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)
2. Biden Administration, Immigration, and "Self-Defense Deportation"
(Segment: 11:22 - 19:56)
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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)
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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.
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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)
4. The State of Political Discourse: Gene Simmons’ Holiday Message
(Segment: 28:46 - 34:01)
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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.
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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)
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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)
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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.