Fauci Stonewalls Congress, Pleads 5th 111 Times

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: The Five

Episode: Fauci Stonewalls Congress, Pleads 5th 111 Times
Date: July 29, 2026
Host & Panel: Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Emily Compagno, Harold Ford Jr.

---

Episode Overview

This episode of The Five centers on Dr. Anthony Fauci’s recent Congressional testimony, where he invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times in response to lawmakers’ questions about his COVID-19 diary, role during the pandemic, and associated controversies. The panel dissects the implications of Fauci’s silence, the political theatrics at play, broader failures of media coverage, and accountability for pandemic-era decisions. The discussion also branches into current political races involving socialist candidates, U.S.-Iran relations post-ceasefire, debates over the influence of social media personalities, and pop culture's ongoing reaction to Donald Trump.

---

Fauci's Fifth Amendment Testimony

Key Segment: [00:35–15:35]

Dr. Fauci's Congressional Stonewalling

• Dana Perino introduces the theme: Fauci refused to answer 111 questions regarding his COVID-era conduct and diary revelations ([00:35]).
• Sample Exchange Illustrating Fauci's Repeated Pleas of the Fifth:
  • Greg Gutfeld (parody):
    “Did you fund gain of function research in other biolabs around the world?”
    Fauci’s answer:
    “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully declined to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment…” ([01:41])
• Panelists note that even trivial questions (e.g., "What color tie are you wearing?") received the same response ([02:15]).

Political Reactions

• Democrats characterize the hearing as a partisan attack ([02:28]):
  • Harold Ford Jr.:
    “Republicans are eager to rebrand you as a villain in order to distract from their own failure to protect Americans from soaring health care costs.” ([02:41])
• Greg Gutfeld criticizes media hypocrisy and lack of scrutiny:
  • “The greatest myth besides so many that the media has protected is that journalists are truth-telling heroes…every narrative from this one to trans to the border to crime, to climate hysteria, to white supremacy—the most destructive things that we’ve ever encountered—were created by the media.” ([05:14])

Panel Insights & Notable Quotes

• Jesse Watters on Fauci’s change in stance:

  • “He told everybody in 2022 that he would testify in front of any committee. And then the committee parties changed hands and he took the fifth.” ([07:02])
  • Watters further alleges illegal activity:
    “Did you know that he ordered his staff to apply for awards with cash prizes up to a million dollars? People were dying and losing their jobs, and he was trying to win awards. That’s illegal.” ([07:15])
  • “Fauci bribed scientists with grants to get them to say that the virus definitely didn’t come from the lab…He lied and people died and he might skate. And that’s what’s so irritating here.” ([08:04])

• Harold Ford Jr. voices a measured take:

  • “It’s not clear to me that was his intent to undermine or to do harm to the country. Now, if it was and that is proven, then he’ll have to deal with the consequences from that.” ([10:15])
  • Highlights need for lessons learned:
    “What did we do right during COVID in our public safety response? And what did we do wrong? ... I’m not sure today’s hearing got us any closer to that.” ([12:24])

• Emily Compagno delivers a scathing indictment:

  • “Now it is a sham. Now it is downright fraud and negligence and corruption and concealment of government records and obstruction of justice and so much more.” ([13:15])
  • “For someone that was a public servant for decades, he should know a pen he held was never his own personal pen. Everything was actually owned by the American people.” ([14:20])
  • Predicts legal consequences:
    “There will be accountability legally for him and likely criminally moving forward.” ([15:23])

---

Wisconsin Socialist Candidate Controversy

Key Segment: [16:59–25:35]

Francesca Hong's DSA Ties

• Panel discusses WI gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong’s attempt to distance herself from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), despite past public support for “defund the police” and “abolish the Senate” ([17:17–17:43]).
  • Emily Compagno calls out inconsistencies:
    “The receipts tell a very different story…Defund police. Defund police. Defund police. Defund police.” ([17:43])
• Dana Perino on messaging strategy:
  • “The most effective thing that Republicans can do is…they’re just running their words.” ([22:14])
• Greg Gutfeld’s take:
  • “These people are Democrats. They’re quitters. And some of them are fools...My party, we are not associated with you guys...We are not for terrorists because of you guys. It’s a doggone shame…I’m glad that the great Americans who made our country great…weren’t quitters like some of you are.” ([18:40–19:39])

---

U.S.–Iran Escalation

Key Segment: [26:31–32:52]

• President Trump vows strong retaliation after a surprise Iranian attack on U.S. bases ([26:50]):
  • Trump (audio):
    “We’re going to be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming.” ([26:50])
• Panel analogizes the drawn-out conflict to “background noise” and questions the clarity of U.S. objectives ([27:05–28:10]).
• Jesse Watters on the next steps:
  • “Iran has gone on offense...They want the whole thing. So now we’re back at war, and the president only has a few options...the President has to do something to change the dynamic, because what they’re trying to do [is] jack up the price of energy so the Fed has to raise rates, and it slams the brakes on the US Economy.” ([30:32–31:59])
• Emily Compagno notes broader geopolitical implications and the importance of U.S. alliances:
  • “When things start hitting the fan, [Gulf allies] gravitate toward us for security. They want Iranian deterrence, they want stability, they want economic flourishing…China cannot replace that.” ([32:02])

---

Hollywood’s Trump Derangement Discourse

Key Segment: [33:47–39:14]

