy]

Well, that's a compliment. The socialist rep not happy with how her word linguini turned her into a global laughingstock. She told the New York Times, quote, everyone's got the story wrong, that this is about me running for president. To me, my opponents are the network that links Orban Trump and Milei Bolsonaro and all of these folks. Well, I'm pretty sure we got the story right. She's a total foreign policy nincompoop. The socialists racked up these gaffes.

[Dana Perino]

Watch.

[Kennedy]

My favorite part was when he said that American cowboys came from Spain.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I thought they came from Winnie too.

[Kennedy]

But I believe the Mexicans and descendants of African enslaved peoples would like to have a word on that. It is not a remark on who Maduro was as a leader. He canceled elections.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

He was an anti Democratic leader.

[Kennedy]

That doesn't mean that we can kidnap a head of state and engage in acts of war just because the nation is below the equator. The nation of Venezuela, where Maduro used to live. So Dana, what were Democrats hoping that AOC would deliver in this overseas trip?

[Dana Perino]

I don't think anybody really was like itching for her to go. She chose to go to the Munich Security Conference. That is not the Munich Affordability in the United States Conference that's being held in Munich. I also think it's hilarious that when Democrats run into A stumble. They can just call up the New York Times and get a, you know, that's okay, you're okay type of article written about it. But she has a kind of power. But the interesting thing is she's like, a lot like Kamala Harris. So if Kamala Harris had a flub, she would say, all I want to do is talk about injustice and inequality. And then she would be asked a question that she couldn't answer. She would flub the answer, and then you are a racist and a sexist because you noticed. So it wasn't just Fox News who was talking about aoc. Everybody was talking about aoc. She was talking about aoc. In the lead up to it, Gretchen Whitmer wasn't much better. I just think that for all of them, it's like, why are you going there? She says she went there to warn about the far right. Right. But she didn't even bother to have basic answers about Chinese aggression, the basic history of Mexico, which I think Greg's going to touch on, or where Venezuela is on a map. So she went there to warn about the right, and instead she ended up defending the communists in China and. And Maduro and Venezuela. Bravo, bravo, bravo.

[Kennedy]

Bravissimo. So, Greg, here she is on the global stage hoping to just check a box and to seem presidential, being around people from different countries with different agendas. And somehow the talking points that have gotten her this far would take her over that one finish line she's claimed.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

That she had prepped for. For months, which makes me think she doesn't know what the word prepped means. Because I think unless it meant pounding your head into a wall until your brain matter was like stovetop stuffing, I don't know. I do. The way she mocked J.D. vance, that, you know, the idea that American cowboys came from Spain, that. That was so stupid. She was. She's wrong. They were brought there, like, I don't know, in the 15th century by some guy. Get this. Do you know what his name is?

[Dana Perino]

Cortez.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Cortez. She's a direct descendant of the guy that brought the horses to Mexico and then to America. So weirdly enough, it was Cortez. You brought the horses, and then later gave us an ass. Anyway, I think the Democrats are blessed with the binary filter of being within our border, where Democrats and Republicans are kind of seen as intellectual equivalents because there are two. Two parties. But once you step outside the country, that equality evaporates, you know, on contact, it's like two guys playing Call of Duty. Then they Both go to war, but only one has real combat and experience and skills. That's when the Dems. That's what happens to the Dems when they leave the house and they venture outside and you see that they know nothing. And it's like on cable news. You know, you could. AOC and Gav can raise themselves up by sparring online with Trump and you might think they're in the ballpark, but they're not even in the same country. And I think the mistake since Obama was focusing on identity but not national. In fact, it was the opposite of national identity. It was splintered factions and causes, whether it was trans, illegal, rights, felon, justice, kind of activist driven, climate, pronouns, land, acknowledgement. So the Dems took this short term virtue signal and let everything else go to pot. So they became almost like the children in Lord of the Flies. They just start going after each other. And Republicans just by default look like adults, even if you disagree with them. And they have to return to the island to establish order. And the children hate it. But the problem with this identity politics is you only focus inward and not outward. They look like children because they are.

