Platner Panic

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Five

Episode: Platner Panic
Date: July 7, 2026
Main Theme:
This episode of “The Five” delves into the intensifying controversies and shifting alliances within the Democratic Party after explosive allegations emerge against Senate nominee Graham Platner. The hosts passionately discuss media reactions, political calculations, and broader cultural implications, before turning to global affairs with an update on President Trump’s presence at the NATO summit, new U.S. strikes against Iran, Team USA’s World Cup defeat, and the launch of Trump Accounts for children’s savings.

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1. Graham Platner Scandal Consumes the Democratic Party

Main Points:

• Senators and party leaders, including Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren, rapidly withdraw support for Graham Platner, the embattled Maine Democratic Senate nominee, after a serious rape allegation surfaces.
• The panel examines the Democrats’ delayed response, the role of corroborating evidence, and the challenge of applying “believe all women” principles when political interests are at stake.

Key Segments:

The Allegation and Party Fallout

• [00:36–01:27]

  • Dana Perino: “Any accusation of non consensual behavior is categorically false. So now an avalanche of Democrats are withdrawing their support.”
  • Bernie Sanders: “…I recommended that he step aside.”

• [01:27–02:19]

  • The hosts note that previous Platner scandals—Nazi tattoo, inappropriate Reddit posts, sex scandal, and abuse allegations—were not enough for Democrats to disavow him.
  • Dana Perino: “All these lawmakers said no big deal, he’s got a Nazi tattoo… The main voters…knew that he had these chapters.”

Media and Evidence Scrutiny

• [02:25–03:14]
  • Discussion of evidence: screenshots, therapist emails, and the challenge of looking for direct evidence between the accuser and Platner.
  • Brian Kilmeade: “Those are the things I said… but what is the actual, is there evidence between her and him?”
  • Harold Ford Jr.: “Evidence of a crime? Because he’s being accused of rape.”

Hypocrisy and Political Calculations

• [03:32–05:46]

  • Democrats’ MeToo stance tested; accusations of hypocrisy for not instantly believing Platner’s accuser.
  • Kennedy: “These are the believe all women crowd from the Me Too movement who now don’t want you to believe a woman with a first-hand account.”
  • The hosts highlight how political expediency and polling (Platner trailing Susan Collins) changed the party’s calculus.

• [05:46–08:29]

  • The New York Times’ attitude called out: “They call it like a catch and kill thing.”
  • Democrats only acting once polls show Platner losing.

Larger Themes

• [08:33–11:36]
  • Kennedy: “What happened to believe all women? Where did that go?...they dispensed with all their phony morality and chose someone who is guilty of everything they say Trump is.”
  • The “final straw” should have been Platner’s Nazi tattoo, not the rape allegation.
  • Greg Gutfeld: “Maybe there was an interest in finding someone, a white male, to run, but I got to think there are better ones than this.”

Memorable Moment:

• Kennedy, on party standards: “By allowing the Nazi tattoo to fly, then you could allow for anything. And they act like this rape thing is the final straw. Dude, you had a final straw at the beginning.” [10:04]

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2. What’s Next for the Maine Senate Race

Key Discussion:

• Dana Perino, [12:56]: “Who are these other people? Shane Bellows, Dan Cleveland, Nirav Shah…”
• Greg Gutfeld: “I don’t know whom they will pick, but I trust they’ll pick the [right one].”
• Open speculation about establishment vs. base candidates, and the party’s damaged brand.

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3. Trump at NATO & U.S. Foreign Policy

Main Points:

• President Trump attends NATO in Turkey, pressing allies on defense spending and backing in the Iran conflict.
• Panel debates U.S. trust of Turkey, NATO’s future, and shifting global alliances.

Key Segments:

• [14:28–15:32]

  • Dana Perino: “Now they’re at close to 5%. They all except Spain, who should be kicked out of NATO. As far as I’m concerned.”
  • Frustration over European allies’ reluctance to support the U.S. in the Iran conflict.

• [15:53–16:51]

  • Brian Kilmeade: “I don’t trust Turkey. I never have. And until the United States acknowledges the Armenian genocide, I’m always going to have a problem with that regime.”

• [18:50–20:44]

  • Harold Ford Jr.: Credits Trump for moving Europe closer to their NATO spending targets.
  • Greg Gutfeld: “We always have changes in administration… our greatest ally, Israel… said that if you sell them [F35s] to Turkey, you will destroy the balance of power in the Middle East.”
  • Debate over U.S. selling military equipment to Turkey and regional security concerns.

Notable Quote:

• Harold Ford Jr.: “Trump should consider shifting his message to say that he saved NATO from itself, that he helped prevent future wars…” [21:47]

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4. Breaking News: U.S. Strikes on Iran

[23:11–24:18]

• Mark Meredith reports live: “US Central Command… launching new strikes against Iran, basically in retaliation after Iran had launched three different attacks on ships… in the Strait of Hormuz.”
• The panel notes diplomatic and economic fallout, with news that oil prices are jumping and the White House has revoked a waiver allowing Iran to sell oil.

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5. Team USA’s World Cup Loss and Patriotism

Main Points:

• U.S. men’s soccer team eliminated by Belgium; political arguments erupt around rooting for or against Team USA.
• The hosts reflect on changes in American patriotism and how politics has clouded sports.

Key Segments:

• **[24:39–25:56] Joyce Reid and podcast guest quoted rooting against Team USA; panel decries this as emblematic of the left’s shift away from patriotism.

