"Extraordinary Talent"

Summary

The Five – “Extraordinary Talent” (May 6, 2026)

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Five" dives into the latest political controversies, with a special focus on the rise of socialism in New York City, the ongoing influence of Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, the California gubernatorial race and public benefits for undocumented immigrants, and a discussion with Bret Baier about his new book, "The Case for America." The panel offers spirited debate, criticism, and characteristic humor throughout, as they analyze policy, leadership, and the current American sociopolitical climate.

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Key Discussions & Insights

1. The Rise of Socialism in New York City

Main theme: The show opens with discussion about Zoran Mamdani, the new New York mayor, his progressive policies, how the city is reacting, and Barack Obama’s perceived endorsement of his movement.

Key Points:

• Media & Political Framing: Dana Perino frames the discussion as Democrats "embracing socialism" (00:38), noting Obama's praise for Mamdani on Colbert’s show.
• New York’s Economic Dilemma: Paul Morrow draws from historical context, warning that Wall Street’s exodus threatens the city’s lifeblood, alongside concerns for Mamdani’s expensive programs.
  • “Whenever New York City has been in trouble historically, what pulled us out was that Wall Street was here, the money was here…That engine is no longer here…What's left?” – Paul Morrow (03:02)
  • Morrow also alleges manipulation via social media and external actors aiding Mamdani's rapid rise (04:15).
• Obama’s Legacy & Leftward Pull: Dana offers a theory that Obama sees Mamdani as the kind of unfiltered progressive he wished he could have been:
  • “President Obama sees in Mamdani the guy he wished he had been...pulled to the right by establishment forces...” – Dana Perino (06:04)
• Critique of Mamdani’s Performance: Jesse Waters and Paul Morrow criticize Mamdani for unfulfilled promises—freebies not delivered, high rents, and poor city services (06:24).
  • “So everything this guy promised, cost of living, housing, freebies. None of it happened. So he’s failed so far.” – Jesse Waters (06:44)

Notable Counterpoints:

• Defense of Social Policy: Jessica Tarlov notes it’s “early to be writing any obituaries” for Mamdani and highlights the administration’s universal childcare pledge, and what she sees as competent negotiation with Trump for federal funding (08:36).
  • “Universal childcare for two year olds…that’s what a lot of people voted for Mamdani for.” – Jessica Tarlov (08:39)
  • She also distinguishes American socialism from historical versions, emphasizing basic rights like healthcare and housing.

Memorable Exchange:

• On Affordable Housing and Wealth Flight:
  • “My theory on affordable housing: you have to drive the rich out and then…turn New York City into Detroit.” – Greg Gutfeld (10:35)
  • “You have to accept economic reality to protect [NYC]...if you don’t, you’re going to turn into Detroit.” – Jesse Waters (08:07, referencing Ken Griffin’s CNBC story)

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2. Trump, MAGA, and Redistricting Wins

Main theme: Examining Trump’s continued political clout following victories in Indiana, implications for the GOP, and the risks for Democrats.

Key Points:

• MAGA Victories: Jesse Waters crows about Trump-backed candidates in Indiana “mopping the floor” with incumbents (14:16).
  • “Trump’s golden touch. Still untouched.” – Jesse Waters (15:05)
• Media and Democratic Reaction: Jessica Tarlov argues that wins in already-red areas aren’t the major achievement they’re being claimed as (17:44).
  • “Bragging about five of seven races in a state that Trump won by 19 points does not seem like the own…” – Jessica Tarlov (17:47)
• Deeper Worries for Both Parties: Dana observes both parties’ unpopularity and sees the Democratic Party’s leftward surge as a possible advantage for Republicans in the fall (16:03).
  • “The Democrats have this unpopularity problem...far left progressives looking like they’re edging out establishment Democrats...” – Dana Perino (16:55)
• Longevity of ‘Trumpism’: Paul Morrow notes the absence of a post-Trump successor with the same "tsunami of personality," questioning what comes next for the GOP (19:40).
• The ‘Trump Effect’ on Discourse: Greg Gutfeld praises Trump’s directness and rapport with all people, including kids, noting that he “doesn’t talk down or condescend—whether you’re a child or a woman...he doesn’t see identity.” (22:00)

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3. Morality, Identity Politics, and Political Emotion

Main theme: Spirited back-and-forth about why Trump supporters and critics care so deeply, and the place of morality in political discourse.

Notable Dialogue:

• Why Do Liberals Care So Much?
  • “Why does it bother you that people like Trump? …Perhaps there’s a large role in your dissatisfaction.” – Greg Gutfeld (23:00)
  • Jessica: “Because he’s like a completely morally bankrupt person. That’s important.” (23:34)
  • Gutfeld suggests the issue is more about emotional investment than policy or morality, turning the mirror on partisan animosity (23:52).
  • Jesse: “The party doesn’t support standards of morality. …Don’t talk to Bill Clinton about morality.” (24:04)

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4. California Governor’s Race & Healthcare for Undocumented Immigrants

Main theme: Analysis of the California gubernatorial debate, especially the division over public healthcare for undocumented immigrants, and criticism of candidate Katie Porter.

Key Points:

• Funding Healthcare:
  • Jessica Tarlov provides the standard pro-public benefit argument: insuring undocumented immigrants is ultimately cheaper than emergency room care (28:12).
  • Jesse Waters retorts: “If you’re worried about costs, maybe just don’t let them in in the first place...You cannot let California commit suicide.” (30:39)
  • Gutfeld and Paul Morrow argue the Democratic Party’s “suicidal empathy” is unsustainable, urging policy boundaries. (32:28)
  • Gutfeld: “The Democrat Party has lost the ability to say no. …This is what we call what suicidal empathy is, that you give it away…” (32:28)
• Katie Porter: She is mocked for her staff interactions and campaign ad (27:49–29:31).

