The Five – “McDonald Trump”
FOX News Podcasts | November 18, 2025
Episode Overview
In this lively episode of The Five, Greg Gutfeld, Kennedy, Harold Ford Jr., Jesse Watters, and Sandra Smith tackle several of the day's hottest topics—most notably former President Donald Trump's outreach to McDonald's franchisees, the cost-of-living debate dominating American politics, and the dramatic House vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. The panel blends serious debate with their trademark humor, offering a mosaic of perspectives from across the political spectrum.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Trump at the McDonald’s Franchise Owners Summit
Main Theme: Trump’s populist messaging and “affordability”
- Greg Gutfeld sets the scene with Trump embracing his fast-food roots, “President Trump talking up America's Golden Age to the Golden Arches” [01:03].
- Trump jokes about being a former McDonald’s fry cook and riffs on menu items and regulations [01:25].
- Trump frames himself as the leader poised to “end” Biden’s so-called “affordability crisis”:
“The Biden administration started the affordability crisis and my administration is ending it. I'm ending it.” – Donald Trump [02:19]
Panel Reaction
- Jesse Watters: Argues Democrats can't fix a crisis they created—“you can't run on fixing a problem you created.” [03:32]
- Jesse describes Trump’s team as a “great crew” with populist appeal and suggests Trump is most effective in retail, on-the-ground politics [03:32–05:28].
- Kennedy: Critiques Democrats for ignoring populist issues, focusing instead on “snobby, weird, elitist issues” [05:57], and questions the inflationary impact of Trump’s proposed tariffs.
- Sandra Smith: Notes that, historically, lowering the price level is tough, and despite falling prices, “consumer confidence” is down [07:52].
Notable Quote
“But these elections, last couple Tuesdays, was a huge wake up call because he is now dialed in on affordability. He's banging the drum. And now he'll probably go into campaign mode. […] The government can’t do everything. You got to snatch dream. You got to sacrifice when you're young, you got to bust your butt. You got to fall in love. You got to take risks. You got to save money.”
– Jesse Watters [04:30–05:28]
2. The Cost of Living & “Affordability Crisis”:
Debate: Who should own the affordability narrative?
- Harold Ford Jr.: Insists that affordability is the dominant issue—“the issue in America … is affordability” [02:49].
- Panel debates economic indicators:
- Sandra Smith: “Our inflation is half what it is from where Biden handed it off.”
- Points out disconnect: lower prices but consumers still pessimistic [07:52].
- Ford stresses voters expect delivery, not excuses, from leaders [09:17].
- Harold Ford Jr.: “The affordability issue has been the number one issue in every single election.” [09:17]
Notable Exchange
- Greg: “Has the media deliberately forgotten the cost of eggs and gas under Joe?” [07:30]
- Sandra: “What is down to your, both your points is consumer confidence. It's down 10% since Trump took office. And so you have to ask why that is…” [08:51]
3. Partisan Strategies, Tariffs, and Populism
- Kennedy: Advises that both parties need to acknowledge voters’ financial pain and avoid ignoring real hardship [05:57].
- Raises concerns about Trump’s tariffs possibly increasing costs—“are his tariffs exacerbating that? And will giving people this $2,000 tariff credit create an inflationary environment?” [06:47]
4. House Votes to Release the Epstein Files
Segment start: [15:33]
- Trump lashes out at Democrats amid bipartisan momentum to release Epstein documents.
- Trump reasserts distance from Epstein:
“I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. I threw him out of my club many years ago because I thought he was a sick pervert.” – Donald Trump [15:50]
Panel Reaction
- Harold Ford Jr. questions the timing and motives behind Democrats pushing release now, recalling history and bipartisan reluctance [17:04–19:31].
- Jesse Watters frames Epstein as a “Democrat” problem, implicating prominent Dems and arguing that Trump “arrested him in 2019” [20:04].