• Actor Alan Ritchson draws criticism for violent anti-Trump comments ([34:00]):
  • Jesse Watters paraphrases:
    “Pretending to be the tough guy he plays on screen...fantasizing about beating [Trump] to a pulp.” ([33:47])
• Emily Compagno contextualizes:
  • “He represents a certain strain of the population right now that is absolutely fueled by rage...he has gained an incredible amount of followers worshiping him for portraying a fictional hero.” ([34:24])
• Greg Gutfeld warns of dangerous rhetoric:
  • “Once you start talking about killing somebody or enacting violence against somebody on either side, it has to be condemned. And I condemn this young guy’s words, for which I hope he didn’t mean, but he should take them back.” ([36:03])
• Harold Ford Jr. offers a reflective moment:
  • “Resentment…is like taking a poison and waiting for the other person to die. And if you look at him, it is really a powerful contrast. A guy that is so physically fit, but spiritually, he’s diseased.” ([37:12])

---

Nantucket Shop vs. Influencers

Key Segment: [39:31–42:08]

• Panel debates a Nantucket store’s sign barring “influencers”; one influencer calls it anti-feminist ([39:31]).
• Emily Compagno:
  • “Maybe they don’t want that and they don’t want the duck face photo. Maybe they say, come in and talk to me and then share with the world my story.” ([41:15])
• Jesse Watters appreciates the shop’s decision:
  • “This is a classy waspy place. You don’t want a bunch of crazy weirdos...You want locals spending money on wicker and cake.” ([41:46])

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Media Failures:
  • Greg Gutfeld:
    “They can’t even muster up a single question. That one question that is going to affect us for decades.” ([05:45])
• On Government Accountability:
  • Harold Ford Jr.:
    “What did we do right during COVID…what did we do wrong? …I’m not sure today’s hearing got us any closer to that.” ([12:24])
• On Public Figures & Accountability:
  • Emily Compagno:
    “For someone that was a public servant for decades, he should know a pen he held was never his own personal pen. Everything was actually owned by the American people.” ([14:20])
• On Political Polarization:
  • Greg Gutfeld:
    “Our principles forbid us from banning that. They know that…an agent bent on American destruction can freely push ideas that will destroy America.” ([24:41])

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:35–15:35 | Dr. Fauci’s Fifth Plea – Congressional Hearing Analysis | | 16:59–25:35 | Francesca Hong, Socialism, and DSA in WI Governor Race | | 26:31–32:52 | US-Iran Escalation & Trump’s Retaliatory Promises | | 33:47–39:14 | Hollywood Actor Alan Ritchson’s Anti-Trump Comments & Panel Reaction | | 39:31–42:08 | Nantucket Shop Bans Influencers: Class, Commerce & Social Media Debate |

---

Tone & Atmosphere

Panelists use sharp wit, sarcasm, and passion, interspersing serious political critique with banter, personal anecdotes, and pointed humor—hallmarks of The Five.

---

For listeners seeking direct takes on Fauci's testimony, political accountability, progressive politics, contemporary US-Iran issues, and the intersection of pop culture with politics, this episode offers fast-paced, high-energy roundtable debate and commentary.

Transcript

[Greg Gutfeld]

The following statements have not been evaluated by the fda. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The human brain is truly incredible. It surpasses supercomputers with over 100 billion neurons that control our thoughts, emotions and movements. Prevagen wants to keep it incredible. Powered by Apo Aquarin that was originally discovered in jellyfish, Prevagen is designed specifically for the brain to help keep it amazing so you can continue doing what you love with confidence. Try Prevagen for your brain today. Right now.

[Dana Perino]

Hello everyone. I'm dana perino along with emily compagno, harold hoard jr. Jesse waters, and greg gutfeld. It's five o' clock in new york city and this is the five. Doctor Anthony Fauci refusing to answer questions 111 times a day on Capitol Hill. Senators repeatedly grilling him over his newly revealed Covid diary, entries that raise questions about how truthful the doctor was when he was doing Covid at the beginning with the American public. Before questioning began, Fauci listing the reasons why he would remain silent.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Senator Paul's obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution, his repeated slanderous comments about me, and recently his publicly releasing my unredacted personal diary aimed at embarrassing and intimidating me.

[Dana Perino]

But then Fauci kept his answers like this.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Did you fund gain of function research in other biolabs around the world? On the advice of counsel, I respectfully declined to answer based upon my rights, I under the fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

[Emily Compagno]

Did you try to block or trap President Trump into the slow, the spread, flatten the curve measures in March 2020?

[Greg Gutfeld]

On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the fifth Amendment to the Constitution. On the advice of counsel, I respectfully declined to answer. Respectfully decline to answer. And respectfully decline to answer.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

What color tie are you wearing?

[Greg Gutfeld]

On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Do you feel like you're a deep

[Greg Gutfeld]

on the advice of counsel, I respectfully declined to answer based upon my rights under the fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

[Dana Perino]

Democrats at the hearing were running some cover for Fauci and painting the hearing as a right wing hit job.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Unfortunately, I fear the intent of this hearing is only meant to further a purely partisan agenda.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Republicans are eager to rebrand you as a villain in order to distract from their own failure to protect Americans from soaring health care costs.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I just want to say, and start by just saying thank you to you for your service to this nation. Must be enormously frustrating to know that

[Harold Ford Jr.]

this hearing is designed to entrap you.