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5. Bret Baier: “The Case for America”

Main theme: Discussion about Baier’s new book, which makes a “jury case” for American exceptionalism and resilience.

Key Points:

• Why Write the Book?
  • “[The book is] for them [his two teenage children], because I think it’s important. The biggest case that I see is that they’re going to get the baton and we have to fight for freedom all the time. It’s not free.” – Bret Baier (37:25)
• American Resilience: Baier emphasizes that the nation's history is full of adversity, but that unity and dissent are both core to the American character (35:44, 37:12).
  • “We’re in a partisan time...But unity is in our title. Dissent is baked in the cake.” – Bret Baier (35:44)
• Warts and All: The book is not “cheerleading” but addresses both the nation’s accomplishments and failures (36:19).
  • “We’ve made big mistakes, but we’ve come through.” – Bret Baier (36:37)
• Historical Nuggets: Baier highlights underappreciated figures, referencing Henry Lee advocating for the Declaration (38:20).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Paul Morrow on New York’s money exodus:
  • “You can run a hedge fund from Mars.” (03:02)
• Jesse Waters on NYC’s future:
  • “There’s no guarantee New York City is always going to be New York City.”
• Jessica Tarlov (on Mamdani):
  • “Mamdani has charmed a lot of people here in New York, and he’s charmed President Trump.”
• Greg Gutfeld (on socialism):
  • “Socialists have very expensive tastes. Their ideas are costly, they don’t pan out...You pay for their free stuff.” (10:35)
• Greg Gutfeld on Trump’s appeal:
  • “He doesn’t talk down or condescend...He doesn’t see identity.” (22:00)
• Jesse Waters (on California’s public benefits):
  • “You cannot let California commit suicide. It’s like watching a model with a gun to her head.” (30:39)
• Greg Gutfeld (on Democrats’ empathy):
  • “This is what we call what suicidal empathy is, that you give it away to people who would not do it in return.” (32:28)
• Bret Baier:
  • “Freedom is the biggest thing and talk about freedom a lot in this book.” (36:37)
  • “Only in America can this happen.” (referencing Condoleezza Rice’s career, 38:20)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:38–08:36: NYC Socialism, Mamdani’s rise, Obama’s stance; economic risks for NY.
• 14:16–19:32: MAGA in Indiana, impact on GOP and Democratic landscape.
• 22:00–25:15: Why liberals and conservatives fight, emotional politics.
• 27:17–32:28: California governor debate, health care for undocumented, Katie Porter.
• 34:19–39:42: Interview with Bret Baier about “The Case for America.”
• 40:30–41:39: Lighthearted close—Kellogg’s toys, family anecdotes.

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Style & Tone

• Lively, often combative, with humor and asides.
• Panelists stick to their ideological lines but engage in back-and-forth banter.
• Discussions mix personal anecdotes with policy and historical context.

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Takeaway

This episode showcases the combustible intersection of policy, ideology, and personality-driven politics in 2026 America: the leftward pull of big blue cities, ongoing battles between party factions, the legacy and future of the Trump movement, and persistent anxieties about national decline—while also spotlighting moments of historical reflection and levity. Listeners get a clear sense of panelists' views on the biggest confrontations in American politics today, from New York and California to the national stage.

Transcript

[Dana Perino]

Some follow the noise.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Bloomberg follows the money.

[Jesse Waters]

Whether it's the funds fueling AI or

[Jessica Tarlov]

crypto's trillion dollar swings, there's a money

[Jesse Waters]

side to every story.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Get the money side of the story.

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[Dana Perino]

Hello everyone. I'm Dana Perino along with Paul Morrow, Jessica Tarlov, Jesse Waters and Greg Gutfeld. It's five o' clock in New York City and this is the five. Yes, we can embrace socialism. Barack Obama getting interviewed by Stephen Colbert before the late night comic hangs it up for good two weeks from tomorrow. The former president had the future of his party on his mind. He gushed over the Democrats socialist rising star.

[Bret Baier]

I'm not as worried about this so

[Paul Morrow]

called rift between the left and liberals

[Bret Baier]

as you describe it. I'm more interested in for Democrats is do you know how to just talk to regular people? Like we're not in a college seminar.

[Paul Morrow]

Right.

[Bret Baier]

You know, can you talk plain English to folks about.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I think that's one of the powers that Mamdani has.

[Bret Baier]

That's correct.

[Jesse Waters]

Is that he also.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Not only does he talk like a normal person, but he lives a normal life, but he also, he names what is obviously wrong.

[Bret Baier]

Yes.

[Dana Perino]

I mean, I don't know what clips of Mamdani they're watching, but anyway, someone who isn't gushing over New York's slide into socialism is one of the city's top job creators. That's billionaire Ken Griffin. And he got singled out by Mayor Zoran Mamdani in a Tax the Rich campaign video outside of his home. And now he's firing back.

[Jesse Waters]

This has gone from creepy to actually not really creepy. This has gone frightening because, you know, the CEO of United Health Care was killed just a few blocks from my house. And anything that creates like an agitation in the extremist on either side of the aisle is a frightening dynamic. We need to double down on our bet in Miami because we want to be in a state that embraces, that embraces business. Mondambi's making it really clear New York doesn't welcome success. Are these states trying to push away from their populations those who really do believe in the merits of capitalism, the merits of a free society, the importance of education?

