FAA Flight Cuts Begin As Shutdown Drags

Summary

The Five – Podcast Summary

Episode: FAA Flight Cuts Begin As Shutdown Drags
Date: November 8, 2025
Host & Panel: Martha MacCallum, Paul Morrow Kennedy, Jesse Watters, Greg Gutfeld, Kennedy

---

Episode Overview

This episode of The Five carries the lively roundtable’s signature mix of serious political analysis and irreverent banter, centering on the escalating pain points of the ongoing government shutdown—particularly FAA-induced air travel disruptions, the gridlocked standoff in Congress, and the resulting political posturing from both parties. The latter half of the show transitions into an energetic discussion about the FOX Nation Patriot Awards, culture and merit, New York politics shifting left, as well as lighter segments exploring quirky holiday shopping frenzies and fun audience Q&A.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

---

1. FAA Flight Cuts & Government Shutdown Fallout

(Timestamps: 00:00–12:10)

• Painful Flight Reductions:
  The panel opens with details on the FAA’s phased reductions: a 4% cut in air traffic, jumping to 6% by Tuesday, 8% by Thursday, 10% by Friday, and with warnings up to 20%. Secretary Duffy is cited as warning about escalating impacts.

• Political Blame Game:

  • Donald Trump is aired criticizing Democrats for blocking efforts to end the shutdown, asserting they're “crazy, but they don't care if they hurt the country.”

    “Americans have voted 14 times to open up the country and the Democrats have voted 14 times to hurt the country.” — Trump (as recapped by panel, 01:41)

  • Democrats, according to Martha, see the shutdown as working in their favor and are pushing for a longer extension of Obamacare subsidies.

• Branding, Filibuster, & Senate Dynamics:

  • Senator Chris Murphy’s candid worry about the party’s image is highlighted:

    “There will be some pretty substantial damage done to a Democratic brand that has been rehabilitated if … we immediately stop fighting.” — Senator Murphy (02:32)

  • Paul argues for reviving the “talking filibuster,” to create public accountability:

    “Make them do it. Make them suffer. … Right now, it’s all being done in a very anodyne, way off stage.” (04:35)

  • Kennedy expresses concerns about abolishing the filibuster, fearing loss of compromise and future repercussions. She also personalizes the shutdown’s effect:

    “My brother is in town from Portland … he's worried he's not going to get a flight on Sunday… timing is curious because we're creeping up on Thanksgiving… the one holiday we have to… bring people together.” (06:02)

• Pressures, Precedent, & Public Perception:

  • Jesse disputes that Democrats are united, indicating moderate Dems may soon yield:

    “My sources in the Senate are saying the moderate Democrats are about to cave. They need five more…” (07:25)

  • He warns against Republicans caving:

    “If they cave and give them all these Obamacare goodies, they're going to come back next year … for twice as much. It sets a terrible precedent.” (08:01)

  • Greg strikes a sarcastic note, suggesting the shutdown is a minor blip for most—another excuse to skip Thanksgiving flights:

    “What a great excuse to skip Thanksgiving. There are a lot of people that … can't make it. … Flying sucks… The FAA has always been a mess.” (09:20)

  • The discussion highlights the disconnect between politicians’ protected status and ordinary Americans' headaches.

---

2. FOX Nation Patriot Awards & Positive American Culture

(Timestamps: 12:37–22:23)

• Celebrating Heroes:

  • The segment turns upbeat as the hosts discuss the FOX Nation Patriot Awards, lauding everyday heroes and First Lady Melania Trump, who received the “Patriot of the Year” award.
  • Notable moment: Erica Kirk’s moving speech about legacy and moral courage:

    “He knew that evil wins when good people stay silent. … Let's embrace the spirit of ambition. Embrace different perspectives, even opposing ones. Open your mind, then change the world…” — Erica Kirk (13:18)

  • Pete Hegseth, “Secretary of War,” makes headlines by rebuking progressive agendas:

    “No more gender quotas, no more DEI, no more climate change… No more dudes in dresses.” (14:12, 14:25, Hegseth and Gutfeld)

• Panel Reactions & Cultural Commentary:

  • The panel gushes over DJ Daniel, a young, inspirational law enforcement advocate.
  • Fox’s role in creating “their own culture” is explored:

    “It’s an example of making your own culture… Culture shapes your thoughts and you are what you think. … You need positive and uplifting stuff.” — Greg Gutfeld (18:08)

  • Melania Trump’s advocacy is described as “pro-capitalism, pro-ambition,” contrasted with anti-meritocratic trends the panel associates with New York left-leaning candidates.

---

3. New York City, Mamdani, and The Democratic Party’s Left Turn

(Timestamps: 23:37–31:47)

• Mamdani's Rise & Party Identity Crisis:

  • Panel discusses the ascendance of Zoran Mamdani and Bernie Sanders-aligned progressives, warning of a “commie revolution” in New York.
  • Paul dryly notes national Democratic leadership is in flux:

    “The top result is a person called don’t know, followed by Kamala, then another person called Nobody, then Schumer and Jeffries.” (24:16)

  • Kennedy critiques the left’s “class warfare” and dismissal of innovation:

    “They want to convince you that billionaires have taken all of your stuff… they need as much money and as much power concentrated in their leadership as possible...” (24:47)

• Anti-American Sentiment & International Socialism:

  • Martha remarks the trend is more about tearing down American/global power than strictly economics.

    “He didn’t say anything about… the greatness of America. He talked about what he wanted to tear down.” (26:43)

  • Paul frames socialism/communism as a borderless movement, pointing toward its global history.