[Dana Perino]

I know four people who will not remain silent in this segment. Greg, let's start with you. You have some.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Three thoughts? Well, one, like, maybe obvious point is that his obsession with the media and celebrities is exactly what the media said Trump was doing. You know, except Trump wasn't. You know, Trump wasn't obsessively cataloging his every utterance and appearance. He didn't need to, you know, the world was doing it. But not only did Fauci do that, it was clear there were. It was so comprehensive that he had involved his staff. I mean, there's comprehensive data on the other guests that he was with and the times and the topics. When you look at it, it wasn't just him. So that meant there was being, you know, effort and energy that should have been devoted to one thing, devoted to him. There's one question that I, you know, it's such an easy question, and he should answer it. How did he know the origins of the COVID virus when he said it was a wet market? It was one of those things where, like, we talked, we knew that it was the lab leak. But how did he know? How did he know? Because it's like, how do you know that that's where it came from when overwhelmingly you would just assume that that was one of the areas where it got to. There were no confirmed. There's no confirmed evidence that this. That this virus ever existed in humans before. It's called novel for a reason. Did it just show at the. At the, you know, oh, it's the animal, Animal, human interaction. But it's more than any. No scientist would have said that. And I think that is the question that gets at the crux of what he is trying to do, which is to say, first it was to save his research, the Wuhan Lab, Eco alliance, all those grants. But then it was his reputation and his status, and now it's probably his freedom. But I wanted to just talk about the media that, you know, if you. I win. Looked at cnn. All of their coverage of this stuff is relegated to online platforms. That's their way of saying, oh, yeah, we're covering this, but they're not putting it on air. And when they write about it, they. They positioned it as a feud between Rand Paul and Foushee, which is ridiculous because it's the world and Foushee. The other thing, too, is that they have to avoid the revelations of the cozy collusion between their talent and cnn, which is another part of this whole story. They let this happen. You know, a week before Fauci basically told us to stay home for Thanksgiving, he was having dinner with Tapper. We all know this, but when you think about the scope. And then I'll shut up. The scope of COVID Okay. The amount of death and the lasting consequences, probably the biggest story, I would say that in Biden's brain. But we've had for like 40 years the media presenting themselves as heroes. You know, hard charging reporters ever since. All the president's men a tiny speck of a scandal compared to this. They can't even muster up a single question. That one question that is going to affect us for decades. The greatest myth besides so many that the media has protected is that journalists are truth telling heroes. They constructed myths on Watergate, which was enabled by Hollywood through dozens and dozens of movies, and that they were noble. But every narrative from this one to trans to the border, to crime, to climate hysteria, to white supremacy, the most destructive things that we've ever encountered were created by the media.

[Dana Perino]

And all great points, Jesse. It is interesting. I saw someone say why does science need the fifth Amendment if it's science?

[Jesse Watters]

Yeah. And he told everybody in 2022 that he would testify in front of any committee. And then the committee parties changed hands and he took the fifth. I watched the whole thing. Dana.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Did you?

[Jesse Watters]

I might start watching hearings. You can learn a lot from watching the full hearing as opposed to clips. Did you know that he ordered his staff to apply for awards with cash prizes up to a million dollars. People were dying and losing their jobs and he was trying to win awards. That's illegal. You can't solicit cash prizes. As a federal employee, he may have paid somebody to lobby Biden for the pardon. The pardon that goes back to 2014. The very year he started this crazy gain of function. Fauci and Birx held a secret meeting at her house to conspire to trap Trump into shutting down the economy.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Oh my God.

[Jesse Watters]

Fauci bribed scientists with grants to get them to say that the virus definitely didn't come from the lab. Fauci was involved in vaccine injury cover ups and sabotage. The ivermectin, the natural immunity, the steroids, all to get this emergency use authorization for the vaccine. And the guy brought like a trillion lawyers to this area. I've never seen more lawyers, ever. One of the top dogs was Gold Bar, Bob's defense counsel. And he threw a fit, got kicked out. And then some of the senators reminded us of some of these consequences as Tony police were breaking up Church services. I forgot about that. A mom was arrested for going to a football game and didn't wear a mask. Handcuffed and dragged out of the game. Measles cases are up now. One of the reasons why cuz children missed the measles vaccine during the pandemic. So the Democrats covered it up. How many people died on January 6? 0. How many people died during the pandemic? A million. And they don't even care now. Fauci says they're only doing this because they're obsessed with him. I just want to know why a million Americans died. That's all. That's all we all want to know now. They quoted him as saying knowledge is worth the risk. He admitted he was willing to experiment on these viruses for the knowledge he didn't care how many people died. So that just shows the guy's a mad scientist, total control freak. He lied and people died and he might skate. And that's what's so irritating here.

[Dana Perino]

Let's get to the lawyers at the table. Harold, what did you think first?

[Greg Gutfeld]

It's good to be back with everybody. I hadn't seen anybody in a while. The couple of things. First, I believe that anytime government acts, and particularly acts on something as monumental and significant as a health reaction, a public safety reaction, I would even argue a tax bill or even. I was part of an effort in the 2000s when we had a major accounting scandal in the country involving a big telecom company, a big energy company, and the Congress came together to act, and we named it Sarbanes Oxley after the Senate and House leaders of those committees. We wanted to try to figure out ways to correct the problem. This issue here is different because it involved a million deaths. I think you should be able to come back. You have to come back and say, what did we do right? What did we do wrong? I'm not sure this hearing was. The whole purpose of the hearing was to do that. I don't disagree with some of the things that have been said about mistakes that clearly Fauci made. Where I differ probably with those around the table is that I'm not. It's not clear to me that was his intent to undermine or to do harm to the country. Now, if it was and that is proven, then he'll have to deal with the consequences from that. Two, When President Trump during the coronavirus outbreak, he was criticized by Democrats for trying to calm the country. He said some things. He probably went a little overboard in saying some things, but I didn't think it was that bad. I got in fights with some Democrats who thought he was completely out of line. He's the President of the United States. He's got to bring some calm and give people confidence so we can fight things. I didn't think his intent was to kill people. I thought his intent was to try to figure out ways to get to what I believe was the greatest triumph of the first Trump administration, which was Operation Warp Speed. You may not like the vaccine I did. I took it several times, and I got laughed at for getting Covid several times. I didn't die, and I wasn't sick harshly at any of those times. But Operation Warp Speed to me signals that we can do things much faster in this country if we get rid of the red tape and the bureaucracy, not only in vaccine development, but we have a moment now. We'll come to it later in this segment about we may be running low on munitions. I wish the press would stop writing about it, and I'll come back to that, too. But we ought to be able to figure out an Operation Warp Speed to develop more munitions. That's the triumph to me, in so many ways of what happened during that time that we're talking about now. Finally, I'm a believer that vaccines work. And I think that one of the things that troubled me about the hearing is that I think Senator Paul, whom I know and I like, I think he and Fauci got a thing going and they don't like one another. And I just thought that part of the exercise I didn't like. And it doesn't get to what I think the country wants to know. And policymakers and lawmakers need to know what. What did we do right during COVID in our public safety response? And what did we do wrong? I think we did a lot of things right, but we did a lot of things wrong as well. And we all have to be able to acknowledge that and learn from that. And I'm not sure today's hearing got us any closer to that.

