Podcast Summary: The Five – "Horrific Ambush"

FOX News Podcasts | December 2, 2025

Overview

This episode of "The Five" centers on two major themes: the tragic ambush shooting involving Afghan nationals and U.S. National Guard members in D.C., raising tough questions about immigration vetting and policy; and a major welfare fraud case in Minnesota’s Somali community, exposing issues of government accountability and oversight. The panel tackles the fallout, partisan blame, media narratives, and the implications of both stories on broader cultural and political issues.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Afghan National Guard Shooting and Vetting Debate

[01:05–13:03]

The Incident and Policy Fallout

• Emily Campagno introduces the story of two National Guard members ambushed by an Afghan national, one killed, one critically injured but recovering.
• Trump administration halts all Afghan visas, citing vetting failures from the Biden era.
• White House Press Secretary ties the shooting to the need for mass deportations and reevaluating Afghan immigrants.

Rhetorical and Emotional Responses

• Jesse Waters: “That animal should not have been allowed to come into our country.” (02:00)
• Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (as quoted by Jessica Tarlov): “Let’s talk about the white supremacists and how many of them need to be kicked out… overall, immigrants have a lower crime committal rate.” (03:01)

Greg Gutfeld on the CIA's Paramilitary History and Vetting Limits

• Describes the complication of vetting Afghan paramilitaries: “He doesn’t have social media. He doesn’t have a therapist you can interview. There’s just no bank account… you don’t know if he’s a sociopath. So they say, fine, let’s fly you to Washington State, put you up at a luxury apartment… So what’s the solution?... Why can’t you fly them to Egypt?” (03:30–05:25)

Systemic Failures and the Media’s Role

• Emily Campagno: The rushed airlift after U.S. withdrawal let vetting “go by the wayside.”
• Dana Perino notes few in the Biden admin defended the process and criticizes both parties’ failures: “A lot of the concern was actually for people like this alleged murderer… But it's been disappointing to see President Trump… denying the fact that Donald Trump's administration granted him asylum.” (08:10)
• Jesse Waters: Media and left used accusations of racism to short-circuit accountability around immigration.

Memorable Quote & Analogy

• Jesse Waters, on the dangers of missed vetting: “The terrorist only has to be right once. You have to be right every single time.” (09:50)
• Skittles Bowl Analogy: “If you knew one [Skittle] was poisoned, obviously you wouldn’t eat the bowl… it worked—you could not talk about illegal immigration because you were considered xenophobic.” (10:02–11:00)

2. Minnesota Somali Welfare Fraud Scandal

[14:29–25:19]

The Billion Dollar Scandal

• Jessica Tarlov details the fraud: “Some members of Minnesota's Somali community allegedly billed state agencies… for millions in social services… instead spent the money on cars, houses and overseas real estate.” (14:29)
• Hundreds of state workers blame Governor Tim Walz' lack of accountability; Walz minimizes his responsibility, noting only arrests.

Panel’s Critique of Leadership and Systemic Weaknesses

• Greg Gutfeld blasts Walz: “This guy shows up, hey, I arrested… you’re like the guy who eats the free pizza but you didn’t help us move the furniture.” (15:39)
• Emily Campagno points out the Democrats only support whistleblowers against Republicans and references similar scandals in New York under Bill de Blasio. (18:24)
• Greg Gutfeld ties immigration policy to what he calls “voting bloc” dynamics: “Somalia, terrible place, civil war… Clinton says, the way we’re going to do this, just bring them all here... So everybody gets social security numbers and everybody gets welfare, and they form this huge voting bloc in the city.” (20:14)

Accountability and Whistleblower Suppression

• Dana Perino: “It is worse in the Times piece when they talk about the whistleblower retaliation, saying that the Walz administration was using monitoring and threats to make sure they couldn’t come forward.” (22:41)

On Systemic Disincentives for Oversight

• Jesse Waters and Greg Gutfeld repeatedly argue concerns over racism were used to avoid prosecuting fraud.
• Notable Exchange:
  • Jesse Waters: “When people loot during earthquakes, what do you do?”
  • Jessica Tarlov: “Shoot.”
  • Jesse Waters: “You shoot them. I’m glad you brought that up, Jessica. Finally we agree.” (25:05)

3. Culture Wars, Carville’s Advice & Nashville Special Election

[26:36–34:34]

Carville’s Advice to Dems

• Jesse Waters paraphrases Carville: “Stop effing around with all the cultural stuff and start talking about people’s wages… what we can do to protect people who are trying to make it, and particularly young people.” (26:36)