• Crime, Fairness, and Political Blinders:

  • Greg analyzes the left as obsessed with “unfairness” above other factors, highlighting trade-off blindness in crime and economic policy:

    “Hundreds of variables… but they only focus on unfairness… When you get mugged… it’s an unfairness problem.” (30:15)

  • Jesse outlines a blunt Republican answer for affordability:

    “If rent’s too high, deport the illegals and build more apartments. It’s like so stupid, obvious even I understand it.” (28:14)

---

4. Lighter Fare: Cup Mania, Karaoke, and Animal Antics

(Timestamps: 32:05–41:00)

• Starbucks Barista Cup Craze:

  • The panel riff on the mania for Starbucks’ collectible “bearista” cups, likening the craze to America’s “Labubu mania.”

    “They stuck a straw in the honey bear’s head and called it a bearista.” — Jesse Watters (33:12) “This is not about coffee. This is about sugar. … Starbucks… is a candy store for adults.” — Greg Gutfeld (34:08)

• Fan Mail & Panelist Antics:

  • The panel reveals which magazine cover they’d want and their go-to karaoke songs, sharing playful jabs and mock boasts.
  • Martha: “Town and Country.”
  • Jesse: “Playgirl.”
  • Kennedy: “Ebony.”
  • Paul: “American Billionaire.”
  • Greg: “Woefully Underappreciated Monthly.”

• ‘One More Thing’ Fun:

  • Greg shares “Sexy Wallaroo News.”
  • Paul tells a story of a woman saving a shark.
  • Jesse covers volcanic eruptions and jokes, “Who does that? Seven and a half hours?”
  • Kennedy recounts an officer wrestling a hostile swan.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You don't want FAA guys looking at their phones, worrying about their mortgages. … This is a procedural thing.” — Paul Morrow Kennedy (03:22)
• “It is supposed to be the upper chamber, but they are acting like they're swilling whatever is left over in a chamber pot.” — Kennedy on Senate decorum (05:30)
• “The Dems picked the wrong bird to play chicken with. Trump's solution is to always go harder.” — Greg Gutfeld (10:58)
• “Let's embrace different perspectives, even opposing ones. Open your mind, then change the world…” — Erica Kirk, Patriot Awards (13:18)
• “No more dudes in dresses. We're done with that.” — Greg Gutfeld paraphrasing Pete Hegseth (14:25)
• “[Mamdani] wants to dismantle the very conditions that allowed Donald Trump to become a real estate tycoon and then president.” — Martha MacCallum (21:55)
• “If rent's too high, deport the illegals and build more apartments. … So stupid, obvious even I understand it.” — Jesse Watters (28:14)
• "Culture shapes your thoughts and you are what you think." — Greg Gutfeld (18:08)

---

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• FAA shutdown/air travel: 00:00–12:10
• Patriot Awards/FOX culture: 12:37–22:23
• NYC, Mamdani, Left politics: 23:37–31:47
• Light banter, holiday cups, karaoke, animal news: 32:05–41:00

---

Tone & Language

As always, The Five delivers lively, punchy, and sometimes sardonic debate, with Greg Gutfeld and Jesse Watters injecting wry humor and mock provocation, Kennedy offering acerbic wit, Martha MacCallum pivoting between moderation and sharp analysis, and Paul Morrow Kennedy giving procedural and big-picture context.

---

Conclusion

The episode tackles real-time developments in the shutdown and air travel, frames them as chess pieces in wider political and cultural conflicts, and uses humor and audience engagement to keep the discussion accessible and relatable. The interplay between earnest concern (for workers, for governance, for American character) and satire (on everything from Senate antics to viral Starbucks cups) is quintessential The Five.

Transcript

[Martha MacCallum]

Coca Cola for the big, for the small, the short and the tall. Peacemakers, risk takers for the optimists, pessimists for long distance love for introverts and extroverts, the thinkers and the doers for old friends and new Coca Cola for everyone. Pick up some Coca Cola at a store near you. Hello, everybody. Martha MacCallum along with Paul Morrow Kennedy, Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld. Five o' clock in New York City on a Friday, and this is the five. Well, shutdown pain is going sky, sky high. American travelers getting rocked as cuts to air traffic really dig in. And they will be carried out in increments today. It's a 4% cut across the board. It'll jump to 6% of all air traffic that will be shut down by Tuesday, 8% by Thursday, 10% by next Friday. Secretary Duffy warning late today that it could go to 20% in the coming weeks. So President Trump unloading on Democrats for not cutting a deal.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Watch.

[Jesse Watters]

We have a shutdown, as you probably.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Know, because the Democrats have gone. They're crazy. They're crazy, but they don't care if they hurt the country.

[Jesse Watters]

Who are you with? Who are you with?

[Martha MacCallum]

I'm with NBC News, sir.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Fake News.

[Jesse Watters]

NBC News, you're Fake news.

[Greg Gutfeld]

What a.

[Jesse Watters]

What a. NBC has gone down the.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Tubes along with most of the rest of them. Americans have voted 14 times to open up the country and the democrats have voted 14 times to hurt the country. Really?

[Martha MacCallum]

I mean, you can hear it all right there. The president has run out of patience with this after 38 days. Then Chuck Schumer came to the Senate floor, to the podium and suggested a one year extension of the Obamacare subsidies to end the shutdown. I mean, originally they wanted to go through January, but his olive branch is let's do it for a whole nother year. And according to Axios, emboldened Democrats after Tuesday night are pushing to keep this thing going. They think this is working for them and they want it to go on longer. Democrats Chris Murphy, Senator Chris Murphy gave the game away. He is worried about his party's brand. Watch this.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

There will be some pretty substantial damage done to a Democratic brand that has been rehabilitated. If on the heels of an election in which the people told us to keep fighting, we immediately stop fighting.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I worry that it will be hard.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

To sort of get them back up.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Off the mat in time for next fall's election cycle.