- Jesse Watters: “This is not a Republican scandal. This guy is a Democrat. He's a dead Democrat pedophile.” [20:14]
Notable Moments:
- Greg Gutfeld: “Now Trump's pissed off, I think, because he looks at everything as leverage.” [22:59]
- Kennedy: Expresses outrage that the issue is politicized:
“This never should have been a football that went back and forth in order for either side to weaponize and find some hideous predators in there…” [25:20]
5. Is AOC Presidential Material?
Segment start: [26:49]
- Bill Maher's comment that AOC could be “fantastic” if “deprogrammed” sparks debate.
- Kennedy: Lampoons AOC’s “orthodoxy and a mental virus that takes over any rational component of a person's executive function.” [29:53]
- Harold Ford Jr.: Suggests public figures should be open to learning and changing (citing his own evolution on policy) [30:14]
Notable Quotes:
- Greg Gutfeld on “Trans Awareness Week”:
“If you are truly trans, 100% truly trans, you would reject Trans Awareness Week because the whole point is you want to fit in.” [32:13]
6. The Biden FBI and the Trump Shooter
Segment start: [34:56]
- Miranda Devine’s reporting on Trump shooter Thomas Crooks, his online footprint, and the FBI’s handling:
- Crooks’ pronoun use, obsessions, and radicalization are discussed as signs of social crisis.
- Greg Gutfeld: “The going by a they pronoun is now a marker for a date problem. I think it tells you that that person's mind is susceptible to brainwash or repetitive persuasion.” [37:27]
- Panel expresses concern about online radicalization, particularly for young men [38:30].
7. Lighter Segment: Should Men Wear Pink?
Segment start: [39:59]
- The panel humorously debates the social acceptability of men in pink sweaters.
- Consensus: The specific J. Crew sweater in question is “just a really terrible sweater.”
- Greg quips:
“Any man who chooses to wear that is telling women that he's amazing because he's purposely handicapping himself in such a hideous sweater. I mean, that is so gay. Gay people won't wear it.” [40:35]
- Laughter about the sweater being a “doily,” “dickie,” and the gaudiness of the trend.
Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
Jesse Watters, on Trump and populism:
“He's the best when he's in that retail politic mode, when he works the McDonald's fry machine, when he puts on the trucker thing, send them out to a cattle ranch.” [04:45]
-
Kennedy, on Democrats and populism:
“But instead, they abandoned them for all the snobby, weird, elitist issues about transgender men playing in women's sports, and they bet on the wrong side of that issue.” [05:57]
-
Sandra Smith, on economic indicators:
“Gas is back down to $3… Egg prices are down 30%. But what is down… is consumer confidence. […] Republicans would be very smart not to ignore that.” [08:51]
-
Kennedy, on Epstein file release:
“This never should have been a football that went back and forth in order for either side to weaponize…” [25:20]
-
Greg Gutfeld, on “Trans Awareness Week”:
“If you are truly trans, 100% truly trans, you would reject Trans Awareness Week because the whole point is you want to fit in.” [32:13]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Trump at McDonald's Owners Summit and affordability: [01:03–07:24]
- Affordability Crisis & Tariff Debate: [07:24–13:19]
- Epstein Files Release: [15:33–26:49]
- Is AOC Presidential Timber?: [26:49–33:31]
- Trump Shooter, FBI, and Radicalization: [34:56–39:07]
- Should Men Wear Pink Sweaters?: [39:59–41:44]
Tone
The conversation is fast, combative, irreverent, and blends serious policy with punchlines. The panelists alternate between political speculation, sharp critique, pop-culture references, and self-deprecating humor, with Gutfeld anchoring the banter and probing others with pointed questions.
Summary
Listeners of this episode get a deep dive into political messaging wars about affordability and populism, an insider take on the implications of releasing the Epstein files, culture war issues, and moments of comic relief—all through the distinctive view of The Five’s well-known personalities and their spirited roundtable style.