Nashville Democrat’s Comments & Local Politics

• The panel debates a Nashville Democrat candidate who publicly said she hates the city, dislikes cops, and labeled the city as racist.
• Jesse Waters: “What does it say about the suicidal empathy of a liberal city? You just hand it over to somebody who hates you. It’s like dating somebody who hates you.” (27:42)
• Emily Campagno: “Another power hungry, pigheaded white woman who thinks she knows better than any person of color she pretends to actually speak for.” (31:21)

Generational Blame and Policy Drift

• Greg Gutfeld: “Remember, [boomers] opened up China, they opened up the borders, globalized, crashed the housing market, and then monkeyed around with a virus… Now they’re electing people even more far left to fix them.” (33:04)
• Dana Perino: “Literally, no one is campaigning on that.” (34:05)

4. Hollywood’s Trump Divide: Josh Brolin Speaks Out

[35:28–39:08]

Brolin’s Take on Trump

• Greg Gutfeld reads Brolin’s comments: “There is no greater genius than [Trump] in marketing… He reminded people that we’re all human beings… Not healthy to let one variable control all your behavior.” (35:28–36:44)
• Jessica Tarlov: “It is not brave, it’s not authentic. It is the same tired script… you compliment Trump, then you soften it with a disclaimer so it doesn’t affect you in award season.” (38:05)

5. Changing Media Consumption Habits

[40:11–42:21]

TV Clips and Information Overload

• Dana Perino: Notes her struggle with short, out-of-order TV clips becoming popular.
• Jessica Tarlov: “I hate this more than life because… it illustrates that no one has an attention span and that everyone has to be fed in, like, sound bites. Like, do these same people… read a whole book in one sitting?” (40:46)
• Greg Gutfeld: Suggests information, not technology, drives how we process media: “Maybe we’re thinking about the device, but it's the information that is doing the work. Wow. This pot you gave me. Dana’s amazing.” (41:50–42:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “That animal should not have been allowed to come into our country.” — Jesse Waters (02:00)
• “They’re countries that don’t do a good job… we frankly don’t need their people coming into our country telling us what to do.” — Jesse Waters (02:13)
• “So the guy gets there and he doesn’t work, and he starts smoking cannabis, and he starts becoming suicidal… So the solution is you don’t bring them here.” — Greg Gutfeld (03:30–05:25)
• “You have to be right every single time. And there doesn’t seem to be a way to track radicalization in a way that would prevent it.” — Emily Campagno (09:50)
• “You could not talk about illegal immigration because you were considered xenophobic.” — Jesse Waters (11:00)
• “After what I know—Is it like a decade, a billion dollars in which they ripped off the elderly, infants, the sick, the hungry. They should be executed, right?” — Jesse Waters (15:39)
• “Somalia, terrible place, civil war… So everybody gets social security numbers and everybody gets welfare, and they form this huge voting bloc in the city.” — Greg Gutfeld (20:14)
• “It feels a little dead to rights at this point.” — Dana Perino, on evidence of fraud and whistleblower suppression (22:41)
• “What does it say about the suicidal empathy of a liberal city? You just hand it over to somebody who hates you.” — Jesse Waters (27:42)
• “He broke the cardinal rule of TDS. Trump Derangement, addiction. He reminded people that we’re all human beings.” — Greg Gutfeld on Josh Brolin (35:50)
• “It is not brave, it’s not authentic… compliment Trump but then you soften it with a disclaimer.” — Jessica Tarlov (38:05)
• “Maybe we’re thinking about the device, but it’s the information that is doing the work.” — Greg Gutfeld (41:50)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:05–13:03] Afghan ambush shooting, vetting failures, and political responses
• [14:29–25:19] Minnesota Somali welfare fraud, state response, and national implications
• [26:36–34:34] James Carville’s advice, Nashville race, generational/partisan culture war
• [35:28–39:08] Hollywood and Trump: Josh Brolin's comments and reactions
• [40:11–42:21] The rise of short TV clips and media consumption trends

Tone and Style

The panel’s exchanges are fast, heated, and blend humor with sharp critique—typical of “The Five.” Greg Gutfeld leads with sardonic analogies, Jesse Waters goes for provocative soundbites, Dana Perino and Emily Campagno provide context and moderating voices, while Jessica Tarlov often acts as the left-leaning counterpoint. Despite disagreements and spirited interruptions, all maintain the show’s signature conversational and argumentative style.

This summary covers the central debates, notable moments, and key arguments for listeners who want a comprehensive yet engaging account of this episode.