[Martha MacCallum]

All right, let's talk about this. Really what they're looking for is a band aid. Paul Morrow, of mediocrity, of the health care, of the health care fund and Obamacare. Right. That people have gotten so beaten down and just used to it.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah.

[Martha MacCallum]

And they expanded it during COVID and that was supposed to go away, but of course nothing ever goes away once it's been handed out. What do you think about where President Trump is on this now?

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

So obviously he is dug in as well. And the Democrats are worried about branding here and we've heard them talk about leverage. Right. We've got this leverage now we're going to use it, which is something that nobody wants to hear. Look, I think of in terms of the air traffic controllers. There's a few jobs out there where there's not a lot of wiggle room. Right. You don't have a lot of large room for error. Right. You got, let's say heart surgeon, cops, firefighters, air traffic controllers, talk show hosts. Talk show hosts have plenty of leeway. You're living proof. The bottom line is this. You don't want FAA guys looking at their phones, worrying about their mortgages. So we do have to get this solved. But this is a procedural thing and we should remember that. And I'm going to steal something from Deroy Murdoch because he is so sharp on this and he makes this point. Why are we allowing them to have a silent filibuster? You're supposed to stand up there and talk and we're letting them not do it. This is a silent filibuster as the. You can force a filibuster. That's talking. A talking filibuster they call it. With a slight rule change, you can make them do it. Here's why that matters. Because they can't hand it off. You're going to get one person who's exhausted right now. You're not going to be able to get the vote at that point. So then somebody else has to take over. They'd have to go through everybody. It would create the theater that's missing here because the average person doesn't understand it. It's the Democrats who are saying we have leverage. We're just not going to shut it down. And let's remember something else. If you cycle through all the Dem senators, ultimately you're going to get 84 year old Bernie Sanders trying to speak for 14, 15 hours. You're going to get Angus King, who's 81, he's an independent, but he caucuses with them. My point is this. Make them do it. Make them suffer. Right now. It's all being done in a very anodyne, way off stage. And as a result, they're getting away with it.

[Martha MacCallum]

Kennedy, obviously, President Trump wants to, he wants to end the filibuster. It's a pretty complicated set of rules that would allow Republicans to end the filibuster. But he's saying, look, Democrats are going to do this eventually to us if they regain power in the Senate. It's a Senate issue, so just do it now. And he's reeling off the list of all the things that could get done if they do that. What do you think?

[Unknown Female Panelist]

I am not a fan of that. I do think that there should be some decorum and expectation within the Senate. It is supposed to be the upper chamber, but they are acting like they're swilling whatever is left over in a chamber pot. I mean, it's absolutely disgusting the way they are comporting themselves. And I worry that if you do get rid of the filibuster, I mean, that is the mechanism that is supposed to invite compromise and conversation and people who may only be able to create a coalition around certain ideas still reaching across the aisle and then being able to go back to their respective caucuses and sell the ideas that will put the American people in a better position. And, you know, Tammy Duckworth talks about we have to take care of our federal workers. It's like, do you think that prolonging this strike, you know, it's like, we'll be at 40 days on Sunday, Is that taking care of federal workers? You know, why not take care of Americans who can't get things like SBA loans? And, you know, my brother is in town from Portland, Oregon. He's worried he's not going to get a flight on Sunday because we're going to go down 2 percentage points in terms of available flights by the time he has to leave. And the timing is curious because we're creeping up on Thanksgiving, and that's the big worry that people have. We are so divided in this country. The one holiday we have is Thanksgiving to try and bring people together. And there are people who are terrified they're not even going to have that moment to mend their own familial fence. And they're just going to be malingering in this pain for eternity.

[Martha MacCallum]

Jesse, it feels like. And you know, Chris Murphy often says the quiet part out loud, but it feels like Democrats are feeling emboldened after Tuesday night. And they're like, this is working for us. Let's just stick to it and keep fighting for this extension of Obamacare, which I pointed out earlier really has not worked all that well. Even Democrats admit it hasn't worked that well.

[Jesse Watters]

That's not what I'm hearing. Martha, what are you hearing? My sources in the Senate are saying the opposite. My sources in the Senate are saying the moderate Democrats are about to cave. They need five more. They already have three. And they're starting to get nervous. If you don't have military getting paid, if you don't have air traffic control, if you don't have your own Senate staffer who's 22 years old making 40 grand a year, he's not getting paid, she's not getting paid. They're under a lot of pressure. And so the Republican strategy is now hold the line. They can't cave, because what happens if they cave and give them all these Obamacare goodies? They're going to come back next year and they're going to hit them up for twice as much. It sets a terrible precedent. And I know that there's no one in the Senate that's going to back off of what the stance is already there. Bernie is going to need a chamber pot for 14 hours of speaking. I didn't even know this was an option. Senator Thune, I hope, is watching the show because you got to make these guys speak and got to make them not have bathroom breaks. A lot of people in this country don't even know there's a government shutdown. They're going to find out when they don't get food stamps or when they go to the airport, and it's total chaos. But a lot of people don't know and a lot of people don't care. But if Mellon, this billionaire, ponied up, what was it, $130 million to pay the soldiers during the shutdown. I would like to see some other billionaires step up and maybe get these air traffic controllers abridged so they can get paid until the next CR gets voted on. Did I just say cr? Yeah, it's. I went the who shutdown without saying cr. That means it's over. You got to open it back up.