[Dana Perino]

Paul, I want to ask you two questions. One, I do think that Mamdani really does speak like he's at a college Seminar. When I listen to it, there's a lot of words, but that's one thing. I want to get your take on that. But then also, you heard, you talk about how Wall street has always been sort of a backbone of New York City and that you have concerns for the city about that going away.

[Paul Morrow]

Yeah, I mean, look, as somebody who's been here my whole life, off and on in various capacities, the bottom line is that whenever New York City has been in trouble historically, what pulled us out was that Wall street was here, the money was here. And I go back pre Internet, now I'm talking about the 70s, Ford to New York City, drop dead because we were going bankrupt under the beam administration, et cetera. That engine is no longer here because you. I know somebody who runs a hedge fund. He lives on the side of a mountain in Vermont. You don't have to be. You can run a hedge fund from Mars. So the truth of the matter is that the engines that we've always had are dissipating. So what's left? Well, you have the cachet of New York. You have the nightlife, you have the quality of life, you have the entertainment, you have Broadway, you have the museums, etc. You have tourism. And if the quality of life is not going to be there, we're not going to get that stuff. And I don't understand where Mamdani thinks all the money is going to come from for all of these pie in the sky programs that he wants to institute. Now let's go to Obama real quick. You know, I got to say this, and I'm going to get destroyed for this, but he's a disappointment. You know, I thought as a post president he would have a little bit more acumen and be somebody who could, I think, elevate the discourse. And I feel like he hasn't done that. And he better understand who he is signing onto here. Mamdani is a guy who is purely a socialist. Let's understand how we got where we got six weeks before the election. Nobody ever heard of this guy. All of a sudden he was all over TikTok. Well, how did that happen? Well, at least one think tank has done this study demonstrating that TikTok game the algorithm to make sure that he was front and center that came out of Beijing. That's before Trump cut the deal. That's no accident. Roy Singham, who I've talked about on the network two years ago, before anybody heard the name American citizen residing in Shanghai, who is behind the funding of so many of the protests, and so much anti American stuff that we see his niece was the head of something called Jewish Voters from Mamdani. She went around two synagogues in New York advocating saying, this guy's not scary. Don't worry about it. And then we get scenes like we got yesterday at the 96th Street Synagogue where they were trying to. That is, the demonstrators were trying to blow through the barricades, fighting with the police. No arrests. The police department put out a statement saying it was orderly and peaceful. It is again, very much like what we saw on cnn, orderly and peaceful. You know, the buildings were burning in the background. And what did they think they were going to do if they got through that barrier? What were they going to do? Were they going to go in and destroy the synagogue? I know people who were there. It was a scary situation. Bamdani's in trouble already. He has promised them the sun, moon and the stars. That is the far left. He doesn't have the money, needs the police department, but he's promised to cut 5,000 cops. We've got three and a half more years of this. And I'd like to see Obama raise the discourse, as I said, raise the discussion. Because Mamdani, if he's the future of the Democratic Party, they're in real trouble. And it's not what we want. We don't need a socialist slash communist party in this country.

[Dana Perino]

I'm sorry, Jesse. I have a theory.

[Paul Morrow]

Yeah?

[Dana Perino]

That President Obama seasoned Mamdani the guy he wished he had been, or that he was. And that Obama himself was more of a far left progressive, but he was pulled to the right by establishment forces in the Democratic Party. And he wishes he'd have gone all the way, for example, like Medicare for All instead of Obamacare like we have today.

[Jesse Waters]

Yeah, I think that's a good theory. And Besides filling, what, 10,000 potholes? Mandami's done diddly. Rent's gone up, utilities have gone up because he won't build and he won't deport. And there's no free buses or free

[Paul Morrow]

grocery stores, bike lanes. That's what we're getting out of this case.

[Jesse Waters]

So everything this guy promised, cost of living, housing, freebies. None of it happened. So he's failed so far. But does Obama even care? It's the intentions. If the intentions are good, they love you. And Democrats are great at getting elected, but they just can't govern. But at this point, it doesn't even matter. Barack likes him. You're right. He's a socialist with a smile. I think he's kind of an idiot, but he has compassion. And that's what all they care about is, compassion. Not results. It's just compassion. You have a budget for $112 billion in the city. It's more than most countries. And where does the money go? It just gets kicked back to contractors, unions and nonprofits. And then it snows and you can't plow. Where are the sanitation guys with the plows? And so that's why all the wealthy people leave, because you're getting taxed out the wazoo and there's crummy services. So Mandani goes around and bird dogs this billionaire outside of his house, and he says, okay, you know what? We're out. Money's gone, revenue's gone, and he looks like a rookie. This guy Griffin told a great story on cnbc. He says Detroit used to be the crown jewel of the country. 1950 had all the wealthy people innovation. It had art, entertainment. It was the best place on earth. He carries a binder around of pictures of Detroit. Fifty years later, it's burnout and hollowed out. He says there's no guarantee New York City is always going to be New York City. You have to love it, you have to cherish it, and you have to accept economic reality to protect it, to maintain how amazing this city can be. And if you don't do it, you're going to turn into Detroit.

[Dana Perino]

Jessica, you're a Democrat, you're a New Yorker. How do you see it?