• Kennedy: “The Dems have moved closer to their academic roots where the idea of patriotism is seen as evil.”

• [27:26–29:20]

  • Harold Ford Jr.: “Like, they want the punishment to continue for anybody who happens to be from here or Europe. Sure.”
  • Discussion of the power of underdog stories in sports and the broader cultural implications for national identity.

• [30:02–31:58]

  • Dana Perino: “This team bought into America. They are American singing the national anthem, wrapping themselves in the American flag, being proud to represent the country. And that’s a lot different than four years ago.”

Memorable Moment:

• Kennedy: “It’s so heartbreaking and it’s so demoralizing because this is the first World Cup where most people actually care about it.” [28:39]

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6. Trump Accounts: Kids’ Savings and Politics

Main Points:

• Trump rings the opening bell for “Trump accounts,” savings accounts for newborns seeded with $1,000, with contributions encouraged by families and employers.
• Mixed reactions from Democrats; policy roots and possible expansion discussed.

Key Segments:

• [33:23–35:15]

  • Brian Kilmeade: “President Trump ringing the opening bell to mark the first day of trading for Trump accounts… Congressman Benny Thompson: ‘It’s safe to say I would pass on a Trump account.’”
  • Harold Ford Jr.: “This is, in my mind, one of the greatest things the guy’s done… Make it permanent.”

• [36:39–37:59]

  • Kennedy: “It’s not just designed to pay for an education, it’s giving an education. You’re learning how to manage money and understand savings and interest… Probably one of the best things a billionaire has done.”

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7. Living with Parents: Financial Smarts or Desperation?

Main Points:

• Segment explores the rising trend of adults under 30 living with their parents, reframing the narrative from failure to financial savvy.

Key Segments:

• Greg Gutfeld: “We joke a little bit about it, but I do think it’s a sign of financial stress…”
• Dana Perino: “It’s like a practical thing to do.”
• Harold Ford Jr.: “We need to build more housing…make sure people can actually move out.”

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8. Notable Quotes & Highlights

On Platner scandal:

• Kennedy: “What happened to ‘Believe all women?’ Where did that go?” [08:33]
• Greg Gutfeld: “By allowing the Nazi tattoo to fly, then you could allow for anything.” [09:57]

On Trump & NATO:

• Harold Ford Jr.: “Trump…should consider shifting his message to say that he saved NATO from itself…” [21:47]

On patriotism and sports:

• Kennedy: “The Dems have moved closer to their academic roots, where the idea of patriotism is seen as evil. If you talk about exceptionalism, that is kind of like cheering on an oppressive regime.” [25:57]

On kids’ savings:

• Harold Ford Jr.: “Make it permanent. Giving every kid born in America $1,000…giving their parents, employers, grandparents an opportunity to contribute a few thousand dollars a year…” [35:04]

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Conclusion

This episode traverses high-stakes political meltdown, media tension, American foreign policy dynamics, cultural debates over patriotism, a forward-thinking savings policy for children, and shifting markers of young adult success. The tone is lively, sharp, and often cutting, capturing not only the facts but the panelists’ attitudes and personalities. For listeners who missed the episode, this summary provides a chronological, thematic roadmap and direct quotations to anchor understanding of the fast-moving, multifaceted discussion.

Transcript

[Greg Gutfeld]

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[Brian Kilmeade]

of $45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 for a 12 month plan. Required $15 per month equivalent taxes and fees. Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes. Me slow when network is busy.

[Greg Gutfeld]

See terms 9am.

[Dana Perino]

Hi everyone, I'm Brian Kilmeade along with Kennedy, Harold Ford Jr. Dana Perino. Not a junior, Craig Gutfeld's a senior. And it's five o' clock in New York City and this is the five. So the Democratic Party is in full blown panic mode as a disturbing rape allegation from five years ago rocks the campaign of scandal plagued Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner. Here's what accused Jenny Richeau told cnn.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Did Graham Platner rape you?

[Brian Kilmeade]

By definition, yes, absolutely. I had recognized that he wasn't listening to me. It wasn't just that he wasn't hearing me or whatnot. And then I recognized his level of

[Harold Ford Jr.]

intoxication and I knew in that moment I wasn't sick.

[Dana Perino]

Any accusation of non consensual behavior is categorically false. So now an avalanche of Democrats are withdrawing their support. Top leaders like Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, Liz Warren, Ro Khanna, all bailing. After waiting nearly a day, Senator Bernie Sanders released the following statement saying, quote, I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine. In light of this very serious allegation, I recommended that he step aside. Keep in mind all of these lawmakers said no big deal, he's got a Nazi tattoo. His awful rape apology on Reddit posts, sexing scandal, other credible allegations of abuse of his ex girlfriends. Here's a little trip down memory lane. It happened in a dark period of his life and the main voters that I met said they don't like it. They knew that he had these chapters.

[Brian Kilmeade]

That's my kind of man.

[Kennedy]

This guy is an authentic man. You know, he's not anti Semitic.

[Dana Perino]

This is a guy who has served

[Greg Gutfeld]

this country, who has gone through some really tough things in his life, has

[Dana Perino]

made some big mistakes. So after promoting his candidacy, the liberal media is grappling with how to process the News Morning. Mika is questioning the validity of the accusation.

[Brian Kilmeade]

What was the piece of evidence or pieces of evidence that made you sure of this story?

[Kennedy]

We saw screenshots that she shared of messages relaying this account to others. We viewed an email response from her therapist to her acknowledging that they talked about this.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Those are the things I said, but those are what is the actual. Is there evidence between her and him?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Evidence of a crime? Because he's being, he's being accused of rape.