[Martha MacCallum]

While air traffic controllers make like, like a staffer, $45,000 a year. And so these people are in a tough situation. Where do you think this is going, Greg?

[Greg Gutfeld]

Well, my sources say this is a boring topic. Look, go, go. Shut down. Keep it going. What a great excuse to skip Thanksgiving. There are a lot of people that are right now going, I don't have to fly. I can't. I can't make it. We know who you are because I'm one of them. I don't want to. I got a baby. I don't want to fly across country. Look, out of a, out of 45,000 flights a day, you're talking today it was like 900. It's not a big problem. And in fact, I have to say, how can you tell? Flying sucks. I mean, flying sucks for everybody. But park politicians, your flight can get delayed or canceled for a million different reasons. This is just one more variable. It's still like what, 2% right now. Bottom line, we deal with, we've dealt with hassles for 30 years. The FAA has always been a mess. It just so happens Democrats and Republicans alike, they don't have to worry about it because let's face it, people handle their travel and if they're, if they get bumped, they just go on the next flight. Or they fly private or they fly business or first class. But it's never been an issue. The same way public education is never an issue for them. Immigration isn't an issue because they're not going to lose their jobs to illegal labor. They're not. They don't worry about crime because they got security flights taken care of. I haven't seen an industry go downhill like this. I mean, think about how fast our computers get every year and how much slower travel is. It's insane. It's the only thing that hasn't kept up with progress and it's because people have found a way around it. People don't trust Democrats and you mentioned this earlier, that temporary is an on ramp to permanent and a subsidy that should expire will then become a necessity. A one year extension will, must be renewed every single year. Like Jesse's hair Club for Men membership. Democrats will say as, as Zoran says, that government can solve every problem, therefore it can only expand and anytime you try to reduce its size, somebody's going to die. And it's remember, you will kill people if you try to shrink government. That's always been their mantra. It's a game of chicken. The Dems picked the wrong bird to play chicken with. Trump's solution to stuff like this is to always go harder. They asked Trump, is ICE going too far? They haven't gone far enough. That's his answer. They're playing chicken. Trump's looking at it as the running of the bulls and he's the bull.

[Martha MacCallum]

Maybe Congress should pool their resources. There's plenty of wealthy members of Congress and they should pay the air traffic controllers until it's over.

[Jesse Watters]

They're still getting paid they voted. Congress did not take the pay cut along with the rest of the people. They're taking checks away.

[Martha MacCallum]

Some of them individually have passed up on their, on their paycheck. But anyway, they should cover the the air traffic controllers, $45,000. All right, so coming up next, it was an amazing night. FOX Nation honoring America's unsung heroes at the Patriot Awards.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

It's will taint country. Watch it live at noon Eastern Monday through [e-mail] or on the Fox News YouTube channel. And don't miss the show. Listen and follow the podcast five days a week at foxnewspodcasts.com or wherever you download your favorite podcasts.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Let's get the dance party started. Proud Americans packing the house for the seventh annual FOX Nation Patriot Awards. First lady Melania Trump accepting the Patriot of the Year award for inspiring the nation to embrace ambition and champion compassion through her advocacy for children. And Erica Kirk accepting Fox's first Charlie Kirk Legacy Award with an emotional speech.

[Martha MacCallum]

Watch. I know this award is about legacy. It's about my legacy, our children's legacy, my husband's legacy. But it's also about your legacy. He knew that evil wins when good people stay silent. And so for the rest of my life, I will make sure that I don't stay silent. Let's embrace the spirit of ambition. Embrace different perspectives, even opposing ones. Open your mind, then change the world through your talent and hard work.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Very inspiring words. And of course, there were some surprise guests, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, hitting up his old stomping grounds with this speech.

[Jesse Watters]

As I've said, no more gender quotas, no more dei, no more climate change.

[Greg Gutfeld]

No more dudes in dresses. We're done with that.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Wow, the secretary of war has quite a potty mouth. But he did give out an incredible Service Award to Major James Capers Jr. A Vietnam veteran Marine. So how did the secretary do? How was he received?

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Obviously, they were pleased, at least in that auditorium. And everybody I talked to in the military, a lot of the cops were, they were in the reserves. And so, like, you know, you lose them once a year for a week, and then you lose them on the weekends. And they were guys that every commanding officer wanted because they understand the structure, they understand the organization. They know how to take orders, they know how to give orders. And so I am very happy to hear what he just said there. I think in the military, no more military dudes in dresses is a bumper sticker that I can get on board with. I hope that we see It. That was very important. Here's another thing I thought was very important. DJ Daniel, make him an ambassador for law enforcement like Metallica. All right. The kid is out there.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

He was so sweet.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

He's so cute. Everybody loves the guy. He's a heartbreaker. But, you know, he wants to be involved. He's only 13. He's got a school and stuff. I get it. But, you know, you want kid. What the Jesuits say, give me the child till seven, I have him for life. Right? So you want to get into that cognitive aperture and let kids know, you know what? They're not all Nazis. This is a good career for you, and it's something that's worthwhile. Clearly, he was well brought up. He understands that. Get him out there doing that kind of thing. And I just got to touch on the Charlie Kirk thing, because obviously he was so inspiring. Look, let's just remember something. There's nothing more important here than Charlie Kirk's legacy, because Tyler Robinson, the accused, did what he did, allegedly because of how effective Kirk was. And Kirk was taking away a toy from the left, which is kids. All right? He was getting to the high school kids. He was getting to the college kids from to the left. That's their bailiwig. Don't take away our toy. And that's why they targeted him. That's why he became such a threat to them. And they got to get exactly the opposite of what they tried to do there. And that now resides with Erika. Erica. Godspeed to you.