[Jessica Tarlov]

I think it's pretty early to be writing any obituaries of Mamdani. You said he hasn't gotten anything done. The first snowstorm wasn't great. The second snowstorm, definitely better. But universal childcare for two year olds, that was one of his main pledges. And he got Kathy Hochul a couple months in to say, yeah, we're gonna do that. That's what a lot of people voted for, Mom Donnie for. Yeah, well, things that. I mean, this definition of socialism is very different from what we think of with the ussr. For instance, people think that you have a right to decent healthcare and that there should be affordable housing and that your schools should be good. They are not good enough. We talked about that last week. But Mamdani has charmed a lot of people here in New York, and he's charmed President Trump. We all saw those Oval Office meetings. Trump's just beaming being near the guy. He calls him like a fascist to his face. And Trump just keeps grinning and then says, yeah, 21 billion in federal funds for The Let's Build initiative, which is for affordable housing and will be bringing 30,000 union jobs to the city. It does not mean that this has been perfect. I have concerns. I certainly have concerns when I see what happened at any synagogues. I think Jessica Tisch is a brilliant police commissioner and that he should do whatever she says to keep morale up and to make sure that the streets stay safe. But to make it as if this guy is just a complete joke and hasn't done anything and that he hasn't, I would argue, manipulated Donald Trump into putty in his hands and gotten what he wants out of him.

[Jesse Waters]

I don't think he said he really loves this city. He grew up in the city.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Oh, come on.

[Jesse Waters]

He gave him some money to build some affordable houses.

[Jessica Tarlov]

$21 billion isn't like take a fiver and buy a lot of money.

[Jesse Waters]

It's good. That's good. I think that's good.

[Jessica Tarlov]

And why didn't you mention it?

[Jesse Waters]

Well, because rent has not gone down.

[Dana Perino]

Yeah. And I. We'll see how all these other free things go. Do you think that mom Donnie was doxing Ken Griffin by being outside of his apartment and doing that video?

[Greg Gutfeld]

I don't know. Here's my feeling about that problem. I think my theory on affordable housing is you have to drive the rich out and they're having all these empty, empty apartments so the city can then buy these buildings and turn New York City into Detroit. That's how it's going to work. Affordable housing. Where are they going to do it? They aren't building it. They're going to just drive the rich out. So Obama, let's be honest, he loves men cheating. The mayor of New York, often he loves Zoran because he can afford to. Socialists have very expensive tastes. Their ideas are costly, they don't pan out. But what happens is you pay for their free stuff. And left wing millionaires, they don't mind because they can absorb the cost to satisfy their virtue. As you were saying in New York, it takes a lot to be rich. I know that people at home are probably sick of hearing about the rich, but you got New York City, but this is going to happen to you. So according to socialists, at a certain point, they're going to lower the threshold for their parasitic needs. That means someone skating by in New York making $200,000 a year, which sounds a lot, but you have two or three kids in New York City, you're going to be called greedy because you think when you give away half of your paycheck to corrupt Bureaucrats. You think that's enough? No, that's greedy because you're rich. I think what the wealthy and hardworking Democrats are going to realize is that when you run out of Republicans, progressives will look at rich Democrats the same way they look at Republicans. You need a villain to blame when you can't pay for these programs, when you still need another 800 million to take care of the homeless that are still there after you already took 800 million already because there's no opposition, you can't play the Republicans. You're going to have. The reflex is going to be okay. It's those rich people now. Also, praising Zoran for Obama is easy. Now do Graham Platner. This guy is running away with the main Senate seat. He's a stereotype that you smeared every Trump supporter with. He's a Nazi. But, you know, he talks plain. He raises oysters. How do you do that? He's an oyster farmer. But I mean, why wouldn't anybody ask Obama? You guys called Republicans Nazis over and over again. You painted targets on people's backs. But you aren't pressing the top Republicans on Graham Platner. You know, you called everybody a Nazi except the guy with a Nazi tattoo. You know, but everybody loves a winner. Who cares if the winner loves Hitler?

[Dana Perino]

All right, coming up next, Trump's mega muscle still packs a punch. The president winning big last night.

[Jesse Waters]

I'm getting drunk on a plane.

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[Jesse Waters]

It looks like the rumors of maga's demise are greatly exaggerated. Trump backed candidates in Indiana mopping the floor with the incumbents last night, sending five state Senate Republicans who crossed the president on redistricting into early retirement with a six race too close to call. Pretty good record when you consider that 47 endorsed just seven candidates. Cue the liberal media wine fest.

[Jessica Tarlov]

They knew what was coming.

[Greg Gutfeld]

If they stood up to Trump, they

[Jessica Tarlov]

stood up to him anyways. I just wonder how different you think our country and our politics could be if more Republicans had that in them.

[Paul Morrow]

If we're all actually talking about what we believe in, that that is better than Republicans repeatedly having to feel pressure

[Bret Baier]

to either lose their career or do something wrong because The President is demanding it.

[Jesse Waters]

Democrats can complain all they want, but they can't deny Trump's golden touch. Still untouched. Jessica, Yesterday he was showing off his classic charm, teaching kids the Trump dance and cracking jokes in the Oval. Watch.

[Bret Baier]

Are you a strong person?

[Paul Morrow]

Yes, sir.

[Bret Baier]

But you think you can take me in a fight? How about you? What sport do you play?

[Jesse Waters]

I play volleyball, and in the summer

[Dana Perino]

I'm trying to get into soccer.

[Bret Baier]

Wow. And with your height, do you smash the ball? The volleyball? You get up high. Can you jump high?

[Dana Perino]

Not very.

[Bret Baier]

Soccer might be better.

[Jesse Waters]

All right, Dan. I know the redistrict things. You know, it's an aggressive strategy, but the media built this up pretty high. You know, the Trump, this is a big test whether he still had clout.

[Dana Perino]

Right. And so they were hoping the answer was no. And I think what the Trump political machine showed is they still have money, they still have organization, and they're really good at beating other Republicans.

[Jesse Waters]

They are.