[Dana Perino]

Okay, so Meek is a holdout, it seems, along with Chris Murphy, Tina Smith, Congressman Brian Schatz and Dick Durbin Kennedy. What's it gonna take for this guy to leave?

[Brian Kilmeade]

Was Brian Schatz demoted from senator to congressman?

[Dana Perino]

How dare he. Yes, he's Congressman.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Would you like more readers, what was the question?

[Dana Perino]

My question is, what's taking so long?

[Brian Kilmeade]

What's taking so long? Nothing should take this long. And none of this is surprising. So what we knew from the last series of allegations from ex girlfriends, you know, one of whom happens to be Republican Party adjacent, and she was completely discredited by the New York Times and anyone else in Graham Platner's circle, which had grown to include quite a few Senate Democrats because she's a Republican. Now. Meanwhile, she was giving firsthand accounts of this abuse that she alleged during their relationship. And when that happened, there were a lot of people saying, well, what else does it take? If the guy has bad mouth service members, if he has said racist things on Reddit, if he had a Nazi tattoo, now you've got allegations of assault, what more will it take? And then you had people in Democrat and Republican inner circle saying there is much more to drop and it is much worse. So they have known about this allegation for some time, but it's kind of shocking that A, this is what it took and B, that it took so long. So the people who are sitting here on the sidelines, sort of waffling, these are the believe all women crowd from the Me too movement who now don't want you to believe a woman with a firsthand account. This is not reporting. This is someone talking painfully about her personal experience. And Graham Platner's trying to say, well, the reporting on this, that's not reporting. That is not someone else telling her story. She is telling her story firsthand and she has been reluctant to come forward. The reason she did come forward was because Lindsey Fifield, who was his ex girlfriend, who said that he twisted her arm, he locked her in a room. The abuse that the New York Times tried To sort of lessen.

[Dana Perino]

Soft pedal.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Yes, exactly. She said after the reporting on that, she's like, I politically agree with him. I had to come out and say

[Dana Perino]

something because they said she was a Republican. That's why.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Lindsey. Yes, but Jennifer, this, this girlfriend who was alleging a very serious rape allegation, she's the one who said, because of that reporting, I had to come out, I had to tell the truth.

[Dana Perino]

Dana Debbie Dingle came out and said, the congresswoman, I'll make sure to give her the correct title. She said, she hears more is coming out.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Well, that was from the beginning. Of course, we knew that was going to be true and they didn't care. The other thing on the New York Times is that Lindsey Fifield, the Republican who had data, Platner, who had told the story along with Rasko in the New York Times, initially she gave them five of her sources in order to corroborate because the New York Times kept saying, it's so important that we try to corroborate this before we go forward. They called two of the five and those two said, well, we know her outstanding character, et cetera. They didn't call the other three, the other three who had the contemporaneous notes from when she had detailed it. So the New York Times, they call it like a catch and kill thing. Right? There's like, let's try to bury this. So when did the Democrats actually start to care? It wasn't just because of Jennifer Rascoe. It's because the recent polling shows that Graham Platner was going to lose to Susan Collins. And they thought, wow, we only have two weeks to figure this out. So I guess that we had better do that. Elizabeth Warren says, he's my kind of man. The person who likes the best in all of this is AOC. The because she didn't touch this with a 10 foot pole. And then you have somebody like Mika Brzezinski who is gonna question. Now she's gonna question this woman. And if you look at the reporters are like, okay, so we went back and then we corroborated it, just like we should as journalists. And then she's still going to question, yeah, but did he really rape her? I mean, the Democrats run up against this over and over again. Here's the other thing. The New York Times is reporting that Platner's has conditions. Sir, you are not in a position to have conditions. But they're going to give him conditions. He gets to hand pick his successor. So imagine that badge of honor as a Candidate, you are a Nazi sexual assailant. Graham Platner's handpicked person to run here. Congratulations. We can't wait to have you. That doesn't make any sense. If they pull a Biden switcheroo. The Democratic band brand is just so damaged in the state. And Susan Collins, what is the knock against her? She's so steady, there's no drama. Okay, well maybe the state will be looking for that. But let's also talk about this bigger picture. This entire fiasco comes down to the base wants Platner or somebody like him. The establishment Democrats wanted somebody like Janet Mills. The fight continues. And the problem for the base is that they have consultants who are idiots and they are reckless and they are careless and they don't care about women. They don't care about anything. But what they want is the power. And the only reason this is all coming at this moment is because they knew they were going to lose.

[Dana Perino]

And they got six days to make a choice. Greg

[Kennedy]