[Martha MacCallum]

Yes.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

And what a beautiful speech she gave, the award you presented along with Jason and Brittany Aldean. So what was it like seeing her for the first time since the very emotional interview that aired between you and her this week on your show?

[Jesse Watters]

She seemed different. Obviously, she had seen the interview. It was the first time she'd ever seen herself since the memorial service in Arizona and since she said that thing the week after to the nation of the assassination. So it was hard for her to watch, but she had processed it, and she had. I think some of the pain had been relieved. You know, when you talk about things, it's definitely therapeutic. And it was really good to see her, but everyone is asking me the same question. I get this all the time. Where was Greg? And I think everybody needs to understand that Greg is not allowed to come to the Patriot. There have been multiple instances. We're just going to call them instances. It's probably for the best for him that he's not there.

[Greg Gutfeld]

And for us, it was one incident.

[Jesse Watters]

There were several incidences.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Incidents.

[Jesse Watters]

But you were missed, Greg, and actually, that's not true. We were all glad you weren't there. Greg will also not be at the 8th Patriot Awards. Oh, but we love you, Greg.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

It's fire, Greg. Response.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Well, I didn't go because I wasn't getting an award. And, you know, that's part of the deal. I wanted Sexiest Patriot. But you know what? So I think, like, last night is.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Has.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Is important on a larger scale. It's an example of making your own culture, which is important because culture shapes your thoughts and you are what you think. And if you're thinking about what the Oscars or what the Grammys want you to think, you're screwed. You look at social contagions like the trans movement, right? That came from a culture that repeated a message over and over again into young minds shaping brains. So this is kind of an effort by Fox, whether they even know it or not, is to kind of shove the stuff that we get every day that takes up your shelf space, your mental self space. Shove it aside, here's some better stuff. And it's going to sound hokey and corny, because it is. But you need positive and uplifting stuff. So you can watch this and you can go, this is so cheesy. But that's because it's positive. And we live at a time where edgy and new stuff has to be negative and destructive and cool stuff is bad. I used to think that way. I mean, I used to think that, like, the power of positive thinking was very nerdy and silly and stupid. The Ned Flanders type of character. But you have to understand that destructive concepts in culture do become destructive thoughts, and then they fill your brain and.

[Jesse Watters]

And it's.

[Greg Gutfeld]

You can actually change. It's a choice on what you think about and how you think about things. You don't have to be a Luigi Mangione, you know, you don't have to think these horrible thoughts all the time. So I think this is, like, this is the start of something in my head of creating your own culture, to create your own thoughts, to lead a good life.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

You are our Ned Flanders.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Thank you.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

I just want to thank you. I don't know why you're wearing that bulky sweater. My bada told me not to wear.

[Greg Gutfeld]

This on tv, but it's so cold in here.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

I feel like you say that every day.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Yes. Who is Nick Flanderson?

[Unknown Female Panelist]

He's on the Simpsons. He's the next door neighbor who.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Very Christian.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

He screams like a girl.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Yeah, I missed a lot, huh?

[Martha MacCallum]

Anyway, go ahead Martha, Craig was just trying to work his way back into the Patriot Awards.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah, no, no, I'm good. I'm good. I had to tape a show at the same time.

[Martha MacCallum]

Okay. Yeah, it's fine with it.

[Greg Gutfeld]

It's true.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

So, Martha, what is it like being in that room? The first lady is so impressive, but, you know, you have Fox News fans, Fox Nation fans, who are so excited to see, you know, the people that they watch every single day and to see the first lady of the United States. What was that like for them?

[Martha MacCallum]

I mean, it's a great night. It's a great feeling. And there are so many people who are so supportive of what we do that they made the trip out there and they bought tickets, and it's a really positive, uplifting environment. Plus, we all get to see each other, except for Greg and, you know, hang out for the night, which we don't get to do all that often. So that was really great. But the one thing I want to say about Melania Trump, it was nice to see her receive an award on her own. And, you know, I was very impressed by what she did in terms of reaching out to Putin. She understands this part of the world. She grew up in Slovenia. She understands what Russian oppression is all about, and she chooses her things very carefully, and she wanted to bring some of those children home, and she accomplished that. So I think that it's really important to see what she puts her time and energy into. I also thought it was really interesting that she chose. Her message was really capitalism. Last night, she spoke about the importance of ambition, a spirit of ambition in the nation, innovation, imagination, about a prosperous society. And she did that in the same week that we heard Mamdani's speech on the night that he was elected. And in that speech, he went right after President Trump. And one of the things that he said in that speech, that really stood out to me, and I thought that Melania's comments were in such stark juxtaposition, too. Mamdani said about Trump that he was going to dismantle. Mamdani wants to dismantle the very conditions that allowed him, Trump, to accumulate power. Think about that. He wants to dismantle the very conditions that allowed Donald Trump to become a real estate tycoon and then President of the United States. He wants to tear down the very conditions that allowed that to happen. Let that sink in. Let that sink in. That is an absolutely anti merit based society. It's an anti capitalist society about tearing down those structures that allowed someone to succeed. Yeah.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

And look where it's failed. Eastern Europe, North Korea, North Vietnam, Venezuela, Cuba. The list goes on and on and on. Welcome to New York.

[Martha MacCallum]

Only those places.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Oh, no, there's. There's so many more.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

And, you know, one look at Melania there last night. You got to say to stop with the fashion filibuster, okay? Put her on the COVID of Vogue, for God's sake. I mean, she's the most beautiful, elegant woman we've ever had in the White House. That's a fashion filibuster.