[Kennedy]

And it wasn't just Fox News, to Dana's point, that took notice of this. You know, CNN was also kind of raking AOC over the coals. But you have AOC and Gavin Newsom who go over and pretty much face plants. You know, either their foreign policy chops are very thin in her case, or incredibly outdated in Gavin Newsom's case when he's talking about doing wind deals with the uk. But contrast that with Marco Rubio. How was he received?

[Jesse Watters]

I mean, he hit it out of the park. He found a way to make MAGA foreign policy likable. And that's a hard thing to do when you're going into someone else's house. I'll say this, the Democrats have a training wheels problem. They have a press that always guides them along the way. Any mistake, they're there to catch them. Even in her demise of this terrible performance, what was that? The New York Times was right there and essentially coached her through that interview and was there to defend her. I think we also give the foreign policy crowd too much credit. At its core, when it comes to foreign policy and many of the issues, there is a problem that we all know and there's about three different solutions. You choose a lane on which solution that you agree with and then you understand why you came to that decision. The problem with this, I guess her generation of politics is the reason why you separate her from Hillary Clinton. And the president gave Hillary Clinton because she came from an age where women actually had to work hard, that there was not going to be training wheels for the. It's different in the Democratic Party right now. What she did in her prep was rehearse. She didn't learn. And there's a difference from regurgitation and learning the lines and then learning the material. She didn't learn the material. And that's why she paused. Everyone knows it. She's pausing to figure out, what did they teach me? What did they tell me? And she wasn't ready for prime time.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. It reminded me of her sit down with Margaret Hoover on Firing Line. When she was pressed on Hamas. She's like, I'm not really a foreign policy.

[Jesse Watters]

Yeah, we know.

[Kennedy]

So here you have the Democrats who were very critical of President Trump for focusing too much on foreign policy. He shifts to a domestic agenda, and now they're all overseas trying to grasp at straws with their own foreign vision. But, you know, I don't know what the Democrat Party showed in this conference.

[Lawrence Jones]

Well, first off, it's good to be with you. The. On a tough day with Reverend Jackson passing, this is. This was not a good day for those that went. They're not. They're not representative of the Democratic Party. I think what we saw large part. I saw Lawrence earlier today as well, talking about this. She wasn't prepared for the answer. She didn't have a set of answers. I don't know why you go to a security conference, presumably to talk about foreign policy and geopolitical issues, and you don't perhaps lead with. I believe that President Trump, who promised that we would end the Ukraine, Russian war, even if you just. The easy stuff is right there. Greenland, we don't have a resolution there. Some of the president's policies. Policies are driving countries to believing that they have to have nuclear weapons. I think we need to have a world with fewer nuclear weapons. Whether you agree with it or not, at least it's so coherent. Understandable. I didn't understand her answer on China and Taiwan, nor did she. And I hope the peoplehope nobody in China and Taiwan were watching it, watching it either. Here you have a president who I think is trying his hardest to reassert America's role in the Southern Hemisphere. If I were who I'd have been talking about, I think he's doing it the wrong way. We need an economic, not an economic security, but a national security plan that maybe resembles NATO in South America and North America. If we want to keep China and Russia out again. I just think you've got to be more thoughtful about these things. You've got to be more serious. And frankly, I didn't think the Democrats there. I think people like we have a number of Democrats in our party who are very smart, like Mark Warner and Jack Reed and others who are thoughtful on these issues. I thought we did not put our best foot forward and frankly, it happened on two or three different occasions. I think Governor Whitman, who I'm a big fan of, I didn't think that she was as well prepared as she could have been either. I mean, who else nor was Governor Newsom.

[Kennedy]

Who else are you supposed to send there? That's all the feat you have?

[Lawrence Jones]

Well, Mark. No, no. The vice chair of the Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner from Virginia.

[Kennedy]

Is he running for president?

[Lawrence Jones]

But these, I'm not. I hope all these people are not running for president on the Democrat side that were there. I think a lot of them are. They are.

[Kennedy]

I hate to spoil the mystery, but.

[Lawrence Jones]

Whether they are or not, they have a lot of work to do. And I think that's the larger point you're trying to make.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

And they we're just waiting. You're just biding your time, Harold. Just biden your time.