Bika, what happened to believe all women? Where did that go? Where did that go? Next thing she's going to tell us that Graham Platner's penis is sharp as attack. Oh, I used to think that Joe was the dumb one. I am wrong. This is a fun story because you learn so many things about the way people think and how morality can can dissipate when it comes to power. Dingell also said that she understands Platner because they needed someone to beat Trump. That's what she said. Because remember, Trump is the worst thing in the history of things which allowed the Dems to dispense with all their phony morality and choose someone who is guil of everything they say Trump is. Again, if it wasn't Trump, it was another Republican, they would do the same thing. And I love this other moral off ramp that they use, you know, and we've heard this, it's what the main voters want that absolves them of any spectacle of principle. You know, they put it on their fed up constituents but they didn't do that with Trump's voters or Bernie Sanders supporters. They smeared MAGA in 2016 as white bigoted rubes and they negated the voters embrace of Sanders. You know, the base wanted Bernie and that didn't matter. Why does this matter now? I keep asking why did they stick with him? One, they didn't see it mattering to their status. They could be for him when he's winning and then dump him as a liability which as you said, when it became too costly, then there's a sunk cost of the previous support. The longer you back him, the harder it is on your ego to cut your losses. Which is why they should have disowned him with the Nazi tattoo. The it could have saved them all this hardship and embarrassment. But by allowing the Nazi tattoo to fly, then you could allow for anything. And they act like this rape thing is the final straw. Dude, you had a final straw at the beginning. You know you could have cut bait on the Nazi tattoo. What did you think? You know, this is the most concrete evidence of a truly effed up person. And did you think that somehow that would just be the limit? You're gonna find out a guy with a Nazi tattoo is a. Is a selfless humanitarian. A sober, even tempered, charitable, functioning member of society. There's going to be no other skeletons in his closet. Or did you just think we need a white guy and we don't know any because we chase them all out. We will support exactly the kind of guy that we spent decades trying to eradicate in the Republican Party. This beak beacon of white supremacy. A neo Nazi, a misogynist. This guy was supposed to be in the Republican party. They couldn't find any. Biden tried to look for them and then when they found one, they're gonna make him senator. And why? Cuz they had no other men left. There's no one left. This was it. He was white, he had a mustache. Who cares if he's a rapist?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

He had a fake oyster farm too.

[Kennedy]

Yeah, what did he do to those oysters? He probably roofied them.

[Dana Perino]

Harold, you're a Democrat, but it doesn't seem like you're. You're a type of gu anyway to begin with. So where do the Democrats go from here?

[Greg Gutfeld]

Well, they'll pick someone else. They've got a few days here. As I think DP and Kennedy laid out clearly that we're running up against a deadline where you have until next, I think next week, the 13th, and he has to drop out and they have two weeks to pick there in Maine. It's important to note I was not for him from the outset. I said I would have voted for someone else if I were in Maine. Voters there in Maine voted for him to be the nominee. It's unclear that if even those who voted early had known all of these things, but they had still voted for him. But I'll take the voters that they were. They wanted him. I hope he sees fit to quit. I wish him and his family. I don't pile on people. I wish him the best. He clearly has some issues that he has to work through and I hope he works through them. I said from the outset just the politics of this which we can't ignore. I thought his candidacy was going to make it even harder for Democrat. The Democrat in Iowa, the Democrat in Texas, the Democrat in North Carolina, the Democrat in Ohio who already are facing an uphill challeng with the exception of North Carolina to win those seats. Greg, you may be right. Maybe there was an interest in finding someone, a white male, to run, but I got to think they're better ones than this.

[Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Dana Perino]

So who are these other people? Shane Bellows, Dan Cleveland. Nirav Shah, Dan Cleveland, I think. Yeah, he's the one who. Yeah, one declared already. Troy Jackson.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Greg Gutfeld]

I don't know. I'm not. I know I've read the things I see reporting on them today, but I don't. But I don't know. I think the Cleveland guy is not in politics. I think he's a business guy. And anyway, I've read the backgrounds. All these guys, I don't know whom they will pick, but I trust they'll pick the.

[Dana Perino]

Just know that he was socialist too.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Right.

[Dana Perino]

Everyone got past the post. He's also running a social.

[Brian Kilmeade]

I ask a very quick question, Dana, you brought this up. Do you think this is a result of Democrats getting together? They were sitting on this bombshell and they decided to set it off. Now, was it Democrats?

[Dana Perino]

I don't know.

[Brian Kilmeade]

I don't know.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I shall find out.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Excellent.

[Dana Perino]

I will find a question. Maybe you'll put it on your show later.

[Kennedy]

I might.

[Dana Perino]

Yeah, maybe. Coming up next, President Trump out in Turkey at the NATO summit, trying to bring home more bacon for the American people. Yep.

[Greg Gutfeld]

In Turkey. Cheers to America's 250th birthday. Get 20% off your first purchase at foxnewswineshop.com with code FNRADIO 2020 discount excludes one club offers and cannot be combined with any other promotion. Expires July 31, 2026. Must be 21.

[Mark Meredith]

Order to order.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Please drink responsibly.

[Kennedy]

President Trump touching down at the NATO summit in Turkey. That's a country, Dana. Floating the sale of F35 fighter jets to our Turkish ally while blasting the rest of the alliance for not chipping in on Iran.

[Dana Perino]

I didn't need any help at all. And in a way, I was testing people. I was testing to see whether or not they'd be there because I've long said that we helped them. But I'm not sure that they'd be there for us. And Italy turned us down and Germany turned us down and France turned us down and it's okay, but, you know, why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars and they're not there for us? We've always been there for them.

[Kennedy]

Interesting point. You know, Brian, you're in for Jesse Waters, who's also in Turkey right now, the number one destination for Follicle procedures. So we wish him the best. I hope he gets the same model you got.

[Dana Perino]

Thank you.

[Kennedy]

Holding up expensive.

[Dana Perino]

I got the silver plant.

[Kennedy]

You can get pulled underwater.

[Dana Perino]

Yes, I can.

[Kennedy]

Yes, you can. Do you think Trump is as fair and what he when he's criticizing NATO about not backing us?