[Dana Perino]

So will they be as good at beating Democrats in the fall? We'll see. Possibly. The Democrats don't have as much money and they don't have as much organization as he has. So I think the Republicans benefit certainly from having him be in the lead. And I know it's kind of frustrating sometimes for the White House to say, well, why aren't these guys pulling their clout, pulling their weight? They should be out there talking about the big beautiful bill. But I mean, the other thing is, though, President Trump dominates the headlines. He wants to dominate the headlines. He blots out the sun. And so they can't really complain also that they're not out there because the President drives every media cycle over and over again. One thing I'm really interested in is the how unpopular both parties are unpopular. Congress is unpopular. Everything's unpopular. But the Democrats have this unpopularity problem and how they figure out how to deal with what we were talking about in the A block, which is the rift, even though Obama doesn't think it really exists. But you have far left progressives looking like they're edging out establishment Republicans. And does that mean. I'm sorry, establishment Democrats, does that mean then does that mean it gives Republicans a better chance to have better margins or at least certainly keep the Senate or keep Democrat wins down to just single digits?

[Jesse Waters]

Yeah, that's a risk for sure. Jessica, aren't you glad we brought back competition? Obama kind of watered everything down. You just had to, like, participate and you got a trophy. Now we're going to have kids like boxing each other. Yes, Getting in really good shape.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Yeah, the FIFA Peace Prize winning president that brought back real competition.

[Jesse Waters]

That's right. Okay, stop and give me 20.

[Jessica Tarlov]

All right. I agree with everything that Dana just said about last night's results. Also, bragging about five of seven races in a state that Trump won by 19 points does not seem like the own that the Republicans think that it is. And we'll see what happens if it's even a Trump +10 state, for instance. And also I think one of those seats that now has a super maga Republican is actually a swing district. So we'll see if that ends up hurting them longer term. But I get it. It's the immediate dopamine hit and you could play, you know, on loop crying libs or whatever. He's intervened in redistricting quite a bunch and he has lost on that front quite a bunch. Virginia and California lost on Prop 50, then tried to use his DOJ to politicize it gets up to SCOTUS and SCOTUS says actually no, they can use the map that the people legitimately chose. It was a ballot measure. That's how democracy works. And I get it, you got to put your best foot forward. You want to be in campaign mode. But this victory lap against the backdrop of approval ratings in the low 30s, the war in Iran is now more unpopular than the Vietnam War, which nobody's a fan of.25% approval rating on cost of living, which is the number one issue to people. Our economic anxiety index at the lowest in recorded history. And Democrats are now up +10 on the generic ballot. I don't want to be a Jesse Waters and say blue tsunami coming our way. But you know, if, if this is what's really exciting you at the moment, you are not paying attention to what is it, the forest or the trees?

[Jesse Waters]

That is a good way to describe it.

[Jessica Tarlov]

I'll end on that.

[Jesse Waters]

I choose this segment to do on the five. Just saying, I'm not all excited about

[Jessica Tarlov]

you want to switch for the fastest.

[Jesse Waters]

We're just doing what we're told to do, Paul.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Okay,

[Paul Morrow]

you are, you are.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Do what you're told to do.

[Paul Morrow]

Paul, a couple things here. This double edged sword, because if Trump is the party, what happens post Trump, right? You got to consider that. And you know, you always hear, well, there's going to be Trumpism post Trump. Is that possible because the guy is such a tsunami of personality and is there another one out there? You hear Vance, you hear Rubio, et cetera. And you know, that's a debate for three years from now. But the bottom line is, if it takes Donald Trump to over the finish line in, in, in races that matter, then you got to say to yourself, well, you know what happens when he's not around because he's human like everybody else. I think what's going on here is the following MAGA in most people's mind comes down to a common denominator of just a couple of things, and I think primary among them is safety, the border, and then, of course, economic conservatism. And they look to the market, and that's why Trump's always invoking the market. It's a very shorthand way of looking at things. And I think the Indiana results are resultant current frustration on the right and in the party. And I think one of the place it resides is the SAVE Act. There are a number of things that the right really, really wants and feels like they're not being heard. And so whether it's redistricting, et cetera, et cetera, these things are all the usual political machinations. They're just getting to the second power. But I think there are things here that the Republican Party sits back the electorate and says, we had the House, we had the Senate, we had the presidency. Where are the things that we want? And some of them have not been delivered. And so when you see Indiana's leaders, no, no, no, we're not going to partake of that. It made them quick, you know, like shorthand villains. And I think that's why it went the way it went. Now, what that means for the larger electorate, we're going to have to find out in the midterms, because there's only one thing less popular than Congress writ large these days, and that is the Democratic Party. So this number's all over the place. Let's see what happens if Iran is resolved. The numbers come down relative to the price of oil, the economy spikes, and I think that's what they're counting on. I think you're going to see a very different situation in November than you have right now.

[Jesse Waters]

Greg Gutfeld.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Greg Drew.

[Jesse Waters]

Oh, you love redistricting. Yeah.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Boy, was this a topic or what? What were you drawing at home? Look, I want to talk about Trump and kids.

[Jesse Waters]

Let's do it. Come on.

[Greg Gutfeld]

That was what this segment should have been about. He was talking about Iran.

[Dana Perino]

Yeah. He said they were going to die.

[Greg Gutfeld]

They were going to die. How do we not talk about that? I love how he doesn't talk down to kids. He told them the specifics, the grisly facts about War. Now, you could argue you should have tamped it down, but it speaks to the nature of Trump and that his critics get wrong, which is he doesn't talk down or condescend, whether you're a child or a woman, Dana. Oh, yes, Condescend means talking down. You don't care if you're gay, non binary, Asian, black, Mexican, a woodland nymph. He doesn't see identity. The kids are there, he goes, this is what's gonna happen. He's great with kids, cuz he's kind of great with people. He's one on one and in groups. And if you don't like him, that's fine, I don't care. But why do you care that I don't? I like him. That's the key to all this. We talk about these, you know, fractious relationships. But I'm okay with you hating Trump. Why aren't you okay with me liking him? If you could just look in the mirror and answer that question, liberals, you would feel so much better. Why does it bother you that people like Trump? Perhaps there's a large role in your dissatisfaction. It might be your own personal resentments. You may play a large role emotionally in how you feel about Trump. Maybe if you get over that, you'll spend less time and effort being so miserable.