[Dana Perino]

One of the Republican senators mentioned that there will be. It might have been Rand Paul, that there will be another pandemic. We know that that will happen. So what have we learned? I don't know. But what did you learn and what do you think, Emily, for a party

[Emily Compagno]

that flies planes and launches campaigns based on no kings, it's shocking to me that they worshiped this one man and based on his unilateral recommendations, threw in the towel for everything, followed him blindly, and now that's the reason that they can't bear to Acknowledge that behind that curtain the whole time was a little tiny man pretending to be Oz. If the science had been correct, if his diary said yes, all of my research shows that everything I've been saying on air is true. I stand behind it. Then it would just be a shame. But now it is a sham. Now it is downright fraud and negligence and corruption and concealment of government records and obstruction of justice and so much more. And by the way, the standard for negligence, as you know, is new or should have known. He doesn't even have to have mal intent to be on the hook for that at the state level. So what I see here is not that Operation Warp Speed was the result of a concerted effort in wartime from a country. I see that it was simply at the behest of one small, egomaniacal, sullen, hubris, infected individual that made everyone fall in line after him. And those that dared to question him in any way, shape or form were vilified and ostracized. And in addition to those, we can never get them back. Million deaths. What about the hundreds of thousands of livelihoods and businesses, the weaponization of the administrative state, the multiple felonies that were booked because people dared to keep serving others in the restaurants? I mean, and this guy dares to say in his opening statement that it was about embarrassing him or intimidating him and that he somehow had a right to privacy of his private diaries on a government computer? No, idiot. For someone that was a public servant for decades, he should know a pen he held was never his own personal pen. Everything was actually owned by the American people. And therefore we do have an interest in reading it. Thank God. In fact, he did write it on a government computer like an idiot. Because now we could see that he was downright lying. And for a scientist that people held him above that standard, they said with impunity. We believe him because he should be above all politics and above all ego. Instead, we learn that he was simply lying for his own monetary and fame gain, which is the most tragic thing of all because it is so ephemeral, it's so gross. And to see him today at the hearing. Just final quick thought on this. He did not even have the integrity to look those lawmakers in the eyes when they were detailing the lives that he ruined. While he contrasted the death toll of that day on the same page with his Vanity Fair cover story, for example, he makes me sick. And I know despite this limited pardon, there will be accountability legally for him and likely criminally moving forward.

[Dana Perino]

All right, coming up, another Far left candidate is running away from the dsa.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Then you told me that you don't

[Jesse Watters]

love me no more. You're the last thing that I thought I lose All I ever wanted was

[Greg Gutfeld]

to be loved by you. The following statements have not been evaluated by the fda. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The human brain is truly incredible. It has 100 billion neurons, surpassing even the most powerful supercomputers. And it controls our thoughts, our emotions and everything we do. And Prevagen is designed to help keep it amazing. Prevegen also believes that good daily habits are a powerful part of any routine. Exercising regularly, eating well, getting good quality sleep, staying mentally active, and staying connected with friends and family are all great for your brain. And that's why so many people choose Prevagen because it can help supplement those good habits, working alongside your daily routine to give your brain the care it deserves. Prevagen is powered by Apoacquorin, originally discovered in jellyfish and designed specifically for your brain. Because when your brain is at its best, you can continue doing what you love with confidence. Try Prevagen for your brain today.

[Emily Compagno]

And everyone loves it. All right. The Midwest Mom Donnie. Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong is suddenly shying away from her radical policies. Despite being a dues paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Hong now insists she's just socialist. Curious.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Just this weekend the co chair of

[Harold Ford Jr.]

the Democratic Socialists of America, which you

[Greg Gutfeld]

are a member, reaffirmed the DSA's position

[Jesse Watters]

of abolishing the Senate prisons and replacing

[Greg Gutfeld]

the presidency and the Supreme Court as we know it.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Do you fully back the DSA platform?

[Greg Gutfeld]

I do not support the full platform

[Harold Ford Jr.]

of the national DSA and I am

[Greg Gutfeld]

not endorsed by dsa.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

National what democratic socialism is, is a form of government that puts working class people first.

[Emily Compagno]

But the receipts tell a very different story. The radical says as governor she wouldn't defund the police. But listen to this post from 2020 that lays it all out. Defund police. Defund police. Defund police. Defund police. And after her campaign guaranteed Hong never pushed to abolish the Senate, reporters dug up this 2021 post simply saying, quote, abolish the Senate. But somehow the liberal media are claiming it's Republicans who are the real commies. Republicans have been attacking the Democratic socialist movement. It's their number one target. Speaker Mike Johnson called it a battle

[Dana Perino]

between common sense and communism.

