Podcast Summary: The Five | Episode: "New Year, New Hunter" | December 23, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of The Five revolves around several hot-button political and cultural topics, with the primary focus on Hunter Biden's explosive new interview criticizing his father's presidency, immigration policies, and a general air of candid (and often biting) debate about public figures and national issues. The panel brings their characteristic blend of sharp banter, humor, and cultural references as they dissect political news, immigration developments, 2028 election maneuvers, and even holiday etiquette, all while maintaining a conversational, at times edgy, tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hunter Biden’s Five and a Half Hour Interview

(Segment: 00:56 - 10:38)

• Hunter Criticizes Joe Biden:

  • In an unfiltered, lengthy interview, Hunter Biden lays blame for the border crisis and the Afghanistan withdrawal at his father’s feet:
    • Hunter Biden: "We need a vibrant immigration, but we don't want immigrants that are coming here illegally draining us of resources..." (01:42)
    • On Afghanistan: "I think one of the failures was the way... they executed the withdrawal." (01:59)
  • Hunter admits: "I don't even know if I'm a Democrat anymore. I don't know if I'm part of any political...I think it's like imperative that we don't give up on politics as a solution." (02:30)

• Panel’s Reaction:

  • Paul Morrow: Notes Hunter is "starting to sound an awful lot like a Republican." (02:22)
  • Jillian Turner: Suggests Hunter’s motivation may be financial, referencing his $15 million debt, and speculates he’s angling for a media job:
    • "I suspect he needs a check at some point. Soon. So expect a charm offensive from Hunter Biden." (04:28)
  • Lisa Booth: Ruthless assessment, calling Hunter "the biggest loser," focusing on his debts, failed art sales, and past drug abuse:
    • "This is a guy who totally cashed in, exploited his family's last name, made $1.5 million in art...and then, you know, miraculously, they stopped selling after his dad was out." (07:15)
  • Kennedy: Mocks Hunter's complaints about his family's lack of generational wealth and riffs on his pardon:
    • "He's not giving back the pardon. And everything he complains about speaks to such a lack of self-awareness..." (06:04)

• Notable Quotes:

  • Hunter Biden: "I'm the poster boy for, you know, the elite son of the president who got a...Who got something nobody else could possibly ever get simply by...by the fact of his birth." (02:59)
  • Jillian Turner: "He's very clearly trying to advocate for some sort of media job, right? 'I'm not left, I'm not right, I'm the common sense middle...'" (04:28)
  • Lisa Booth: "Can you imagine, 55 years old and still complaining that, you know, daddy needs to do more for me? So the guy is a total loser." (08:15)
  • Jimmy Fala: "I would be very hard pressed to imagine that he does not feel disgraced by this kind of conversation..." (08:32)

• Subthemes:

  • The panel jokes about White House drug scandals (“Pardon Commander. That's who gets the pointed.” Kennedy, 06:35)
  • Discussion of Hunter's isolation from family and ongoing legal scrutiny.

2. Biden Administration, Immigration, and "Self-Defense Deportation"

(Segment: 11:22 - 19:56)

• New DHS Policy:

  • The Department of Homeland Security’s policy to incentivize illegal immigrants to self-deport with a $3,000 payment and travel covered sparks heated debate.
    • Paul Morrow: "When the government has to do that and not the person who is here illegally of their own accord, obviously it's much more expensive." (13:07)
    • Lisa Booth: Explains the cost saving premise: "Over $17,000 [cost per deportation]...I'll take a $14,000 per person in savings." (13:07)
    • Jillian Turner: Cautions against fraud and slipshod government management, calls for biometric data collection as a safeguard:
      • "If you're going to do this... We want your prints and we want your iris scan, and that means we know who you are..." (15:11)

• Critiques and Satire:

  • Jimmy Fala: Ridicules the policy for being ripe for fraud and for giving money to incentivize bad behavior:
    • "Giving people who came here illegally $3,000 is a welfare operation. It is ripe for fraud and abuse." (16:44)
  • Kennedy: "We're buying their ID." (18:03)
  • Panel jokes about deporting migrants to New York neighborhoods (Kennedy, 18:49), and bemoan the lack of focus on legal immigration and assimilation.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Lisa Booth: "It's saving us a lot of money though. $14,000." (17:31)
  • Jimmy Fala: "No, it's not. But that's a made up number." (17:34)
  • Kennedy: "The larger point...is that we want migrants in this country who want to assimilate and be a part of the American dream. It's not about whitewashing a culture. It's about the poem on the Statue of Liberty." (19:09)

3. 2028 Election Chatter & JD Vance as Front-Runner

(Segment: 21:10 - 28:13)

• JD Vance Trains with Navy SEALS:

  • Vance’s public training is discussed, with the panel having fun at the expense of “middle-aged politicians working out.”
    • Kennedy: “Nobody wants to see a workout video. It's Christmas week. I am so fat right now...” (22:26)
    • Lisa Booth: “The Vice President working out with the Navy SEALS is so much cooler than...Rep. Eric Swalwell posting those Thirst Trap videos back in July...” (23:54)

• 2028 Polls and Party Dynamics:

  • Vance leads Republican polls.
  • Marco Rubio's supposed allegiance to Vance is mentioned, along with speculation about Democratic contenders (Newsom, Harris).
    • Paul Morrow: “The country likes electing presidents from Ohio.” (25:24)
    • Discussion about the physical image of candidates, referencing previous presidents and "hunky" looks (Kennedy and Jillian Turner, 27:37-27:50).
    • Satirical and playful tone permeates, especially around Vance’s beard and campaign optics.