[Jesse Waters]

Do you have an answer to that, Jessica?

[Jessica Tarlov]

Why do I care that you like him?

[Greg Gutfeld]

I don't think she cares.

[Jesse Waters]

I mean, do you have a theory about why liberals care so much that other people like Trump?

[Jessica Tarlov]

Because he's like a completely morally bankrupt person. That's important.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Why should you care that I like him?

[Jessica Tarlov]

I have accepted that you like him, but I think it's hard for people when they care about someone. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. This is the thing.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Why do they care? Tell me why. What's underneath?

[Jessica Tarlov]

Well, care leads to voting, and then voting leads to bad policies.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Why can I make life if you like.

[Jessica Tarlov]

If he was your friend, I'd be much more chill about it. But he. Because you like him. He's my president.

[Jesse Waters]

I think she's misdiagnosed it. It has nothing to do with morality. You don't care about morality?

[Jessica Tarlov]

Of course we don't.

[Jesse Waters]

The party doesn't support standards of morality. Anything you can do, drugs, you can be homeless, you can hit people, rape people, let other murderers into the country. You could do all kinds of things. They don't judge, they're gonna let.

[Paul Morrow]

You're gonna let the Son of Sam out of jail?

[Jesse Waters]

The Son of Sam for you guys apologize for to A guy who tried to shoot the president. Keep the morality. Don't talk to Bill Clinton about morality.

[Jessica Tarlov]

He's evangelicals. To support a guy who has cheated on every single wife that he's.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Who cares if I like him?

[Jessica Tarlov]

I said I don't care. I have a no.

[Greg Gutfeld]

But why do your peers. Why do you. I'm doing it. Scott Jennings. Get your finger out of my face. Why do liberals care that we. We like him? It's because they cannot get themselves emotionally out of the way and it bothers them. They know that they might be wrong. The sunk cost of hating somebody because

[Jessica Tarlov]

it has electoral consequences.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Not everybody thinks that way.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Oh, I don't.

[Greg Gutfeld]

We don't walk around and go what's the polling say? What's the electoral polish?

[Jessica Tarlov]

Then why are we looking at any video of Obama? What do you care? That suit was fly. And just let him have his stupid museum.

[Jesse Waters]

I like the suit.

[Jessica Tarlov]

You did not. You definitely.

[Jesse Waters]

I love this jab. I own a Dan suit. Darn it.

[Jessica Tarlov]

You did not criticize him for that at the podium.

[Jesse Waters]

I wasn't even on the five back then.

[Greg Gutfeld]

On water as well.

[Jesse Waters]

And I definitely would not have what we have next stop potatoes apparently thinks it's funny to verbally abuse your staff.

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[Paul Morrow]

So the democr gunning for greasy Gavin's job are somehow even bigger circus acts than the hair jail king himself. Yep, there was yet another California governor's debate last night. With the primary coming up June 2nd and despite two Republicans best efforts, the liberal candidates think providing illegal free health care is a no brainer.

[Jesse Waters]

Your thoughts on the idea of funding health care for undocumented immigrants statewide?

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yes, everybody in California has a right to health care.

[Jesse Waters]

And let's let's California should fund the

[Paul Morrow]

truth of the matter is immigrants built this state.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yes, let us provide the care to

[Bret Baier]

all the people who work hard and

[Greg Gutfeld]

make California Secretary Sarah.

[Paul Morrow]

And the biggest hot potato on that stage, former Congresswoman Katie Porter. She apparently thinks berating her staff is the perfect punchline for her new edition

[Jessica Tarlov]

to give Californians what they need. It's going to take standing up to Donald Trump calling out greedy corporations and stepping on some toes along the way. Now, could you guys please get out of my shot?

[Paul Morrow]

Trotle, Trottle. All right, listen. California is looking at a roughly $30 billion deficit. Jessica, health care for illegals. Tell me, what's the story?

[Jessica Tarlov]

Well, the argument for it and they can already get coverage through medical is that it's cheaper to insure rather than what happens within an ER because people are going to go in. So which saves the state more money. That's the argument that's being made. Obviously, you cannot believe in it. I think if this was a national debate stage in a Democratic primary, people might answer differently than if you're doing it for California where this has been policy and Governor Newsom has spoken about it before. I watched the debate in its entirety. I thought that Tom Steyer and Becerra came off the best. I wanted Matt Mahan to really dazzle me. And I felt like he didn't really get there. He has this record to talk about and he's accomplished a lot, but he wasn't as dynamic, I guess, as I had wanted. The Chad Bianco stuff about not would have never said swindled. I mean, this might be too inside baseball, but anyway, there's like a very funny exchange with Steve Hilton about that. And Katie Porter was fine and seemed like she was actually almost in tears about having actually apologized to the staffer that she yelled get out of the shot.

[Dana Perino]

That's it.

[Paul Morrow]

Yeah, we're all choked up.