[Emily Compagno]

And I would point out that we've

[Dana Perino]

made a lot of moves that would

[Greg Gutfeld]

be that you could liken to an authoritarian regime.

[Emily Compagno]

And that is how you end up with communism.

[Dana Perino]

But alas, history and the truth don't matter.

[Emily Compagno]

Yeah, history and the truth don't matter. Harold, make this make sense for us, please. Can you translate?

[Greg Gutfeld]

It doesn't. It doesn't. These are anyone campaigning on the notion of pro terrorism. No police, no borders, no U.S. senate, no prisons. These people are Democrats. They're quitters. And some of them are fools. People who believe that the country is facing economic challenge for families across the country. I would argue we've had this challenge for the 250 years of our country. The people whom were trying to correct it never said quit and adopt communism or socialism. I'm glad Rosa Parks wasn't a quitter. I'm glad Thurgood Marshall wasn't a quitter. I'm glad FDR was not a quitter. They decided to figure out, within the framework of the great nation we live in the Constitution and that Declaration of Independence with that simple radical idea of all men are created equal, which we're constantly striving to do. They didn't quit. They didn't say, we want to adopt the crazy ideas. These people are. These people are advocating. And I must say they have every right to advocate craziness. But my party, we are not associated with you guys. This is not. These are not democratic ideals. And unfortunately, we're being aligned with you. We're being maligned by you. And you look at the polling data today with the economy where it is, where people are concerned about the president's decisions and his direction in the war. And we're having to defend whether or not we're for prisons, for police, for borders, and we're defending the fact that we are not for terrorists because of you guys. It's a doggone shame, I gotta tell you. I'm glad that the great Americans who made our country great black, white, rich, poor, south from the north and east and the west weren't quitters like some of you are.

[Emily Compagno]

Jesse, has the GOP harnessed that strength of a message?

[Jesse Watters]

I was about as fired up as I've ever seen my friend.

[Dana Perino]

He came back ready to go.

[Jesse Watters]

It's good to have you back around the table. We've been reading a lot in the Bible about what Jesus says. And I'm going to give this Wong or what's her name, Hong Kong Hong, the benefit of the doubt.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Here we go. Here we go.

[Jesse Watters]

Maybe she didn't know. She tweeted that. Maybe her assistant tweeted it.

[Dana Perino]

She was a bartender.

[Emily Compagno]

She doesn't have an assistant.

[Jesse Watters]

My assistant Johnny, tweets for me. I have no idea what's out there. I don't do it. So maybe he did it, maybe she didn't know about it. But if she is a liar, we understand why. Because you can be an unabashed communist in a deep blue district here, Denver, but if you're running statewide, you have to hide. And Hong knows she's wrong, so she's backtracking. Take it away from here, Dana.

[Dana Perino]

But, you know, I love to talk about Wisconsin. It is the ultimate purple state. And they have this situation right now. It's a perfect storm of Democratic problems. The DSA is strong and. And on the upswing, there's a weak bench of non DSA Dems in the state. Then the establishment choice, he got taken out by a scandal. So then they grabbed the other guy and said, maybe he can run. But she has been doing what the DSA candidates do very well. She goes to every event. She will converse with people. If you read, I think it was the New York Times had a big feature on her not too long ago, and they had Trump Republicans, people who had voted for Trump, saying, kind of like her, she had a good point. I could see myself voting for her. And so the media has helped lead to this point. And the other thing that I really like of what Republicans have been able to do here is that they're not making up things. Like the Democrats said, what was the end of democracy? There was going to be the end of democracy if President Trump became president. And so now they're saying, how dare you say that they have communist ideals? Or how dare you say that she said, abolish the prisons or abolish the Senate. Defund the police. The most effective thing that Republicans can do is something that they're doing. They're just running their words.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

She.

[Dana Perino]

She posted it, she tweeted it, or she said it. And do you think of that interview that Romer did for with Shannon Bream on Sunday? I mean, I had one Democrat say, well, that's not really representative. I'm like, I'm not making it up. She said that that's what they believe and that she's coming after the Democratic establishment. How do you answer?

[Emily Compagno]

So they're writing the campaign ads for the gop.

[Dana Perino]

Mm.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

So there are basically two Wongs. And you know what they say?

[Jesse Watters]

Look,

[Harold Ford Jr.]

she's running for governor, right?

[Dana Perino]

Yes.

[Greg Gutfeld]

No.

[Dana Perino]

Yes, she is.

[Greg Gutfeld]

No.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

And I'll tell you why. No. In 2020, she said, defund the police. Do you think that helped or hurt the situation at the time? Who were the people that were saying that and what did it do to our country at the time? How do you describe that behavior during that, like, inflamed period? Somebody's typing out defund the police. She went with the mob. She didn't seek debate. She seeked a pitchfork because it was good for her. It was fun. We can't let that become a governor. She did everything based on the myth of this epidemic of police brutality. And it turned out when the data came out, wasn't there. And when you have body cams now, you really know what's the other thing? Oh, I think Democrats are realizing that Americans are allergic to force, which is why Democrats for so long, Harold, excluded expand government control slowly with freebies and handouts because we could smell fourths a mile away. But now we're kind of like the frog in the boiling water. It's 2026 and they're seizing private property in New York City. They're state run grocery stores. They're taxing stuff that was already taxed. We're in it right now. But when push comes to shove, the Democrats, they didn't fight back on crime, on immigration, on the economy, and also on trans. And so they look where they are now and they're kind of being eaten alive, but from within. And it goes back to, I think Harold said this. You know, they have the right to say these things. They do. But it shows you how bad people can use a system based on freedom to destroy the system itself. You know, our principles forbid us from banning that. They know that. They know. You see radical Muslims coming here. They know what they can do. Right? So an agent bent on American destruction can freely push ideas that will destroy America. You're right over there. Anyway, if the Dems hadn't challenged. Had challenged this early on, it might have been caught. But it's not too late. Like, I don't think the Dems can be fixed from this. But for the rest of us in America, we have to stand up because they're allowed to say this stuff. But we gotta fight it. That's my comment.

