The Five – "Liberal Mag: Woke Is Back And Meaner Than Ever"
Date: February 3, 2026
Host: Jesse Watters
Panel: Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, Jessica Tarlov, Brian Kilmeade
Podcast: FOX News Podcasts
Episode Overview
This episode dives into the resurgence and evolution of "woke" activism in America, recently framed by Vanity Fair as "Woke 2.0"—meaner, less about online posturing, and more about real-world chaos. The panel debates the left's shifts on issues like immigration enforcement, lawlessness in progressive cities, and the push for and backlash against transgender medical interventions for minors. Local governance failures, notably in New York City, and the challenges facing the Democratic Party in the 2024 cycle also take the spotlight.
Main Themes & Key Discussion Points
1. "Woke 2.0": From Online Virtue to Street-Level Chaos
- [01:10–05:57]
- Vanity Fair's claims that "woke" is back, now meaner than ever, with activists showing up in real life (e.g., "whistle mommies" in Minneapolis establishing checkpoints).
- Panel critiques: leftist activism escalates beyond DEI, now intimidating everyday citizens and law enforcement.
- Greg Gutfeld draws historical parallels, likening the current leftist fringe to Bolsheviks and the Manson Family, arguing they use fear, intimidation, and even exploit women and children for revolutionary fervor:
"Like, Woke is like a bar that was hip for a couple of years, then got a bad reputation...Today's Woke-ism? It's the worst of the worst. They don't have anywhere else to go." – Greg Gutfeld [03:40]
- Media's role: CNN is critiqued for glorifying teens acting as "ICE watchers".
2. Immigration, ICE Enforcement & Democrat Overreach
- [05:57–14:39]
- Growing public mistrust towards ICE and perceptions that they go too far, with references to recent polls:
"59% of Americans—this is our own Fox poll—say that ICE has gone too far with deportations, including 71% of independents." – Jessica Tarlov [10:57]
- Panel lambasts confusion between legitimate law enforcement and politically motivated defamation of agencies like ICE.
- Dana Perino distinguishes between the "first wave" of woke (DEI, BLM, George Floyd protests) and the darker, more confrontational Woke 2.0:
"In Woke 1, they started with DEI...In fact, that was the number one book in the country...But I thought about it. Woke 2 is a lot different. Woke 2 started in these cities like Chicago, these cesspools like Minneapolis..." – Dana Perino [13:00]
- Growing public mistrust towards ICE and perceptions that they go too far, with references to recent polls:
3. Local Governance in Crisis: NYC in "Free Fall"
- [17:02–25:25]
- Critiques of New York City's Mayor Zoran Mamdani for mishandling snow, garbage, and especially the deaths of 16 homeless people during a freeze.
- Mayoral defense: The deceased were "not in encampments," but panel lambasts policy to halt encampment clearances.
- Jesse Watters draws a parallel to the "Cobra Effect," warning that incentivizing the wrong solution amplifies the problem:
"They’re throwing all this money at the homeless, and people don’t realize that’s not gonna make [homelessness] disappear...We’re creating homeless people to make money off of." – Jesse Watters [20:22]
- Left and right unite in frustration over basic service failures; Jessica Tarlov recounts her husband shoveling safer paths for schoolchildren, calling for more community engagement [22:30].
- Greg Gutfeld criticizes the idea that private citizens must pick up government slack:
"I probably spend six to seven figures in taxes in New York City, so I don’t have to get out and shovel every corner of my sidewalk..." [23:37]
4. Transgender Surgeries & Medical Malpractice for Minors
- [26:19–32:09]
- Jury in NY awards $2 million to a detransitioner who underwent irreversible surgery as a minor; 28 similar cases pending.
- Medical guidelines shifting: American Society of Plastic Surgeons now advises no gender surgeries on minors under 19.
- Greg Gutfeld is relentless, calling it medical abuse:
"This is truly Hitlerian—experimenting on children. If I had my way, they’d be put on trial and imprisoned..." [26:58] "Children were being butchered and [the media] saluted it. And now they're kind of like, 'well, this never happened.'" [27:41]
- Jesse Watters notes Europe’s more conservative position, suggests evidence shows most gender-dysphoric kids resolve naturally without surgery [28:44].
- Jessica Tarlov counters by noting the small absolute number of regret/suits, but agrees rogue doctors should be punished, clarifying most regret rates in studies are low [29:57].
5. Democratic Party Dilemmas: Biden’s Age and 2024 Challenges
- [33:06–36:27]
- Democrats face difficult optics as age and candidate quality issues dog their Senate races.
- Maine Gov. Janet Mills distances herself from Biden:
"I’m not Joe Biden, for God’s sake. I’m healthy." – Janet Mills (audio clip), spotlighted by Dana Perino and Greg Gutfeld [33:29]
- Discussion of opponent, Graham Platner, and his problematic past.
- Panel jokes about the perils of far-out choices (Nazi tattoos), with both sides exasperated by the extremes on the ballot.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Greg Gutfeld on "Woke 2.0":
"What you're redefining is actually just a more demented version of what you already rejected. And it goes even back further...The Bolsheviks, a radical minority trying to impose their will and power on the majority." [04:25]
- On ICE and media influence:
"Why do you feel the need to make people feel scared that their children are gonna be taken from schools when that hasn't happened...? Because they're listening to you say these things." – Greg Gutfeld to Jessica Tarlov [11:29]
- On local community action in NYC:
"One thing that I think could really improve the quality of life is if people would actually help out in their own communities." – Jessica Tarlov [22:43]
- On transgender lawsuits:
"If you were called transphobic over this, that was a compliment because that meant that you were right all along. One reporter asked me, why do you care? I’ll never forget that. And I said to him, why don’t you?" – Greg Gutfeld [28:17]
- On the politics of age & candidates:
"You have a choice between a woman who might pass away in office and a Nazi, and they won’t even consider the Republican." – Jesse Watters, referencing Maine’s Senate race [36:02]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- [01:10–05:57] – "Woke 2.0" and escalation of activism
- [05:57–14:39] – ICE, immigration, and left vs. right outrage
- [17:02–25:25] – New York’s homeless and city management crisis
- [26:19–32:09] – Transgender surgeries for minors and legal pushback
- [33:06–36:27] – Democratic Party, Biden’s age, and Senate campaign drama
- [37:09–39:13] – Light segment: Minivans & changing family life
- [39:13–end] – "One More Thing": Panel's personal notes and stories
Tone & Style
The episode features the familiar mix of combative banter and pointed satire characteristic of The Five. The panel oscillates between biting criticism ("Woke is just a more demented version," "children were being butchered and they saluted it") and moments of levity (minivan jokes, shoveling snow, and the "National Wash Jerry Nadler Day" riff). Throughout, panelists sharply distinguish their positions and challenge each other, especially on vulnerable topics like ICE enforcement and transgender care.
Summary Takeaways
- "Woke" activism has, in the panel’s view, entered a more aggressive phase, spilling into community disruption and alienating many Americans.
- Both ICE’s actions and left-wing rhetoric toward it have polarized public opinion, with deep concern over the consequences for those caught in the middle.
- Urban governance challenges, especially in progressive cities, are highlighted as evidence of failed left policies—garbage, snow, homelessness, death, and political back-biting.
- The legal reckoning over transgender medical interventions for minors is escalating, with both medical and social consensus shifting toward more caution.
- The Democratic Party faces a fractious 2024, managing internal splits over Biden, candidate quality, and the broader public’s appetite for extremism.
For listeners who missed the episode, this summary offers a thorough snapshot of the central debates, strong panelist opinions, and a sense of the episode’s kinetic, often acerbic energy.