[Kennedy]

My colonizer, Harold Ford Jr. 2028.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Yes.

[Dana Perino]

All right.

[Kennedy]

Coming up next, President Trump rebooting his affordability tour with a clear focus while the Democrats continue their inward journey of self discovery.

[Dana Perino]

Stay with.

[Kennedy]

This is Ainsley Earhart. Thank you for joining me for the 52 episode podcast series the Life of Jesus.

[Lawrence Jones]

A listening experience that will provide hope, comfort and understanding of the greatest story ever told. Listen and follow [e-mail] or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

President Trump back on the road this Thursday, rebooting his affordability tour in Georgia after a three week break. I suspect he'll be touting some great economic numbers, great financial numbers.

[Jonathan Hunt]

You saw low inflation, very low inflation.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Prices are down, way down. Gasoline is less than $2 in many places gallon which nobody expected to see. But I did this where caught by the initial expression of drill baby, drill. As goes gasoline and oil and gas and so goes the rest of other products. We inherited a mess and we've brought our country back very, very powerfully. Wow, he sounds like he's a little plugged up there. So Trump's message pretty clear. But it looks like the Democrats can't even pin down a so called talking point.

[Jesse Watters]

The so called SAVE act is not.

[Lawrence Jones]

About free and fair elections.

[Jesse Watters]

So Called leadership.

[Lawrence Jones]

Pete Hegseth, the so called Secretary of Defense. The most recent so called offer from the White House, so called absolute immunity, disgraceful performance by the so called attorney General. ICE is the most unpopular so called law enforcement agency.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

The so called President Republican, so called big beautiful bill, so called SAVE Act. You know, it's great, Danny. They always find one word and then they squeeze all the juice out of it. And then they wonder why no one listens to them anymore. That was beautiful.

[Dana Perino]

So Punchbowl News originally talked about it the other day. They were like he says so called. What it's meant to do is undermine everything. It's like, well actually it is called the SAVE Act. When I worked on, well, I found Capitol Hill for the Bush White House. We had the Clear Skies Act. And every environmental reporter would call it the so called Clear Skies Act. And I'd call them and be like, actually it's called the President Trump doesn't have to do that because his way with words is more direct. And if you think about Pete Hegseth, is there a doubt that he is the Secretary of War? Like why are we calling him the so called Secretary of War? That one's pretty obvious. This also goes back to the shutdown, back and forth. One of the things I said yesterday, just to repeat myself, for your benefit, why thank you. Is that both parties do this, but the Democrats, I feel are doing it more than the Republicans at this moment lying to their base that President Trump is going to defund ICE and abolish ice. And that's why they shut down the government. And we know they're going to cave as soon as people start having to wait in long lines at the airport. The so called shutdown.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Exactly. You know, Harold, I will give credit to the Dems for initiating the affordability debate. But unlike Democrats, Trump challenged it and shared the lane with them. Whereas Democrats, when they're faced with an issue, they just run away from it. But he's going, okay, I'll see your affordability and I'll raise your affordability.

[Lawrence Jones]

So if our Democrats, unfortunately for the president, prices. Well, fortunately for the country and the president, prices start going down. Retail prices start going down in September and October. But one of our home newspapers here, the Wall Street Journal, front page of the day, the bottom middle of the page says companies beset by costs are jacking up prices again. The article goes on to say that electronics, appliances, blueberries, blue jeans, furn and bedding and having bedding stuff for your bed for having someone looking at buying a new Refrigerator. I can tell you prices are going up and they point to tariffs, health care costs and higher wages. Now I listened to President Trump earlier and again Democrats, I don't understand why we're talking about so called and why we're talking about the SAVE Act. What matters most to everyday Americans are. Greg, you said it well, Democrats pushed the affordability thing. Now they're running away from it. But if you're not, if you're going to run to it, you have to run to it with answers. President Trump made a point today calling out Governor Wes Mo that he could, the federal government could do a better job of helping to clean up the sewage in the Potomac if he and Governor Moore can work together. If he and the Governor Moore can work together, that'd be great. I've said all along and Jesse and I agreed, I think we all agreed around this table. The red tape that's happening in your state, California around rebuilding homes and getting insurance money from these insurance companies. I would love for a version of the National Guard that can go in and combat these. Combat is a strong word but deal with and get the red tape out of the way with regard to insurance companies. We could do that. Dana, we talk about education all the time. Wouldn't it be great if we had a National Guard of educators that we can go in these states and raise reading rates, raise the math efficiency and proficiency. That's what I hope the president math.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

By gunpoint, count these bullets.