[Dana Perino]

Well, number one, he was haranguing them in the first term to spend more than they are. You know, he want to get them to 2%. Now they're at close to 5%. They all except Spain, who should be kicked out of NATO. As far as I'm concerned, not letting us use our bases was a bridge too far. You don't want to participate in the Iran war because you weren't given a heads up. While the thing called surprise was necessary. After getting over the initial hurt, you should have kicked in and said, how can I help? This is what we got. This is what we can do. And if you had a problem, you keep it behind closed doors. Instead, they went publicly to say, not my war. This is illegal. You're on your own. Which is unbelievably bold considering they were upset that we weren't giving more money to Ukraine. So they're not even playing it smart. Then this story emerges where France was actually meeting with our allies about getting into a shooting war with us over Greenland. Really? Turkey and Denmark against us over Greenland? Are you kidding me? So you're actually going to do that now? They're in the process of divesting from our tech firms. So if anyone's talking about things working against NATO, I think it's more the European Union. And the European members seem to be working against President Trump. What I always hope they could do is say, hey, you need, you need some more patriots into Ukraine. We could use some of your help over in Iran when it comes to sweepers and when it comes to escorts to the Strait of Hormuz. How about that of a show of unity? But instead it seems to be behind closed doors. We seem to be pretty divided.

[Kennedy]

What say you, Kennedy?

[Brian Kilmeade]

I don't trust Turkey. I never have. And until the United States acknowledges the Armenian genocide, I'm always going to have a problem with that regime. The one good thing about Turkey, because the Middle east is a crap show. And that is a very nice way of saying it. Sometimes Greg says the S word around this table and I won't do it. But I will say this. They, they do. They are much more interested in being the economic hegemon of the Middle East. The problem is that in order to do that, you really have to play all sides. It's not a black and white issue in terms of our allies in the Middle east, the alliances are shifting and it's tough when you are representing a country where your leadership changes every four to eight years. We're going to have a new president in two years. That means we are going to have a new foreign policy in the Middle east and with Turkey. So having said that, if you've got someone who is a little bit more skittish about creating a defensive alliance with Turkey, what are you going to do when you've given over a bunch of F30 fives that because of the missile defense system that Turkey procured from Russia, that Russian technology will be able to crack the code on our Stealth F35s, which are, last I checked, a billion dollars a pop. We actually saw a few of them fly down the Hudson during the America 250 flyover, which was very impressive. Having said that, I think there are other planes and other systems that could be sold to Turkey if you want to have a military alliance that doesn't compromise national security. Because although on one level we do certainly need each other, meeting someone and having an alliance out of convenience for a period of time is not the same thing as trust. And I do not trust them.

[Kennedy]

Harold, you've been thoughtful on this topic. We talked about it for about an hour before the show began.

[Greg Gutfeld]

We talked about it over the weekend as well. I think that Kennedy, the thing that concerns me. Well, let me get to the positive. You're right. President Trump's gotten the Europeans, our NATO allies suspend wanting to spend a little over 2%. But they are getting close to it and they realize that what the Russians did in Ukraine forced them to do it as well. But the president, I give him a lot of credit for two what he did with Maduro. I give him a lot of credit for what he did on the border. I give him a lot of credit for in Operation Midnight Hammer. I give him a lot of credit

[Dana Perino]

for they're about to do with Cuba

[Greg Gutfeld]

and hopefully we get done with Cuba. What I don't understand is to your point, we always have changes in administration at least once every eight years, whether it's the same party or another party, sometimes every four years. Our greatest ally, Israel, and we are in the middle of a conversation with them about what that, what that, what that relationship looks like, have said that if you sell them F35s to Turkey, you will destroy the balance of power in the Middle East, I think is what Mr. Netanyahu said. I think you have to be mindful of that and have to talk to our NATO allies about that. Two, the president was wrong with Zelensky. I remember when he and the vice president blasted this poor guy in the Oval Office. Turned out that they were wrong. They said, your country, you're losing and you're going to be on the wrong end of this. They turn out to be wrong. We're winning it. We're winning in this thing. He's winning this thing. I hope that what General King, who says so often in our own network here, give the Ukrainians the license to build the things they need to build the military infrastructure they need to be able to battle against them. Three, we should have gone into Iran, I think, with our allies, but that's just me. The president said he didn't want to do that because he didn't want to tip his hand to what they were doing and what they were not doing. And we were wrong on Greenland. We should partner with Greenland because we need them. The president doing a little bit of a victory lap there. Getting off the plane with he had Erdogan arm in arm was a little strange. But, you know, I hope that thatI hope he has something else in mind that he wants to get done with them. I don't know what that could be. I mistrust the Turks because of what you said.

[Dana Perino]

Remember, they got relations with Iran, Turkey.

[Greg Gutfeld]

They do. But at the same time, I would not have walked off arm in arm with them. We have allies in NATO as well, at the end of the day. Finally, the president, I thought, spoke so eloquently on July 3rd and 4th about communists and socialism here in America, and particularly many in my party. It's amazing to me, though, he won't take that same fervor to the two worst communist leaders in the world. He coddles Putin and Coddles XI. If you can take on members of my party, Mr. President, and rightly so, who believe in socialism, take the one zone on the global stage as well, because that's where it comes from.

[Kennedy]

If I had a dollar for every time somebody said Ukraine's winning or Russia's winning, I wouldn't have to work here. The reason why this war keeps going on is because everybody keeps saying their side is winning. The only people that are winning are the rich, the people that are making money off that. There's no shortage in news about this war, but nobody cares. Dana. We can't act like there's going to be a change in the administration in two years, but our allies and adversaries can. How do we get past that?