[Dana Perino]

If she's in tears, then she was also doing a joke ad about it. And the joke's so funny that they had to use a laugh track. If you listen to that at the end, that's not actually those aren't actual people laughing. They used a laugh track to try to get her a joke. I think that all of, I think these debates don't work anymore in today's age. I think that you need to find a way we to be able to get deeper into these conversations. And I don't know if it's a round robin podcasters or something like that, but the, the format does not work anymore. There was nothing of substance in that debate last night. And if you look at what I thought is that if a repo. If Steve Hilton doesn't win, you could end up with something worse than Governor U Haul.

[Paul Morrow]

Oh, geez, Jesse, you and I are of the same mind here, which I congratulate you on, by the way. Relative to the cities I've heard you say we need just get out of the cities. And California, obviously, that's happening, and it's for some of the reasons that came up last night. What should take. I mean, California is really taking on water. There's Newsom. Does he have a shot? I mean, their rep is not good.

[Jesse Waters]

Well, Jessica says it's cheaper to insure the illegals. If you're worried about costs, maybe just don't let him in in the first place. Listen, we're not evil. If Juan breaks his foot plastering some drywall and he needs to go to the er, we'll put a cast on him and send him back to the work site. That's not what this is. Jessica, you're getting. Talk about the booty dental. You're going in and getting a mole removed. Cha ching. You're going in and getting free breast implants. Okay? This is not health care. This is cosmetic surgery, and we can't afford it, and people are abusing it. You cannot let California commit suicide. It is the most beautiful state in the country. It's like watching a model with a gun to her head. I'm sorry. I'm going to intervene for the sake of. Of you know what. Okay. Also, Katie Porter. Can I talk about women for a second?

[Greg Gutfeld]

You should start a suicide hotline for just attractive women. Have you thought about that?

[Jesse Waters]

I don't want to go down that road, Greg. I got a lot of my plate already. But women deserve better. California governor. It's a big job. A woman has never run the state before. And so do you want the first female governor to be her? Don't you want someone with glamor and charm and experience and intelligence? I mean, I could go on and on. Everything that she doesn't have. Please don't make her the first female governor of California. Anybody but her. You can't have U Haul handed off the potatoes. Okay?

[Paul Morrow]

I think that's the point, because we need California, man. It's like, what, the sixth, seventh largest economy in the world? It's very easy to just say, ah, we don't need it anymore. We need it. Come on. We want the place, Greg, take us home.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Here is that the Democrat Party has lost the ability to say no. Everyone has a right to everything, right? There's a. It's like an infinite. It's an infinite policy. So, you know, if you want a sex change, I can't say no to that because if I say no to that, then that's a lack of compassion. This is what we call what suicidal empathy is, that you give it away. You give it away to people who would not do it in return. These people are actually exploiting your weakness. Like these guys. They're, I mean, illegals think we're suckers, right? Just shut, you got either shut down the border if you want free stuff or if you open the border, get rid of the free stuff. You can't have both. That's why California is in trouble. And that's it for me, ladies and gentlemen. I have to use the restroom.

[Paul Morrow]

You know, in truth, any elective surgery in California should come with one way ticket back to where you came from, realistically. All right, you're going to pay for your elective surgery, then out you go. All right. Coming up next, sorry, America haters. Bret Baer is about to crash the table with a full blown defense of the United States. Boom, boom, boom.

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[Greg Gutfeld]

You may remember our next guest as the guy who randomly pops up at the end of this show. Well, he apparently writes books too. Bret Baer is the author of the Case for America, An Argument on Behalf of Our Nation out in bookstores now. And he joins the table. Hi, Brett.

[Bret Baier]

Hi, Greg. Can we just start with the handover yesterday? Yes, because Ebony and Ivory singing how beautiful. Congregation as I'm watching the clock. 6o, 1, 1, 2, 3.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Look at your face.

[Bret Baier]

I just had, I had no reaction.

[Dana Perino]

Yeah, you had a common ground.

[Greg Gutfeld]

You had Pelosi face right there.

[Bret Baier]

It was good.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Frozen. Is it kind of, I mean, this is a necessary book. Is it kind of sad that it is necessary to have a book that makes the case for America?

[Bret Baier]

Yeah, listen, I was thinking about after writing about all these presidents, what I could do ahead of the 250th and making the case in front of a jury for the country with some specific evidence and, and testimony of not only the presidents I covered, but also contemporary Folks like Condoleezza Rice and Ken Langone and others to help people say, wait a second, here's a 30,000 foot look back at where our country is and why it's a great place.

[Dana Perino]

Based on your knowledge of history and you've written all of these books, how would you describe the moment we are in now compared to other moments of.

[Bret Baier]

Yeah, I mean, we're in a partisan time and the country is divided. I mean, you can see it at this table in the last segment. I could hear it outside. But no, I think in our country we've been in very, very dark places before. And one of the things, one of the testimony pieces is that we are resilient. We've always been resilient. And no matter our differences, Unity is in our title. But dissent is baked in the cake. And it's a really a big part of who we are. We just have to figure out how to dissent in a way that we can listen to each other and get stuff done.

[Jesse Waters]

You really scrutinize the country. You say, this is a look at the country, warts and all blemishes. You know, this is not. You're not cheerleading. You're really taking a hard look at it. Was there something that you saw looking back and said, whoa, the United States. Wow. How did we get through that one?

[Bret Baier]

Well, we had major mistakes where we. It would have crushed weaker nations. You know, obviously the founders believed that they should have addressed slavery. They didn't because they had to get the Constitution through. They had to get the southern states to vote on it. Women voting took a long time and that was a mistake. Listen, we've made big mistakes, but we've come through. And I think that, you know, part of the case is that freedom is the biggest thing and talk about freedom a lot in this book.

[Jessica Tarlov]

So Gen Z, in particular, are not enormous fans of the country, don't feel a strong sense of patriotism. What do you think is the best argument for why young people should be proud to be Americans?