[Lawrence Jones]

And if the president don't give these ideas that he says Democrats, that's what we ought to be doing. Instead of talking about so called things, let's talk about actual things.

[Dana Perino]

The State of the Union is just a week from today. The state of the Union is a week from today. Right. The president has like an open field to lay out all the suggestion.

[Lawrence Jones]

But these prices are going up. I mean but the prices are going up and someone's got to address them. I think we're moving the tariffs.

[Jesse Watters]

We also know that if the President brought the National Guard there to focus on education, then the teachers unions will be going toe to toe.

[Lawrence Jones]

Well, what variation? You know what I mean? I mean.

[Jesse Watters]

No, no, no. I'm just saying, I'm just saying you would because you're a reasonable one, I.

[Lawrence Jones]

Think about a reasonable one.

[Jesse Watters]

It's true. I would say this though. Harold is onto something that the Dems are running away from affordability and I think they know what most of us know. The economy is going to catch fire. It's already beginning to happen right now and People are starting to get their refund checks because of the big beautiful bill. They got more money in their pocket. It is interesting that the Democrats say affordability and they say, you know, they want to make life better for people. But all of the shutdowns is around illegals. The first shutdown was about health care for illegals.

[Kennedy]

Right.

[Jesse Watters]

The second shut down was about ice and Tom Holman has taken that off the table and now they're fighting for the legals to vote. And it's so interesting.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

That's a great point.

[Jesse Watters]

They say affordability on one hand, but their fight, their vigor.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Jesse never would have come up with that through line. I'm so glad he's on the other hand.

[Jesse Watters]

I need more chocolate on this set. That's what it is.

[Kennedy]

I thought that was Jesse.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Boy, aren't I right? Well, he had been at the beach for three days. You know, Kennedy, so much can happen between now and November.

[Dana Perino]

Yes.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Like what about AI and all these other things that we can like. Things change every week in this country.

[Kennedy]

We were talking about this on the Big Money show on Fox Business Today. How quickly will some of the investment that the president has been attracting, how quickly will that take hold and what is it going to look like? Is it going to further set the economy on fire or is it going to lead to more job losses? We really don't know. I think the long term effects of AI are further down the road. But I think, you know, what the president is doing now, setting the table for the midterms is solidifying the domestic economic agenda so people feel as much benefit as possible over the next few months. And you know, the way our national attention span is and the way the news cycle works, people are going to forget about the ICE skirmishes in Minneapolis here and not too long. It's, you know, you would think, and I said this last week, if the midterms were held right now, the president would be in trouble. But you have to realize he added twice as many jobs in January than they thought they would. Inflation is softening to the point where the Fed vice chair even said inflation is softening, which means the Fed is going to lower rates. When the Fed lowers rates, banks will lend money. That means that mortgage rates aren't far behind and the people who are keeping their homes off the market, if they can get better rates and move out, that is going to open up the housing market, especially for those first time buyers. All of those things could happen in concert over the next few months. I think the Democrats have a really hard Time combating.

[Lawrence Jones]

Right. But if it does, you and I will celebrate.

[Kennedy]

But if it does, you buy me blue jeans and blueberries and new bedding and refrigerator.

[Lawrence Jones]

And if that. And if it doesn't happen, I think we all agree the Republicans are going to have a lot of answering to do, and Democrats likely will have a good time.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

All I can say is, Harold, I look forward to partying on your new boat. That's what you'll be buying. Thanks. I'm allergic interest.

[Lawrence Jones]

I'm allergic to the water, so I.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Can'T do such a stereotype. Harold. Okay. Coming up, more transgender mania.

[Lawrence Jones]

You can jump. True.

[Kennedy]

Got me sitting on the couch crying in the dark. Every plaque on the wall is a broken heart.