[Martha MacCallum]

Nobody reads Vogue. It's okay.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Whatever they are, you know, whatever the magazine.

[Greg Gutfeld]

How dare you? Slight patch. Pat Nixon.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Yeah. Teen Vogue. Yeah. Okay. Anyway.

[Martha MacCallum]

All right.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

The head Democrats face a stark choice for the future. It's either the commie or Kamala.

[Martha MacCallum]

Whoa.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

That's next.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

So the future of the Democratic Party is looking redder and not in the Republican way. Bernie Sanders and Jasmine Crockett are rallying the troops. Zoran's commie revolution in New York.

[Martha MacCallum]

He has been a master. And frankly, he could do a masterclass for all Democrats on communication.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Do you think Zoran Mamdani is a leader in the Democratic Party now?

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Well, of course. He is going to be the mayor of the city of New York. And he made it clear. What is true in every state in this country is that the richest people in America are becoming phenomenally richer. It resonated with people. It will resonate with people in every state in this country.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Is that something that Democrats, you believe should run on?

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Absolutely. But who actually is the leader of the Democrats? Even they aren't so sure. According to a new poll conducted by Politico, the top result is a person called don't know, followed by Kamala, then another person called Nobody, then Schumer and Jeffries. So, Kennedy, you and Martha are the voices of reason on this panel today. Oh, God help us. I'm coming to you.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Sexist.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Is this the Democratic Party now? Are they a communist slash socialist party?

[Unknown Female Panelist]

I mean, that has been the schism within the party. Is the progressives trying to take over with their very effective messages of class warfare? That's all they have to offer. They don't have the kind of innovation and capitalism that the first lady was talking about at the Patriot Awards last night. They want to convince you that billionaires have taken all of your stuff and. And all of your opportunity. And they are the ones who are going to get it back from you. Them and only them. And on their way to doing that, they need as much money and as much power concentrated in their leadership as possible because they want to shake the whole thing to its foundation. And that's. You know, Martha, you were talking about that in the last segment. That's what Mamdani wants to do. Unfortunately, the rest of the Democrats, the establishment Democrats, they still don't have a message. They're still not running great candidates at the presidential level. And, you know, you look at people like Mikey Sherrill, who won the other night for New Jersey governor, She's pretty moderate. And I think most people in the country, they don't have an appetite for progressive chaos, especially when they see another city that's going to fall to socialism. We've already seen it in Portland and San Francisco and Chicago and Minneapolis. And, you know, they have written a great roadmap of what not to do. Voters have fallen for it, mostly because in this mayoral race in this city, there were horrible candidates to choose from. You know, and if Mamdani is the best case scenario, then truly, God help us all.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

New York, though, has a way of leading these things, and I hope it's not nationwide. Martha, you were talking about Eastern Europe and all the stuff that Melania, name check. Mao, Stalin, Castro, Pol Pot. We could go on Fidel Castro. Fidel Castro, by the way, also at first claimed he wasn't a communist. Okay. He was something else. Well, between them, that whole crew, what do we got? 50, 60 million dead in the 20th century thanks to communism? Is that where we're going here? Is this a failure of the school system? How do we know this? And these kids who voted for Mamdani not know this.

[Martha MacCallum]

You know, it's interesting when you look at the numbers that elected Mamdani in New York, the majority were people who've been here less than five years, people from other countries. And I read one school of thought on this this week that was essentially like, you know, he's not. So it's not that the economic system is what it's about. It's really more about tearing down American power. That leadership and American power and corporations and sort of the big, bad American hegemony philosophy is what has to go. And you notice in his speech, he didn't say anything about, you know, the greatness of New York City or the greatness of America. He talked about what he wanted to tear down. And I think that there's a lot of this philosophy, you see, in the United Kingdom has every. Every major city there is under the direction of a socialist mayor. So, I mean, this has been a long time in the making, this desire to sort of put people in power who want to tear down the idea of American power and American leadership in the world. And I think that there's something to be said for that. I didn't write that piece, but I read it and I thought, you know what? I think you might have something here.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Well, let's remember, socialism slash communism is supposed to be an international movement, right? All the borders go away, all the countries go away. It's the revolt of the working class who are going to run everything. Jesse, I got to come to you. I'm sure you have an answer for this from the right. Do we have an answer for affordability? Is this who we're running against now? Communists?

[Jesse Watters]

Yeah, it's supply and demand. If rent's too high, deport the illegals and build more apartments. It's like so stupid. Obvious even I understand it. So they have no idea, right? There supposed to be like, oh, the Democrats, they have no idea. Well, they're what? The first idea is freeze rent and freeze utilities. Okay? So rent is at an all time high. You freeze it, you don't bring it down. You just freeze it at an all time high. Utilities are all time. Just freeze it.

[Greg Gutfeld]

It's so stupid.

[Jesse Watters]

You want to bring prices down, you don't want to freeze them high. The problem here, though is nationally, whatever this guy does, everyone owns it. So say there's a stabbing on one of these free buses by some lunatic, Every Democrat's gonna get asked about that.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

You're right.

[Jesse Watters]

Every Democrat. When this guy tries to go to an NYPD funeral and all these cops turn their backs, every Democrat's gonna. Let's just say this city collapses into Armageddon. And all these stupid Democrats, and some of them are moderates, backed this guy. Even Barack backed him. They're going to have to say, oh, well, you know, I didn't really like that. I didn't really like them that much. I mean, it's going to get really awkward and really stupid. And the Republicans do have to do more. I know this is a Manhattan problem. It's also a problem out in San Francisco. They do need to do stuff about the cost of living in these big cities.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Greg, you're actually all joking aside, have your finger on the pulse of this town. You've been living here more than anywhere else, and you see what the social. This city right has been socialist since the 70s. I don't care what anybody says, it caused all of this and now they're leaning into more of it. Where do you see it going?