4. The State of Political Discourse: Gene Simmons’ Holiday Message

(Segment: 28:46 - 34:01)

• KISS Frontman’s Advice:

  • Gene Simmons urges Americans to “mind your business” about others’ political choices.
    • Gene Simmons: “It's nobody's damn business who you support...Have a sense of humor, take a pill, shut up, and stop worrying what your next door neighbor believes or doesn't believe. It's their America, too.” (29:00)
  • Jillian Turner & Jimmy Fala reflect on how political private life no longer exists, recalling when talking about who you voted for was taboo.
    • Jimmy Fala: “Nobody would ask you after voting day who you voted for. And now that's just like everybody posts it on social media…” (29:38)
  • Lisa Booth observes increase in societal invasion of privacy fueled by social media and polarization.

• Panel Reflection:

  • Consensus that society has become too divisive, with too little respect for political privacy.
    • Paul Morrow: “...for people to stop putting someone who might have minor ideological differences...in a completely separate camp and ostracizing them...it has gotten to the point where it was cruel, it was unkind, and now it's murderous, it's deadly.” (32:02)

5. Holiday & Light-hearted Segments

(Segment: 35:25 - End)

• Surviving the Holidays:

  • Discussion of "emergency chocolate," with comic riffs on edibles and alcoholic substitutions (35:25-36:56).
  • Gift-giving horror stories, unwanted gifts, and regifting anecdotes (36:56-39:03).
  • Lisa Booth: "I like giving gifts...giving the gift at an inappropriate time, like...at a funeral..." (38:24)
  • Kennedy tells a story about a signed book she gifted being flipped on Amazon (37:21).
  • Jillian Turner jokes: "I once got a Hunter Biden piece of art, actually. Self portrait Vomit. Yeah, well, it was fake." (39:09)

• One More Thing:

  • Uplifting stories including a children’s hospital getting a surprise from window washers dressed as the Grinch and Santa (Kennedy, 40:30), a rescued koala (Jimmy Fala, 41:07), and a priest-turned-DJ (Paul Morrow, 41:09).
  • Mention of the penny’s retirement and speculation about the social impact (Jillian Turner, 41:28).

Notable Moments & Quotes by Timestamp

Hunter Biden Interview Segment

• Hunter: "We need a vibrant immigration…but we don't want immigrants… draining us of resources..." (01:42)
• Hunter: "I don't even know if I'm a Democrat anymore." (02:30)
• Lisa Booth: "Hunter Biden is the biggest loser, right?... the ultimate loser..." (07:15)

Immigration Discussion

• Lisa Booth: "Over $17,000 [cost per deportation]...I'll take a $14,000 per person in savings." (13:07)
• Jillian Turner: "We want your prints and we want your iris scan, and that means we know who you are..." (15:11)
• Jimmy Fala: "Giving people…$3,000 is a welfare operation. It is ripe for fraud..." (16:44)

2028 Politics

• Kennedy: "Nobody wants to see a workout video. It's Christmas week. I am so fat right now..." (22:26)
• Paul Morrow: "The country likes electing presidents from Ohio." (25:24)

Gene Simmons on Political Civility

• Gene Simmons: "It's nobody's damn business who you support...shut up, and stop worrying what your next door neighbor believes..." (29:00)
• Paul Morrow: "...for people to stop putting someone who might have minor ideological differences...in a completely separate camp and ostracizing them...it has gotten to the point where it was cruel, it was unkind, and now it's murderous..." (32:02)

Holiday Lightness

• Kennedy: "Chocolate's a fancy word for edibles in this day and age. That's the secret sauce." (36:13)
• Jillian Turner: "I once got a Hunter Biden piece of art, actually. Self portrait Vomit. Yeah, well, it was fake." (39:09)

Conclusion

The Five delivers a spirited, sometimes irreverent, look at the day’s biggest political controversies—Hunter Biden’s bombshell interview and its implications for the Biden family and Democratic loyalty, fresh battles over immigration and self-deportation, the pre-game for a 2028 presidential race, and the fraying of political civility. The hosts balance pointed criticism and humor, frequenting personal anecdotes, and providing moments of insight amid the banter, making the conversation accessible even to those who haven’t tuned in. The episode closes with playful exchanges on holiday coping strategies and gift-giving disasters, rounding out a lively pre-holiday discussion.