[Dana Perino]

Tragedy at an ice rink in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Three people are dead, including the gunman. Three others are injured after authorities say a transgender father opened fire on his own family members during a high school hockey game. He killed a son and ex wife. Police identifying the gunman as Robert Dorgan, who they say identified him itself by the name Roberta Esposita. Esposita. Excuse me, but the police chief says that isn't part of their investigation.

[Lawrence Jones]

Was there some sort of transgender process happening?

[Dana Perino]

So that really is kind of irrelevant to our investigation at this point. What I can tell you is the identification was in the name of Robert. And then we also know that the suspect went by the name Roberta. It appeared that the suspect was in female clothes yesterday, but again, that's nothing that had swayed the investigation one way or another. We're just trying to kind of factually put the pieces together and let that lead us onto, obviously why this occurred yesterday. Everybody's looking for answers. Just a day before the deadly incident, the shooter went on X defending Transgender Congressman Sarah McBride, writing in part quote, keep bashing us. Do not wonder why we go berserk. Kennedy. This is. It's shocking. It's so upsetting all the families if you watch. And of course, it's livestream, so you're seeing it. All of the hockey players run for cover. It's hard to figure out what to say about it, but I'll turn over to you for comments.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. No, no. It's so horrific because this is someone who was so clearly disturbed and so clearly mentally ill. And we know from the reporting that law enforcement was involved with the family had been called to the home over and over again. Robert transitioned in 2020. That was the basis for the wife, now deceased, filing for divorce. She said that there was a severe personality disorder and narcissism here. And I think that's what you're seeing manifest. And someone like this, if you're thinking about killing your family and killing yourself, cut out the middleman. Just go ahead and kill yourself. I know that's a horrible thing to say, but in instances like these, so often these sick and hideous people are suicidal to begin with. Don't take other people down with you, especially your family members. And you know, all of those innocent people who have been traumatized at the ring, those, you know, those athletes who will probably have a very difficult time playing the sport they love ever again because of this murderous psychopath.

[Dana Perino]

You know anything about the guns in that situation?

[Jesse Watters]

Waiting for the information, but I'm glad that you brought that up. It is so interesting to me for a movement that is always quick to talk about gun restrictions, that they have not been able to address this issue with moral clarity. If you are someone that just wants to wear a dress, no problems. If you are someone that just wants to identify as another sex, but you know deep down that you're not, but you just want to be called he or she, that's one thing. But if you, from a psychological standpoint, think that you are another sex, you should not have a gun. Something that has been diagnosed as gender dysphoria is a problem, and all of us know it. We all have to fill out the federal gun form that talks about mental. You should have to check that box. And it is because the politics surrounding the issue of not wanting to be offensive, we're not doing the right thing on this. And I'm a Pierce when it comes to people. I mean, I'm from Texas. We have constitutional care. Everybody has a gun there. But these. The people that I'm getting, I'm not talking about people that say they want to be transgender, dress a certain way, identify as a certain way. But if you mentally think you're someone that you're not, that has to be addressed.

[Dana Perino]

Greg, where do you want to begin here?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Well, you know, before the media had made this into a civil rights issue, we never talked about this population. It was the tiniest, tiniest, tiniest fraction. Truly statistically insignificant. Out of 370 million people. Nobody knew them. They didn't want to be known. Everything was good. Then it became a civil rights issue. It was designed to be the tip of the spear, that if you push trans rights first and it comes up against some kind of phobia, then women are next, then blacks are next. That's how they sold it. That's how they still, sell became a self reported phenomenon where if you said you were trans, you were trans. And when you offered glowing attention in regard, what are you going to get from people who are mentally ill and whose mental illness is a stigma that then could be turned into a badge of honor?

[Jesse Watters]

Look, I.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Look at that. I do not see a woman. Sorry, I don't. The Democrats would demand that you do. We relied on our eyes and our ears and common sense. But Biden, remember when Biden said I got your back trans, it was about this. They were trying to gaslight us into thinking that trans rights was the tip of the right's spear and we had to believe in this tentpole hoax, but it was actually throwing blacks and women under the bus, especially in sports. It's what Hillary did in Munich by having a trans woman speak with on women's rights. So I again and I echo Kennedy, the poor families who are stuck with this tragedy. It's a tragedy that activists, administrators, bloggers, websites had portrayed this as some kind of civil rights thing when it was a mental illness married to a social contagion. That's all it was. And it killed people.