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I think that President Trump should consider shifting his message to say that he saved NATO from itself, that he helped prevent future wars because he has made them shore up their own defenses, make them realize that they might just have to defend themselves, that maybe they can't just rest on the United States. And so I think that as he rattles off things that he's accomplished, I think he could say that, that he saved them from themselves. You had Ruti, the general secretary of NATO, in the Washington Post today bending over backwards saying, Mr. President, we are here for you. We will. The president has a legitimate grievance about Iran, but they did come around and he was able to also give them a warning about immigration and energy, those two important issues. President Trump wants Europe to survive and thrive. The big issue for NATO and the United States is how we deal with the other big kahuna, and that is China. So maybe we'll find out more about that tomorrow.

[Kennedy]

Kahuna is not Chinese.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Dana, what is it?

[Kennedy]

Hawaiian, Hawaiian. Fox News alert CENTCOM confirming that the US Military conducted a new series of powerful airstrikes on Iran for attacking commercial shipping. Let's go to Mark Meredith in Turkey. Mark.

[Mark Meredith]

Greg, good morning to you. The president is at his hotel for the evening, is now after midnight. But the latest news we are getting is from US Central Command that they are launching new strikes against Iran, basically in retaliation after Iran had launched three different attacks on ships that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. These were commercial ships as they are trying to get oil, natural gas out of that water from the Persian Gulf into the Gulf of Oman. But the Strait, of course, has been the center point for so much of what's happened since early February, where President Trump said it was imperative that ships would be allowed to move in and out of that area freely. Iran, of course, had contested that, saying that they were going to be the ones that deciding who was going to be able to move through that waterway. Now, we don't know whether or not these strikes are completed or if they are going to be ongoing. Iranian state media was reporting A series of explosions in southern Iran. But we'll be looking to get more details from what Central Command has to say or the President's own comments while he's here in Turkey. And I will mention, Greg, oil prices already jumping on the news of what's happening. Another big development. The US Revoking a waiver it had just issued to give Iran 60 days to sell its oil. The White House pulling back that release earlier this evening.

[Kennedy]

Greg, Mark, thanks. Up next, the left is in bliss over Team USA's mission.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I ran on because I got mad

[Dana Perino]

and came run from my own.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

So it looks like the America haters got their wish. Team USA getting routed in its match against Belgium last night, ending their World cup dreams. But that was music to the ears of Joy Reid and her podcast pal, who were pining for a U.S. defeat before the game.

[Kennedy]

And I find myself really wishing the United States was actually playing a team from the global South. So I truly root with even more fervor.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Exactly.

[Kennedy]

To see them get knocked down, Peg, because we know how it's going to be exploited if they go forward in the Cup.

[Brian Kilmeade]

It's like the Empire Strikes Back.

[Dana Perino]

I'm being very open about it.

[Kennedy]

I'm rooting for the African teams.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

I want one of them to win. Greg, you might not be the biggest soccer fan, but you love America.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. When is the World cup starting? You know, do you remember the old days when the debate was who's more patriotic, Dems or Republicans? They would compete for it. Who had the most flags on the stage when a president spoke? Did you hear that Trump maligned our troops? Did you hear that Biden maligned our troops? You know, now the debate isn't who's more patriotic, it's whether you should be patriotic at all. The Dem ceded patriotism to the Republicans and they never wanted the Republicans to be the patriotic party. Now they have no choice.

[Greg Gutfeld]

It.

[Kennedy]

What was I going to say? Oh, the Dems have moved closer to their academic roots where the idea of patriotism is seen as evil. If you talk about exceptionalism, that is kind of like cheering on an oppressive regime. So if you talk about innovation or the inventions or the medical advances, the economy, that just means that you are like a bad person. And it's because they've twisted patriotism. And I would say Mamdani has done this and Obama has done this. When you say you're patriotic, they say, oh, you think America's great because it's big and powerful. That's what they always say.

[Mark Meredith]

Oh.

[Kennedy]

Oh, you like. Because they want. They want the United States to be seen as the Goliath. It's like, no, we're not rooting for America because it's big. We're rooting for it because it's like the best place to be. If you want to achieve something, the bigness of it is in its opportunity, not in its size or its power. The size and power of America is a byproduct to its ability to let people do what they want to do. It has nothing to do with our size, but they. It always. It's like, Dami, you guys probably talked about this already yesterday. Well, when he. When he did that, it was. It was about how America was like, July. Yeah. The fourth July. It's like we, you know, we're this big country and we have problems. Like, a, it's not about our size, and B, we may have problems, but our problems are better here than the problems where you came from, champ.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Yeah. It's like when Joy Reid's guest, he wanted someone from the global south, or she's voting for rooting for Africa. Like. Like, they want the punishment to continue for anybody who happens to be from here or Europe. Sure.

[Brian Kilmeade]

And, you know, I would want an underdog to win. You know, not necessarily a team tied to a certain geography, but someone with a great story, like Kate Verde. Yeah. And that we all fell in love with Cape Verde the way we fell in love with the Scottish fans. And, you know, there's so many storylines that have emerged from this World cup because it's here. And, you know, we get to interface with people visiting America for the. And actually having a really great experience. And the thing that we wanted more than anything in the world was to also participate at their level and go as far as we possibly could. And we didn't achieve that last night. And it's so heartbreaking and it's so demoralizing because this is the first World cup where most people actually care about it. Because before, when people would say, like, oh, you know, they're such good tryers, the guys did such a good job kicking the little ball, like, wow, fellas. And now it's like people were demoralized and upset by the whole thing because they're invested in it, and that is actually a piece of good news because it hurts so much. It's almost like losing a pet. You know, it's a kind of ache that you can't necessarily describe or explain away, but it leaves you with longing. I mean, it would be nice if it happened this year in our backyard. But but that is not to be. And I do believe that the team was rattled because the magic of this team was the US against the world, US men against the world. And after the UN suspension of the red card, it felt like the world was against the US And I think that got in their heads unfortunately.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

How did your kids who love soccer and play soccer so well, Hef and Georgia, how did they take the loss?