[Dana Perino]

And the Republican running is Tom Tiffany. In case. Anybody?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Tom Tiffany.

[Dana Perino]

Tom Tiffany.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

What kind of name is that?

[Dana Perino]

A winner.

[Emily Compagno]

All right, guys, coming up.

[Dana Perino]

Stop it.

[Emily Compagno]

No, he's not. We're kidding. Trump promises payback after a failed Iranian sneak attack. Stay with us.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I didn't think the pain from the shingles rash would affect simple everyday tasks like bathing, getting dressed, or even walking around. I was wrong, though. Not everyone at risk will develop it. 99% of people over the age of 50 already have the virus that causes shingles, and it could reactivate at any time. I developed it and the blistering rash lasted for weeks. Don't learn the hard way like I did. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist today. Sponsored by gsk.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

The ceasefire with Iran ending abruptly last night after the terror regime launched a surprise attack on US bases. US Central Command says every missile was intercepted. President Trump telling trade yinxed, quote, we're going to beat the effing shiitakes out of them. Here's the prez. We're going to be hitting them very

[Greg Gutfeld]

hard because it's our turn to hit them. They know it's coming.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

They're asking us not to do it,

[Greg Gutfeld]

but, you know, they tried shooting it last night. So it's our turn, and we'll see if we get there with an agreement at some point, but we're going to hit them very hard.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Dana, is it just me or is this becoming a sort of background noise? Like you're looking out your apartment window and there's these people playing pickleball, back

[Dana Perino]

and forth, back and forth, Annoying noise.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

And I'm not saying I'm proud of it. I'm just saying, like, has this become mundane?

[Dana Perino]

When you were reading that, I was like, haven't we. Have. We've heard this. I've had a deja vu moment. But I think where we are and what the President is alluding to is that we, through the President, the United States is extending olive branches, and Iran wants to light the olive branch on fire, and Iran plans to prolong the pain. And the President has been super patient, but at some point, something's gonna have to change.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Yeah.

[Dana Perino]

And he has the power to change it.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

You know, Harold, this reminds me of a time a couple years ago, I got in a fight with a guy downtown. I had no idea he was a masochist. So I just kept beating the crap out of him. And he was. He said more and more and more, I feel like that this is the situation with Iran. They just have a tolerance for pain. They don't mind.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Could very well be that we have misjudged and miscalculated some of this. The President, after 12 days of attacks. After 12, which I wish we had never stopped. Even as we were going through this months, we paused it for a long period of time with the memorandum of understanding. But The President, for 12 straight days, the American military launched attacks against Iran. The President then said, I'm going to pause it because I think there's a chance we could find some agreement here. We want to find a way to get an off ramp here. Then the Iranians decided to do what they did last night. What it signals to me, Greg, is that there may be two people in the driver's seat here, us and them. When you want to end a war, you have to have the other side wanting to end it as well. Two, we have replaced the regime in Iran and the problem is I think we replace it with a more hard line regime than there was before. We clearly have not. We clearly have decimated a lot of their military capabilities, but we have not decimated. So I would suggest these two things and I started off every time, like I said, when I suggest to the president, he can take our recommendations, he has it or not. Stop talking so much. Two, get us set, get us an objective that we're trying, that we can all rally around as a country. Give us a strategy around it and then say you're going to execute the daylights out of it and give a speech to the country about it. Because right now we seem to have a multiple choice of objectives. Open the Straits of Hormuz, ensure that they don't have a nuclear weapon, ensure that they don't have the ability to launch ballistic missiles. And every day it's like a we don't know which one is the priority. Some days it's the Straits of Hormuz, some days it's the nuclear, some days it's the ballistic missiles. What we have to understand as a country is that this is not going to be easy. Democrats and Republicans in Congress, particularly Democrats who voted last week to end funding to Israel, I think that there are issues with Israeli policy, but it is foolish to not have our best ally there on the ground helping us. We need to talk to them. I think President Trump, I give him a lot of credit for the way he and Netanyahu have talked over the last several weeks. I think he's sharing with them our interests, our the kind of stakes we have there as well. But we have to support our friends there. But Mr. President, stop telling everybody what you're going to do and just do it. And then tell the American people, all of us who want to be supportive, what is our objective, what's the strategy? And then go execute and stop talking so much.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Jesse.

[Jesse Watters]

Well, you're bored of the war, obviously, so just talk to these people.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Why not those 5 million?