[Dana Perino]

Yeah, like live authentically has slipped into, well, he's a psychopath, but at least he's on our side. And it feels like we're maybe facing something, Harold, that we need to. If you look back at the recent shootings, there's a connection. Or like February.

[Lawrence Jones]

Well, last week in Cincinnati, two people were killed and two people were injured at an altercation in a nightclub. I don't think anybody was that. I'm not a doctor. I'm not, I'm not.

[Dana Perino]

I'm just thinking about the one in Canada last week.

[Lawrence Jones]

Right. But I mean we have killings unfortunately in Chicago. People get shot in Chicago and Memphis and Denver and New Orleans who are guns.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Don't care about that either, Harold.

[Lawrence Jones]

Well, so that's a different thing. But brought it up. But here's the thing. I'm now beginning to get a little map of kind of the thinking around guns on some of my pals here who have, who are for the Second Amendment. President Trump believes that you have the right to carry a gun, but you should not bring a gun to a protest. He said it a few times when he was talking about the young man that got. The young man that was killed In Cincinnati, the nurse 2 Forgive me. Forgive me. Minneapolis 2 if we, if someone is mentally unstable, I happen to agree with you, Lawrence. Mentally unstable. And we can, we can grapple over and wrestle over what we figure is Unstable. But if you're angry and you're unstable, I don't care if you're. If you are identifying as transgender or not or you. You identify and you identify. You're not. You're identifying too much. If you're unstable and you are. You are. Whatever you are, we shouldn't let you. We shouldn't let you have a gun. If you beat your wife or you have a record, you shouldn't be able to have. I mean, I think there. I think we're getting to a point where we might be able to reach some agreement around what that ought to be.

[Jesse Watters]

I think we should classify that. I'm not saying people that want to identify. I'm not talking about identity.

[Lawrence Jones]

Right. But I don't understand.

[Jesse Watters]

If you mentally think you're stuck in another body and it's not true, we all know it's not true. Should you be able to have a gun?

[Lawrence Jones]

Well, probably not. But if you have beat your wife, should you be able to have a gun? If you're going to a protest, you can't do that. Right, but not everywhere.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Exactly.

[Lawrence Jones]

Should we have an age limit? All I'm saying is I love this conversation. We could have.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

We are not about guns, though. Okay, Harold, I just got it. You started with bringing up shootings that weren't trans, which we're talking about shootings. The number of shootings relative to the percentage of population. The percentage of population is infinitesimal. The number of shootings is exponential compared to the.

[Lawrence Jones]

You may be right. I'm not disagreeing.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I am right.

[Lawrence Jones]

All I'm saying is if this is. We're now. What I'm saying is we're now developing a standard about guns. That's all I'm saying. And we can have this conversation and debate. And you may be right. You've raised this now, and I give you a lot of credit for this. I had not thought about this issue a year ago.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

You better be on the right side when you run for president.

[Lawrence Jones]

And now that you've raised it, I think we ought to have a study on it. But the main point from this on guns is we have finally reached a point, at least around this table, about where there are limitations to the Second Amendment. We can quarrel over what the mental thing ought to be. The president said you can't come to a Protestant. I hope everyone is listening.

[Jesse Watters]

You know what? I disagree with the president about the protest. Yeah, I disagree with him. I carry to protest because it's crazy.

[Dana Perino]

What protest you going to?

[Jesse Watters]

Well, you know, I do Recover.

[Lawrence Jones]

Exactly.

[Dana Perino]

All right, coming up. The coast must be clear now. Rosie O' Donnell is apparently giving America another shot.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

TaxAct can think of a million things more fun than filing taxes. TaxAct is going to name some now.

[Lawrence Jones]

Sitting in traffic, folding a fitted bedsheet, listening to your co worker talk about.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

His fantasy team digging a hole.

[Lawrence Jones]

Digging an even larger hole next to that original hole. Unfortunately, TaxAct's filing software can't make taxes.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Function, but TaxAct can help you get them done. Tax Act.