[Greg Gutfeld]

So I resemble what what Kennedy said over the last 10, really the last five or six years. I have gotten deep, deep into it, deep into soccer. My kids play to have conversations with them. I've curated articles for them to read to me, helping improve their reading and helping me understand the game, the different leagues around the world. This fellow to my left, Kilmeade, has helped me as well. He welcomed us as my kids and I went out to watch Messi play in New Jersey at the Sports Illustrated Stadium, had us on air. I mean so I've been, I've become a soccer dad watching last night. I share, I think that we last night was disappointing because they didn't play well. And it was just disappointing to watch some of the mistakes that were made after all the great things that have happened up at this point. We are certainly on the right trajectory now with the underdog thing and people rooting for other countries. I rooted for the USA and there are other favorites I have. I like some of the players. I root for certain teams. I like Messi. But the Cape Verde game, I couldn't help but be enthralled as I was on a plane watching it. Just like in NCAA college basketball when the mid majors and the smaller schools are beating the three seeds are losing to the 14 seeds and the five seeds are losing to a 12. See, we can't help but want to root for it a little bit. I do think maybe some of the things that Joy and that fellow were saying might have been rooted in some politics and I think politics get to know. But there are people like I have friends who are American who are rooting for European teams because they either from there or they have heritage. So I get it. But there's no doubt get the politics out of sports. Just because President Trump did what he did, I'm not sure he did it the right way. But he was doing it because he loves our country and wanted to see our team play it full force. And last night I think we're all

[Harold Ford Jr.]

a lot of our players do play in Europe on professional teams. So we have gotten better.

[Dana Perino]

11 or 12 are playing at that high level. And so it didn't really. I never thought the moment was going to be too big for them. They used to play against these guys, the bulk of them, 70,000 people at home. I didn't think they'd feel the pressure. And part of being great and winning Super Bowls and winning championships is overcoming things. You mentioned Kennedy. Okay, now we feel like we don't. We feel like the overdogs for the first time. All right, get over. You're paying a coach $2.5 million. That's where you earn your money. Get these guys heads, right? They were awful. They were absolutely awful last night. I really think maybe two of the starters came to play. Matt Fries froze. He had one good save. Terrible goalie. We used to have the best goalies. I don't know what happened, but I would say that Baligan was classy throughout. Remember when he got red carded, he said, I don't think I should have been recorded, but kids are watching me, me. So I'm not going to throw a tantrum. I'm going to take my punishment.

[Greg Gutfeld]

But meanwhile, my son said that about him.

[Dana Perino]

U.S. soccer behind the scenes was doing what they always did. The NCAA sues when they. When they have a problem. And behind the US Soccer said, listen, you got a clause here that says we can appeal this. Appeal it. So then it came to Andrew Giuliani, who's representing the White House, and they said, yeah, you should appeal it. So the formal appeal was put in place and it was reversed. It became a big deal because the president brought it up. But he said, I called just to find out. But it was no excuse to play that. Terrible. And the other thing, the other thing to keep in mind, too, is this team bought into America. They are American singing the national anthem, wrapping themselves in the American flag, being proud to represent the country. And that is a lot different than four years ago. We try to get the women's team just to stand for the national anthem. To very little success.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

All right, up next, from booing Team USA to booing free money for kids. Democrats are taking aim at Trump accounts.

[Dana Perino]

Girls will keep the secrets. I want to stand next to these soon to be very weird people. Ring the bell, Mr. President.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Yes, they're all. We want the money. President Trump ringing the opening bell to mark the first day of trading for Trump accounts. Tax advantaged saving accounts for kids with eligible newborns getting a cool grand to get them started in life. But Mississippi Congressman Benny Thompson, not a fan of investing in our children's future. He tweeted it's safe to say I would pass on a Trump account. Trump University already taught us what happens when his name is on the brochure. So, Harold, it's really hard for me to stomach that because some of his lower earning constituents could really have an incredible advantage with compound interest alone. Why is he trying to talk people in need?

[Greg Gutfeld]

I think some of the politics has gotten into, and it's unfortunate, this idea that the Trump accounts comes from uk. They used to have these child trust funds back in the early 2000s and they did essentially the same thing, but they wanted to get more kids, more families involved in investing and kids investing. In fact, I introduced the legislation in Congress in the early 2000s. We didn't call it the Ford accounts. It was a group of us in the House and the Senate was a bipartisan group. I'm glad. I mean, you know, the President likes to put his name on things and that's just him. This is in my mind, one of the greatest things the guy's done and the fact that he was able to get a bipartisan group. I give Brett Gerstner, I give Michael Dell, I give a lot of those in the business community tremendous credit for staying on president and working with him over the last year or two. The thing I would ask the President to do is make it permanent. It's only for three years. If we can make corporate tax cuts permanent, which I'm not totally opposed to, then make permanent. Giving every kid born in America 1000 bucks and giving their parents, giving their parents, employers, their grandparents or aunts and uncles an opportunity to contribute a few thousand dollars a year to give every kid, regardless of the zip code they live in, an opportunity to experience the prosperity of our great nation.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Yeah. Michael and Susan dell also adding $6 billion plus to some of these accounts, Brian.