[Jesse Watters]

But Iran has gone on offense. That's changed. They opened up the second front with the Houthis. And now they launched a first strike attack on our base, which we knocked down. But it was during the grand funeral, so it was symbolic. And the President has to respond strongly. These talks did collapse. They gave an offer to him from Oman. They say we'll cut the straight in two. We'll have a north route, south route, split it 50, 50. You know what Iran said f you. We want the whole thing. So now we're back at war, and the president only has a few options. One ground assault on the islands. But then you're just going to get a hot mess right there with a lot of Marines, or you do bridge and power plant day. He's worried about the astronomical reconstruction costs and taking all the energy offline. And the civilian situation also looking at finishing off. 20% of the targets will be left after Operation Epic Fury and decapitation strikes. Is that going to change the dynamic at the negotiating table? I don't know. The economic advisers love patience. They want this blockade and the sanctions to stick it to them because they don't think they can last. These guys are greedy. They're not a bunch of savages in caves like the Taliban roasting goat over a bonfire. These guys have, like, $20 million estates in London. All right, so that could hurt, but the President has to do something to change the dynamic, because what they're trying to do, jack up the price of energy so the Fed has to raise rates, and it slams the brakes on the US Economy.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Emily, what say you Nailed it.

[Emily Compagno]

Just two things I was thinking about the relationships with the Gulf allies, and that when things start hitting the fan, they gravitate toward us for security. They want Iranian deterrence, they want stability, they want economic flourishing. And they don't really want to be involved. And they're still relying on us for that safety. That is something that China cannot replace. Jackie asked the President today about the rumors that China supplied 400, you know, whatever it was, rocket launchers or whatever, to Iran. He was like, if that's. If that's what's happening, that's going to change things. And there's a lot of questions people had. You mentioned this earlier about military readiness. Are we wearing ourselves thin? Are we able to sustain this and also sufficiently deter China? These are questions that the administration maintains the answer to is a resounding yes. But these questions remain. And I think at the end of the day, we're testing China's limitations, but we're also testing our own on the global stage.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

All right, coming Up. A TV tough guy wants to leave Trump in a puddle of blood.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Evening.

[Jesse Watters]

Buyer's remorse. Buy a new car.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I'll be moving in.

[Jesse Watters]

Let's get started.

[Emily Compagno]

Sorry, I think there's been a mistake. I bought it from Carvana.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

You what?

[Dana Perino]

Yeah. Great price.

[Emily Compagno]

I even have seven days to love

[Greg Gutfeld]

it or return it. So there's no.

[Emily Compagno]

No, no buyer's remorse. More like buyers rejoice.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I guess I'll let myself out. Congratulations.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I mean it.

[Emily Compagno]

Buyers rejoice. Buy your car today on Carvana. Limitations and exclusions may apply. See our seven day return [e-mail] We've

[Harold Ford Jr.]

been dancing with Mr. Brownstone.

[Jesse Watters]

Hollywood can't quit their tds. Actor Alan Ritchson, who stars in the hit action series Reacher, pretending to be the tough guy he plays on screen raging about Trump and fantasizing about beating him to a pulp.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Could you go all the way to letting go of the resentment?

[Dana Perino]

No.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I don't know, man.

[Jesse Watters]

Like I'm just supposed to let go

[Harold Ford Jr.]

of my resentment that this guy is

[Jesse Watters]

just raping the world that he lives in. What is releasing the resentment going to

[Greg Gutfeld]

do for the world?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Like, I think we should hold on to some of that anger so somebody

[Jesse Watters]

gets Guy Ritchie and wakes up in

[Greg Gutfeld]

a pool in their own teeth and blood.

[Jesse Watters]

Emily, what's going on with this guy?

[Emily Compagno]

I don't know, but I think he represents a certain strain of the population right now that is absolutely fueled by rage that used to be pro Donald Trump and is now against them. And the Epstein files did a large part in shifting him. He's talked about some trauma in his past that I think might fuel the reason why he's so impassioned about having there be accountability for what's in the Epstein files. But at the end of the day, this is someone who enjoys a very now lucrative career and Hollywood elite celeb just. I mean he has gained an incredible amount of followers worshiping him for portraying a fictional hero that serves his country in movies or TV shows or whatever. And so he's using, using that platform to spew a lot of rage. If I can just say the obvious,

[Jesse Watters]

the TDS is very strong. Harold, would you recommend any therapy?

[Greg Gutfeld]

No, I think our politics has entirely too much rage. And there's a sense that and a belief that we're too quick to resort to violent words. And you know, I watched this guy's show. I don't know a whole lot more about him, but I like the show. And you never know who's listening to you. I mean he may think that he was joking. He likely very much was joking. But at the same time, there was an underlying sense that, you know, this rage, you want to hold onto it. And someone could listen to that and think differently. Like, I don't like it when President Trump calls me a demo crat. Now. I think it's funny. But there's some people who may think differently of it. So the violence, I don't mind a good debate. The great Charlie Kirk, the late Charlie Kirk, told us, let's debate about it. Let's have a forceful, robust, serious debate. But once you start talking about killing somebody or enacting violence against somebody on either side, it has to be condemned. And I condemn this young guy's words, for which I hope he didn't mean, but he should take them back.

[Jesse Watters]

Wasn't this the guy, Dana, that was getting into some fight in the lawn from some guy on a moped last week?

[Dana Perino]

I don't know. Oh, wow.

[Jesse Watters]

The answer is yes.

[Dana Perino]

Missed that. Okay. Yes, that happened. Was that on TDS Tuesday?

[Jesse Watters]

Yeah, I think it was.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

It happened months ago and the neighbor was at fault.

[Jesse Watters]

Oh, okay.

[Dana Perino]

I, like, I watched the show. I didn't really know anything about him. I don't know why celebrities feel like they need to go on a show where, you know you're going to get asked about politics. I mean, a lot of people watch Joe, but maybe now half of them won't. I mean, you don't have to be a Trump supporter, but why be a Trump hater when everybody is watching Amazon?

[Jesse Watters]

Greg, is this the guy you beat to a pulp the other day?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Yes, it is. This has nothing to do with politics, and he wasn't joking. It says absolutely nothing about Donald Trump, but it says too much about him. Resentment, Dana?