[Lawrence Jones]

Let's get them over with.

[Jesse Watters]

She's back from her self imposed TDS exile. Rosie o' Donnell announcing that she has quietly returned to the United States after publicly fleeing to Ireland over President Trump's second term. Watch.

[Dana Perino]

I was recently home for two weeks and I did not really tell anyone. I just went to see my family. I wanted to how hard it would be for me to get in and.

[Jonathan Hunt]

Out of the country.

[Dana Perino]

I wanted to feel what it felt like. I wanted to hold my children again. And I hadn't been home in over a year. I also wanted to make sure that it was safe for me before I brought my daughter this summer.

[Jesse Watters]

So part of the reason why she left, she claims, is because of the threat of Trump and she didn't feel safe. So, Dana, is the threat removed now?

[Dana Perino]

This is what I think happened. The rain. It has rained every day across the UK since January 1st.

[Lawrence Jones]

Yeah.

[Dana Perino]

And she's like, I can't take it anymore. I thought I was depressed about Trump. No. The weather was driving her crazy and she's worried about her daughter. I understand. She doesn't bring her daughter to the sunshine. She comes to the sunshine by herself. Now, Ellen is also in a similar position. She's going back between the UK and California because it got cold in the Cotswolds. That's what happens in the winter. I myself only lasted nine months in the uk. I was like, I gotta get out of here. I can't take it anymore. It has rained every day. That's why she left Kennedy.

[Kennedy]

It will rust your soul. That is such a great point. I grew up in Oregon and I moved to seattle in my 20s and it rained for three months straight. And I was like, I can't take it anymore. But also, I think Rosie is obsessed with Trump. She has to be here. She has to be near him. That is her life force. She is an ordinary person. In Ireland, they're not impressed by her. She's probably a giant pain in the keister and she wants to come back and hold her children like she's got children here. What, did she abandon them? That is not the most wonderful admission that she can possibly make. And it is so typical of Ellen and Portia. Like, oh, well, we love the Cotswolds, but we're gonna go summer at Montecito and our little cottage that cost a couple dozen million dollars there in Santa Barbara. Go have fun with Meghan Markle packs.

[Lawrence Jones]

Look, one of the advantages of being an American if you have a passport is you can come, you leave freely, come back freely. But we should be honest. The only people that can really do this are rich people, of course. So that's what the story's really about, in my estimation.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I am going to. You know, it's late in the show. I don't normally blow minds late in the show, but I thought I would. This is like this one example of TDS tells you a lot about the whole problem that half the country is having. And it's based on the power of positive thinking. And I came up with a framework. The Democrats are the bad thought party, where you introduce a bad thought. America is racist, ICE is gestapo, planet is on fire. And you push it relentlessly and you're filling all the brains until you have a very people that are dwelling in this all the time. But then you have the good thought party and that's clearly the Republicans. You know, America is this great place. Family, you should have a family. You should have a big family. Being healthy is wonderful. And you should, you know what? You should make a lot of money. You make a lot of money. Oh, it's gonna be great. And you know what? Have as many kids as you can. It's going to be a good thing. And you know what? Even if you get fired, things are going to get better. Trust me, that separation in thinking is explaining a lot of what's going on. I think of the power of Positive Thinking, which is a Norman Vincent Peale book from the 50s. It was a simple premise that by kind of by thinking positive thoughts, you push negative thoughts out. If you have a negative thought on your head, you're constantly revisiting it and it causes long term physical and mental pain. But if you're thinking positive, you wake up in the morning and you go, you know what? This is going to be a great day. And you self talk. This is going to be an awesome day. I can't wait to get started. The negative obsessional thinking won't interfere. TDS is a continuous build of negative obsessional thinking. People driven to violence against themselves or others. It's not from thinking positive. It's from thinking negative that explains just about everything you're seeing. Right?

[Dana Perino]

I'm with you.

[Jonathan Hunt]

Yeah.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Thank you.

[Dana Perino]

I am so positive.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Yes.

[Dana Perino]

That you are right.

[Jesse Watters]

That was good.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Thank you.