[Dana Perino]

And also in help. So when you go to a two year old's party, a one year old party, you're probably doing that. What do you do? What do they need?

[Greg Gutfeld]

They got everything.

[Dana Perino]

So now you just say, hey, Trump account, make it easy. Passbook. Here's, here's $100 for the kid, here's $200 for the kid. All of a sudden the $1,000 is $3,000 by the time the kid is four years old. And they say if you don't touch it, it's going to be $6,000. At the time it's 18. There's no downside to it. I never thought about that. Making it permanent is a great idea. I know the President's Busy in Turkey right now. But if you're watching the five, make it the Ford amendment to the Trump accounts and make it permanent or encourage

[Brian Kilmeade]

some other billionaires to follow.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

And they will, the businesses community will. There is one issue that the Congress needs to fix and that is the parental donation and the tax issue. There's just like a disincentive that they could fix in the tax code and they should do that quickly. But when President Trump brags about the stock market being up, up, Democrats will complain. Well, not everybody's invested in the stock market. He's trying to get more people invested in the stock market and offering them cash to do so. And now they have a new problem. I do think there is also an issue about it making sure it stays in place because now there's like a boogeyman from the left saying that, well, when he's gone, this money's going to go away and you're not going to see it again. That is not true. But I think if they put it in legislation to make it so, that would be better.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Greg, is your child a Trump account holder?

[Kennedy]

Not yet, but I'm looking into it. I like this because it's not just designed to pay for an education, it's giving an education. Dana, you're learning how to manage money and understand savings and interest. And the most important thing is you're thinking long term, which is something kids don't understand. They think of instant gratification. I wish they'd done this for me. When I was a kid. I had no idea about money at all. I was in embarrassment when I went to get to buy a house. I thought you had to have all the money. That's how stupid I was. And this is like you said, Harold, probably one of the best things a billionaire has done. Giving money directly to the parents as opposed to through your taxes, pretending, giving it to the government which then provides a benefit which gets devoured through this orgy of bureaucracy and corruption. A bank account for your kids makes it all that much harder for waste, fraud, fraud and abuse to occur. I would take this over a billionaires tax. You know, let the billionaires choose where they want their money to go above, you know, because after all they became billionaires. The government didn't. The government just took. They know how to create. They would provide incentive to kids to think the same way on a long term basis as opposed to like playing soccer, which is silly previously, but you

[Brian Kilmeade]

make a good point. It's wealth creation versus confiscation. Yes, confiscation.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Is bad.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Okay, coming up next, living with mom and dad is no longer for losers.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Chris,

[Greg Gutfeld]

Welcome back. Moving back home used to be a sign of failure. Now it seems it shows financial savvy. Turns out nearly half of adults under 30 live with a parent. Do you consider this? Greg, you talked about how you were not financially savvy as a kid. You're financially savvy now. Do you think moving home is a sign of financial sa?

[Kennedy]

Great to live with a parent if it's not your parent. Look, if you live with your parents, then you got to repay them when you make it big, right? So that means, you know, you got to give them something to brag about, you know, oh, my son's doing great in New York. He's flying me out. I'm taking business class.

[Dana Perino]

That.

[Kennedy]

Are you yawning, Kennedy?

[Greg Gutfeld]

DP we have a short period. What is your. What is your thought about. Is this a sign of financial savage

[Harold Ford Jr.]

as we need to build more housing, we need to take off the shackles of the regulations and make sure that people can actually move out and that we don't have to come up with this idea that it's actually good. It's not good.

[Dana Perino]

I know a series of couples in their 20s who move back home to save money for a down payment for a house. It's like a practical thing to do.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

It's practical.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Kennedy, bring us home on this.

[Brian Kilmeade]

My fiance is 20. He lives with me, and I'm fine with it.

[Dana Perino]

Are you the same age?

[Kennedy]

It's not really.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Really.

[Dana Perino]

It's not really the question at all.

[Greg Gutfeld]

We joke a little bit about it, but I do think it's a sign of financial stress. And I hope Dana's right.

[Brian Kilmeade]

I hope we get the government out of everything. The government makes everything more expensive.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Agree.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Trump accounts. One More Thing is up next.

[Dana Perino]

Time for One More Thing in every way. Greg.

[Kennedy]

Tonight we got a great show. Caroline Sunshine, Joe DeVito, Cat Timp and Tyrus tonight at 10. Right?

[Dana Perino]

Okay. And by the way, coming up Saturday, everyone's talking about it. Almost like the Trump watches Pensacola, Florida. Fox Nation will be streaming it. I hope everyone sees me. Brian kilmey.com. you guys met me in person. It's a thrill. And then we have these other dates coming up in the fall. So that is my One More thing, Kennedy.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Oh, thank you. I'm not supposed to go. I will be in Appleton, Wisconsin, July 24th and 25th. And Brian Kilmeade's gonna come with me.

[Dana Perino]

Right. But first, I'm going to Pets Cola on Saturday night.

[Greg Gutfeld]

Okay.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Are you guys going together for real?

[Brian Kilmeade]

No, but I would love to tease that.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Are you gonna sell modules when you go to Wisconsin?

[Dana Perino]

She's an unbelievable show. Everyone's talking about it.

[Brian Kilmeade]

They can't stop.

[Harold Ford Jr.]

Thank you, Brian.

[Dana Perino]

That is it for us tonight, unless Brett doesn't show up. But he always does.

[Greg Gutfeld]

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