[Greg Gutfeld]

Well, I think It's a different of speed, difference of speed, commonly slow socialism, the new guard, Fast socialism. But it's still socialism. But when you like talk about history and you try to talk like you have. So you go like Mao, Stalin, they're like. They're like, oh, it's not like that. It's not like that. So you have to ask yourself, what is underneath their desire for this? If it is socialism and what drives that. It's a sense that things are unfair and government can fix it. So that allows them to say, well, it's democrat socialism or it's a new kind of social. We're gonna fix it. We're gonna fix it. We're gonna fix it. But it's all based on one thing. Things are unfair. They look at a person doing well, that's unfair. They look at a person doing badly, that's unfair. But here's the issue. Out of the hundreds of variables that contribute to a successful or a failed life, whether it is your family background, your ambition, your brain power, your mental health, your physical health, they only focus on unfairness. And that's how you got Zoran. That's how. Because all you had to say is ignore all other variables. So when you get mugged, it's not the. It's not a crime problem, It's a unfairness problem. That guy's life has been unfair. In this system, we have to deal with that. That's how you have people in New York City, which I don't understand. Their crime is their crucial, their most crucial issue yet. They vote for somebody who's soft on crime. That is because the unfairness variable is the only thing they're looking at. They ignore the trade offs. You want to defund the police because you think the police is corrupt or unfair. Well, the trade off is you incentivize crime because there's no disincentive via being arrested.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

And you know what? We all know it's gonna fail. But here's the thing to take away. I think we gotta not let them gaslight us on this. Cause they're gonna tell us it's working. You watch, the Times are gonna tell us in six months how great Mamdani is. And he's not gonna be. We gotta let people know it doesn't work. All right, we gotta go. The fastest is up next.

[Greg Gutfeld]

She is watching the detectives. Hi, folks. I'd like to tell you.

[Jesse Watters]

Welcome back. Americans are knocking the snot out of one another over a sippy cup. It's called the Starbucks barista cup. It's a 20 ounce holiday tumbler. And yep, it's selling out everywhere. The folks are getting up at the crack of dawn to snag one. Watch.

[Greg Gutfeld]

It's literally 4:05 in the morning and I'm on my way to Starbucks for a bear call. I am so happy that I'm not the only Looney Tune.

[Martha MacCallum]

Hi guys.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Welcome.

[Martha MacCallum]

Do you have the glass beers? We only have one.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

You are lying.

[Jesse Watters]

That's 5am do you think they are going to work or they're just. They want a barista.

[Martha MacCallum]

I mean, I think they're so cute. And I love this kind of thing about America that people wake up at five in the morning to go get one. You could also. I mean, they really ripped off the honey bear.

[Jesse Watters]

Oh, there it is. Yeah, they did.

[Martha MacCallum]

It's a honey bear essentially. And I always love the honey bear container for honey, so. But I think it's pretty cute. I might try to get one.

[Jesse Watters]

They stuck a straw in the honey bear's head and called it a bearista Kennedy.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Yeah, he's got a little beanie on too.

[Jesse Watters]

It looks like Tim Pool.

[Martha MacCallum]

He's pretty like it. I think I want one.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

It's the Tim Cast cup of meth. 20 ounces seems like a lot of coffee. But people love their coffee. They love their Starbucks. It's like a new Labubu doll. And I think those are very creepy. I think those come to life and steal your soul in the middle of the night. And Barry's a couple might do the same.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

That's happening.

[Martha MacCallum]

Like the teddy bear color when you put the milk in it.

[Jesse Watters]

Yeah, have a barista.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

I happen to have several of these. I'm offering them for about $1,000. Okay, you know where to email me. All right, it's Greg Gutfeld dot com. So anyway, look, all I can say is a little bit of advice for those folks. Those videos, don't put them on a dating site, all right? Because it's not going to work. All right? Getting up to get a sippy cup at 5am it doesn't augur well for the future.

[Jesse Watters]

Red flag. Greg, have you been to a Starbucks in the last couple years?

[Greg Gutfeld]

Not recently, but I. This is what, when I see stuff like this, I realize like this shutdown doesn't matter if you can do this. And also you're right, this is not. Well, this is not about coffee. This is about sugar. That's 20 ounces of a basically Starbucks. Haven't you noticed this? It's a candy store for adults. Everybody in line there is pumping 1500 gallon. 1500 calories of sugar into their bodies. It's caffeinated sugar paste. This is really a candy store. People have to start reframing the way they look at Starbucks because that's what it is.

[Jesse Watters]

We should all be so lucky to look like you, Greg.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I know it's hard to see.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Patriot.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yes. My secret is staying home and listening to spiritual tapes.

[Jesse Watters]

I should try that sometime.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Tapes.

[Jesse Watters]

Fan mail Friday is up next.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Tapes.

[Jesse Watters]

You upset me, B.

[Martha MacCallum]

Yes, you upset me, B. Well, like being hit by a fallen tree.

[Greg Gutfeld]

She is my hero.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

And yeah.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Fan mail Friday. Let's get started. Deborah asks if you could be on the COVID of any magazine, which one would you choose and why? What do you say?

[Martha MacCallum]

I don't know. Town and country popped into my head.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah. Sit there. And your chaps.