[Jesse Watters]

All right, up next, turns out Eric Swalwell got a secret hidden talent. Erotic poetry.

[Kennedy]

Oh, only half a cup of film.

[Dana Perino]

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[Harold Ford Jr.]

Hempclus Lebricizumab LBKZ, a 250mg injection, is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds.

[Lawrence Jones]

Or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals or who cannot use topical therapies. Ebglis can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to Ebglis. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur.

[Lawrence Jones]

Tell your doctor if you have new.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Eglis. Before starting Ebglis. Tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection.

[Dana Perino]

Ask your doctor about eglis and visit ebgliss.lilly.com or call 1-800-lilyrx or 1-800-545-5979.

[Lawrence Jones]

Here's the last thing any candidate wants. Resurfacing a 19 year old Congressman. Eric Swalwell. 19. Oh. Once wrote secret erotic poetry. It's so graphic that even Gutfeld can take you, take you this one through this one. I can't even think of any.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Oh, you want me to read it?

[Lawrence Jones]

Okay.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Kissing till veins imploded and exploded till blood rolled down our chins. You whispered me whispered that in my ear the other night.

[Lawrence Jones]

Harry, I was wondering where. I thought you were just reading or remembering what I said. Dana, what are your thoughts? DP about erotic poetry?

[Dana Perino]

Well, this one I just don't understand. Like, apparently liberals have a lot of time to do this. Bernie Sanders started out. Remember Stacey Abrams?

[Jesse Watters]

Oh, yeah, that's right.

[Dana Perino]

Right, remember. And now this. I mean, he's got a lot of time on his hands. So he's missed more votes than a congressman who died a year ago.

[Lawrence Jones]

What was that guy's name that was tapping people in the bathroom there?

[Kennedy]

Larry.

[Jesse Watters]

Larry.

[Dana Perino]

Was he a Democrat or Republican from Ohio? Republican.

[Lawrence Jones]

That's what I thought. What'd you think, Kenny?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Dustin, what's the point?

[Dana Perino]

He wasn't writing erotic poetry.

[Kennedy]

What did I think of this? So if Brett Kavanaugh's high school diary is up for grabs, then so is Eric Swalwell's. Creepy.

[Dana Perino]

I demand a hearing.

[Kennedy]

19 year old poetry ethics investigation.

[Lawrence Jones]

LJ, the poetry line. What is this? What do you think about this?

[Jesse Watters]

I think Republicans have to stop shielding their kids. He has two Republican parents. He goes off to college and goes wild. Completely wild. He was sheltered and now he's writing poetry at 19. So let him be free, Gigi.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Well, I got it. I'm actually going to defend him. Who hasn't written poetry when they were 18? That's in case anything comes up when.

[Dana Perino]

You run for president.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Yes, exactly.

[Lawrence Jones]

Well, you were dreaming it. One More Thing is up next.

[Kennedy]

It is now time for One More Thing. Harold.

[Lawrence Jones]

The world lost. America lost. A great inspirer. I heard my friend LJ on this morning talking about even just how he was inspired by Reverend Jackson in politics and to go and pursue things. He inspired me. He was a hostage negotiator. He was a civil rights leader. The first African American to be taken seriously on the national stage was a great friend of President Trump. President Trump, thank you for your kind words. Reverend Jackson inspired me like my dad and Andy Young and Bill Clinton did. Sir, God bless you and rest in peace.

[Dana Perino]

Thank you so much.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Tonight I'm back on my show. Emily, Ben Pankas, Andrew Gruel, Tyrus. Well, the holidays have come and gone.

[Lawrence Jones]

Once again, but if you've forgotten to get that special someone in your life a gift. Well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless. So here's the idea.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

You get it now, you call it.

[Lawrence Jones]

An early present for next year.

[Kennedy]

What do you have to lose?

[Lawrence Jones]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch limited time.

[Kennedy]

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[Harold Ford Jr.]

Upfront payment required 45 for 3 months.

[Kennedy]

$90 for 6 months or 180 for 12 month plan taxes and fees. Extra speeds may slow after 50 gigabytes per month when network is busy.

[Lawrence Jones]

See terms, listen to the 5ad free on Amazon Music with your prime membership.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.