[Bret Baier]

Well, first of all, I have two kids, 18 and 15, and I'm desperately trying to get them off their phones because they're, they're sucked into social media. And this book is really for them. I dedicate it to them because I think it's important. The biggest case that I see is that they're going to get the baton and we have to fight for freedom all the time. It's not free. It sounds cheesy, but we have to work on it. I think there are good signs. You know, kids are going back to church. There's a lot of we're exercising again now. They're searching for something. You know, they're searching for identity. And I think America 250 is going to be a chance that we can come together over something, and that's the country.

[Paul Morrow]

Brett, you clearly did a lot of research here. I'm looking at the bibliography, and I can tell that because I haven't read any of these books. So can I ask you what was the biggest revelation going back through all this? Something sticking your mind? You say, I didn't know that. Wow.

[Bret Baier]

Well, there's just characters in history that get overlooked. Henry Lee stands up and he's this aristocratic guy that makes the first effort in the Continental Congress have a declaration of Independence, is overlooked in history. But at the time, if you think about it, that was treasonous, you know, standing up to break away from the royalty. And he does it. And there's just little nuggets like that throughout the book. Each one of these people tells their own story, the president's, but I think the contemporaries, like Condoleezza Rice, who is born in Birmingham, Alabama, in the segregated south, and then, as you know, stands out in the State Department next to world leaders and says, only in America can this happen.

[Paul Morrow]

Nice. Well, that's nice.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah, I can see I'm not in the acknowledgments.

[Bret Baier]

You're on page.

[Greg Gutfeld]

No, it's okay.

[Dana Perino]

Great American, page 50.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I checked the index. I'm not in the book. So we won't be reading this one at the Gunfill house. No. Congratulations.

[Bret Baier]

What do you think the handover will be today?

[Greg Gutfeld]

I don't know.

[Dana Perino]

That's the best part.

[Bret Baier]

It's like a box of chocolate.

[Greg Gutfeld]

It depends on what song comes into our head.

[Bret Baier]

So when I go around the country, people say, do you practice that?

[Jesse Waters]

Is that, like, does it look practiced?

[Bret Baier]

Really? Does it look practice?

[Greg Gutfeld]

We practice at nothing. Nothing is practiced here.

[Bret Baier]

Thank you for having me on.

[Greg Gutfeld]

You got it. All right, go out and get your copy of the Case for America, wherever books are sold the fastest.

[Paul Morrow]

Up next, shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather.

[Jesse Waters]

Hey, Guy Benson here with a listening tip for you.

[Paul Morrow]

If you missed the Guy Benson show

[Jesse Waters]

or any of your other Fox News favorites, don't worry. You can stream previously aired shows with

[Paul Morrow]

rewind, available exclusively on the Free Odyssey app. Busy workdays don't mean you have to miss out on any of the news or our content. Listen to your favorite Fox shows on

[Jesse Waters]

your time with Odyssey. To get started, just download the Free

[Paul Morrow]

Odyssey App and search for Fox News Radio. That's a U, D A C, Y.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Welcome back. For the first time in over a decade, Kellogg's is putting toys back in special edition cereal boxes. Dana, are you excited?

[Dana Perino]

Well, I was trying to remember and like, I would try to get. I'm earlier than. I always run earlier than my sister. So I'd get to the breakfast table first and then I would reach down in there and I. The toy first. It wasn't, it wasn't really fair. Sorry, Angie, but that's the way it was.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Older siblings, Jesse, they should put toys

[Jesse Waters]

in like fruits and vegetables because it's cereal. I mean, we gotta get the kids eating the fruits and vegetables. Jesse Jr. Does not eat fruits and vegetables. I had a challenge the other day. In order for him to get a ring pop, he had to lick one piece of fruit or vegetable. And you know what he chose? A grape which, like, doesn't even count because it's got the skin on top. Any advice for that? Send it into the show.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Greg?

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah. You know, my parents would often bake toys into food, so I would eat the food. It didn't go well with the lawn dart. Ouch.

[Paul Morrow]

Paul, I like this. It's very wholesome. It's called Back to the old days. You know what I mean? It's 2017, but you'll know it goes bad.

[Jesse Waters]

It is the old days when like,

[Paul Morrow]

you know, the toy is an absentee ballot or something.

[Jessica Tarlov]

Yeah, why we didn't need to politicize this. One more thing's up next.

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[Dana Perino]

Time for one more thing, Greg.

[Greg Gutfeld]

All right, tonight we got Kat, Timp, Michael Loftus, Heather and Tyrus. I have shows in June in Frisco, Charlotte, North Carolina, Las Vegas, Clarksville. Go to G gutfeld.com let's do this. Greg Gutfield News first picture. This is from Lampa, Idaho. This family came with their own little Greg Gutfield shirts. There's Tom Slew. Let's hone in on it. We don't deserve Gutfield. Let's go in a little bit further. Gutfield. You know, you think fans would know how to spell your name, especially if you're making shirts.

[Dana Perino]

It's hard. Jesse.

[Jesse Waters]

My mom thinks her name's Gutfield, so it's a thing. Tonight, Jesse, what is primetime Jimmy Failure and your mom.

[Dana Perino]

I've got two more public events for Purple State. The last two, blueprint in Dallas, Texas, Wednesday, May 13, and on Friday, May 15, Union League of Chicago. You can find out more@danaporino books.com purplestate do you guys want to sing for Brett?

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah.

[Paul Morrow]

Listen to the 5ad free on Amazon Music with your prime membership or subscribe

[Greg Gutfeld]

wherever you get your podcasts.