[Martha MacCallum]

Historic and elegant.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah, but you'd be in your farmhouse next to a bale of hay.

[Martha MacCallum]

Farmhouse. But I'll pretend.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yes, yes. How about you, Jesse?

[Jesse Watters]

Playgirl.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yeah. Remember when Geraldo was on the COVID.

[Jesse Watters]

Geraldo was in Playgirl.

[Greg Gutfeld]

He was on the COVID of Playgirl. He was on the COVID While we do this, you guys gotta find that.

[Jesse Watters]

Because don't find it's in your dressing room.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

I've seen it.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I know I do have it. I do have it. Somebody gave it to me. Kennedy.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Ebony.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Ebony. Deputy. Still around? Ebony? Still around.

[Martha MacCallum]

Yes, it is.

[Greg Gutfeld]

All right. How about you, Paul?

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Easy one American Billionaire.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Ah, very good. I would like to be on Woefully underappreciated Monthly. What's your go to?

[Jesse Watters]

All that time?

[Greg Gutfeld]

Yes. What's your go to? Karaoke song from Jenny. I'm gonna go to you, Kennedy, because I know you have one.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Obviously it's Life is a Miss that song. Like a Prayer. Like a prayer. I've done the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. And it's a cruel thing to do at karaoke because it's too long and no one knows the words. But like a prayer, everyone knows and it kills every time.

[Jesse Watters]

Jesse, I don't know a lot of lyrics to songs that doesn't surprise you. But I'm gonna go with Living on a prayer because I can remember that.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Whoa.

[Jesse Watters]

Living on a prayer.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

You know, there is no universe in which you can hit those notes.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Just.

[Jesse Watters]

I agree.

[Greg Gutfeld]

What about you?

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

You could try. Go ahead. We'd like to watch it. So I love karaoke. Japanese tradition. I can actually do all of Bohemian Rhapsody.

[Jesse Watters]

Oh, that.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

In Japanese.

[Jesse Watters]

No, you can't do it.

[Martha MacCallum]

All right, do it right here.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Do it.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Of course. Not. I'm lying to America. Sorry about that, guys. So anyway, how about you? What do you say?

[Martha MacCallum]

I love singing Bohemian Rhapsody. I recently sang that with a group around a piano.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Did you really?

[Martha MacCallum]

It's really, really fun to sing. I like, like, you know, hit me with your best shot. Hit me with your guitar. Or Chef Joan Jad, something like that.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I'm gonna go with how soon is now.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Oh, that's a great song.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I am the sun and the heir of a shyness that is predominantly vulgar. I am the sun and now.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

How would you know?

[Jesse Watters]

I have no idea.

[Martha MacCallum]

I don't remember that song either.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Greatest song ever written.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Really is.

[Greg Gutfeld]

One More Thing's up next. Yes, it is.

[Martha MacCallum]

It is time for One More Thing. Let's start with Greg.

[Greg Gutfeld]

All right, tonight we got a great show. Cat Timp, Todd Pyro Chael Sonan, Dagan mcdowell. That's tonight. Hey, let's do this. Greg's sexy wallaroo news. You know, Martha, you know what it's time for? We're gonna go down under Rolls. Oh, boy. Check out those two marsupials. Oh, he has. I brought protection in that pocket because things are about to get hot and heavy for this generally solitary species. They like to spend a lot of time side by side at the Oakland Zoo. Don't start looking at them, though. They get very self conscious. They're native to Australia. They're. They're kind of like in between kangaroos and wallabies and who wouldn't want to be in between that?

[Martha MacCallum]

Oh, I lost my. Who's next? Paul?

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

I'm going. All right, here we go.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Where am I?

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Over here. A woman walking her dogs on an Oregon beach spotted a three foot long shark stranded on the sand. Without hesitation and for reasons that escape me, she grabbed it, bite its tail, she threw it back in the ocean and then realized she was missing an arm.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Who was filming?

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

Looked like she was doing it herself.

[Martha MacCallum]

Selfie shark abduction.

[Jesse Watters]

Jesse can't get over that kangaroo action.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Hot.

[Jesse Watters]

Feel like I need a cigarette or something like that.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Give any more of that.

[Jesse Watters]

Show me some more afterwards. Mount Kilauea can't be stopped. Here we go. Scientists say the next eruption could be imminent. And this thing. Both vents of the volcano are splattering and spattering and overflowing with lava overnight. The next eruption, they're saying, will be big. How big? We don't know. But this thing's been going for seven and a half straight hours. Wow, seven and a half hours. Who does that?

[Greg Gutfeld]

Who does Tonight?

[Jesse Watters]

Jesse Waters, Primetime DEI Friday.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Oh, nice.

[Martha MacCallum]

All right, Kennedy.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Oh, well. All right. A crazy swan in Germany almost took out an officer there who had to wrangle the vicious creature. At first, the thing just hissed at her because they are mean animals. They may be beautiful with gorgeous necks, but they are a bunch of jerks.

[Greg Gutfeld]

They are vicious.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

That officer was not afraid, got it out of harm's way and threw it into the ocean with a three foot shark.

[Jesse Watters]

Graphic. Is that what they do in Australia?

[Unknown Female Panelist]

That's Germany.

[Jesse Watters]

Oh, that's Germany. That makes a lot more sense now.

[Martha MacCallum]

All right, that's it for us.

[Unknown Female Panelist]

Talk about goose stepping.

[Martha MacCallum]

Have a great weekend, everybody. That is it for us.

[Paul Morrow Kennedy]

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

[Greg Gutfeld]

Wherever you get your podcasts.