[Dana Perino]

Yes.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

It's like taking a poison and waiting for the other person to die. And if you look at him, it is really a powerful contrast. A guy that is so physically fit, but spiritually, he's diseased.

[Jesse Watters]

He.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

It's probably likely connected. The obsession is a distraction. He's not. He's not enjoying himself. This is not tds. TDS is something else. There's something deeper. Emily alludes to it, and it serves as an example to a lot of the things that we've seen on the streets, the assassination attempts. The romance of violence is that there are underlying issues to the actions that if you remove the Trump is evil narrative, there's something else there, and this just happens to bring it out. He was a model in the Bruce Weber era. I'm sure there was something that happened there. He had suicidal periods in his life. Very serious stuff. And I think, you know, when the interviewer was trying to. Trying to get at the fact that it's the resentment that is eating him alive and he's essentially poisoning himself and no amount of squats and bench presses are gonna get rid of that.

[Jesse Watters]

Have you ever considered being a therapist?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

You know, I am actually a therapist in my free time. I have a van that I just drive around Manhattan.

[Jesse Watters]

You can lie down on your couch.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Yes, yes. I wouldn't call it a couch.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Your resentment poison, you know who said that? But so effectively was Nelson Mandela. So I appreciate that.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

All right. Him and I were friends.

[Jesse Watters]

Are you lifting lines from Mandela?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

No, that's a. That's a line that has been around for a while and it's a great line because it's true. You have anybody who's had any kind of grudge or resentment, the other person has no idea.

[Dana Perino]

And that's in the Bible.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I know, but. No, but I'm talking about. Right. But Mandela said it when he got out of Robin's island saying, I'm not going to hold resentment against whites in South Africa. It's just going to kill me.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

It's always got to be the black guy, doesn't it?

[Greg Gutfeld]

Every once in a while.

[Jesse Watters]

Coming up. There once was a shop in Nantucket that told influencers to suck it.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Cheers to America's 250th birthday. Get 20 off your first purchase at foxnewswineshop.com with code FNRADIO 2020. Discount excludes wine club offers and cannot be combined with any other promotion. Expires July 31, 2026. Must be 21 or older to order. Please drink responsibly. Commodore. The popular souvenir shop in Nantucket is stirring a little controversy after posting a sign outside the store reading no Influencers. One influencer, however, is pushing back, arguing it as anti feminist, to black female influencers who have built a business with a loyal audience. DP what do you think of this story?

[Dana Perino]

I can kind of see both sides. It's a store from 1948. Those signs are not easy to. They're. And they're hard to build. They're expensive and they have lots of little things inside. And I think they were just kind of a little bit tired of it. I think they probably could have said no photographs and that would have solved their problem and they wouldn't be having this controversy.

[Greg Gutfeld]

What do you think here, Mr. Goodfell?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Well, first, Nantucket that was the name of my trans grandmother. All right. It's a luxury if you're banning an influencer because that means you're in a safe and wealthy neighborhood. Because most people that go there to do their thing, it's because it's clean, it's wealthy and upscale. I used to hate all the influencers. I live downtown in my neighborhood. But I will take them any day over the drugged and the deranged. And the fact is, the more foot traffic you have there who have cameras and they're law abiding people, I will take it. You come to New York City, I don't care.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Emily, what are your thoughts on this?

[Emily Compagno]

That one of her comments in there, she said this is a scale that once would have required corporate backing and massive advertising budget. So she's the influencers arguing like we're helping you for free. And I just want to point out that that's based on an assumption that the little charming, sleepy small town shops want that and that maybe they don't want that and they don't want the duck face photo. Maybe they say, come in and talk to me and then share with the world my story.

[Greg Gutfeld]

What do you think, Jesse?

[Jesse Watters]

I see both sides. Dana, we're on cable.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Oh, my God.

[Jesse Watters]

I think I like this band. You know why? This is a classy waspy place. You don't want a bunch of crazy weirdos going like this. You want nice clientele to create a nice cool vibe. You don't want foot traffic. You want locals spending money on wicker and cake.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Why the influencers today?

[Greg Gutfeld]

I like what Jesse said, just I don't like the wash stuff. They have a right to do what they want to do at that store. One more thing is up next.

[Emily Compagno]

Traditional home security only alerts you after

[Greg Gutfeld]

a break in and that's too late. Simply Safe is changing that.

[Emily Compagno]

Stop.

[Greg Gutfeld]

This is Simply Safe. Police are on the way.

[Emily Compagno]

We don't just alert, we stop crime before it starts. Simply Safe plan starting around a dollar a day, save 50% on your new system with professional [e-mail] Spotify or with promo code Spotify outdoor deterrence requires a

[Greg Gutfeld]

Simplisafe active guard outdoor protection plan starting at 49.99amonth. Visit simplisafe.com licenses for alarm license information. Tennessee2012.

[Dana Perino]

It's time to put one more thing.

[Emily Compagno]

Greg.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I got Timp, I got Lissau, I got Gruel, I got Tyrus tonight 10.

[Jesse Watters]

Okay, Jesse, I got Feeding Frenzy. Oh, they don't even want to do it. That's fine. Chicken wings. Happy National Chicken Wing Day. Who wants a wing? Who wants a wing?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Where are they from?

[Jesse Watters]

They're from Carnegie, Delhi, Gunfeld. Where you like to go.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

A great place. Are you sure? Yes.

[Jesse Watters]

You call that work? You sit and tell jokes, listen to

[Greg Gutfeld]

the 5ad free on Amazon Music with your prime membership or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.