Podcast Summary: "The Five" – The Department Of War (September 5, 2025)
Podcast: The Five
Host: FOX News Podcasts
Episode: The Department Of War
Date: September 5, 2025
Overview
This episode of "The Five" centers around President Trump's decision to rename the Department of Defense to its original title, the Department of War. The panel debates the implications of this move, the latest aggressive military actions against narco-terrorists, domestic crime intervention, immigration crackdowns, controversies surrounding RFK Jr. and the CDC, cancel culture’s impact on advertising, and a lighthearted fan mail segment. The show is characterized by Fox News’s trademark banter, a blend of pointed political commentary, and lively exchanges between its rotating panel: Sandra Smith, Kayleigh McEnany, Jessica Tarlov, Jesse Watters, and Greg Gutfeld, with guest contributions from Pete Hegseth.
Main Topics & Key Segments
1. Rebranding the Department of Defense: Return to the Department of War
Timestamp: 01:05 – 02:20
Key Points:
- President Trump signs an executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War, claiming to restore America’s “warrior ethos.”
- The rationale is to shift the posture from “defense” (reactive, passive) to “war” (proactive, offensive).
Insights & Quotes:
- Pete Hegseth: “We won the First World War, we won the Second World War. We won everything before that… then we decided to go woke and we changed the name to Department of Defense. So we’re going Department of War.” [01:31]
- Jesse Watters: “The War Department is going to fight decisively, not endless conflicts. It’s going to fight to win, not not to lose.” [01:43]
2. Aggression Against Narco-Terrorism
Timestamp: 02:20 – 04:40
Key Points:
- Military strike on a drug-smuggling vessel off Venezuela, justified as treating cartels like foreign terrorist organizations.
- Discussion over whether such action is “extrajudicial killing” or legitimate military action.
- Democrats are accused of siding with narco-terrorists; legalities and ethics are debated.
Insights & Quotes:
- Jesse Watters: “Every boatload of any form of drug that poisons the American people is a imminent threat. And at the DoD, our job is to defeat imminent threats. A foreign terrorist organization poisoning your people with drugs is no different than Al Qaeda and they'll be treated as such.” [02:20]
- Jessica Tarlov (counter-argument): “I don’t know if it was extrajudicial. People have questions about how this happened...” [06:16]
- Greg Gutfeld: “It was illegal. It’s alarming, it’s unprecedented, and it’s dangerous. And it’s the latest example of how Trump continues to overextend and abuse military power.” [03:01]
3. The Politics of “Offense” vs. “Defense”
Timestamp: 04:40 – 09:32
Key Points:
- The “warrior ethos” is framed as a posture of national strength and deterrence.
- Trump’s leadership is portrayed as distinct from predecessors, focused on bold “offensive” actions rather than “woke” reforms.
- Contrast between public perception (“normal people”) and Democratic legal critiques.
Insights & Quotes:
- Kayleigh McEnany: “This is more than just a name… This is an entire cohesive foreign policy that has been offense… Taking out Soleimani, taking out Al Baghdadi, striking in Syria… you achieve the respect of the world.” [07:59]
- Jesse Watters (on public reaction): “When you see a video of a cocaine canoe get smoked out of the water by the US Military, normal people say, yeah, all right. Smoke some narcos. Goodbye, light them up. See you later… The Democrats see this and they call it an extrajudicial killing. Normal people don’t talk like that. You know who talks like that? Lawyers.” [04:11]
4. Chicago Immigrant Crime Crackdown and “Militarizing Cities”
Timestamp: 13:55 – 21:16
Key Points:
- President Trump claims crime in D.C. has been nearly eliminated after his intervention; eyes turn to Chicago for similar ICE crackdowns.
- Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is critical, citing a “nefarious plan” and threat to the city’s autonomy.
- Debate over whether federal intervention and immigration enforcement improve public safety or undermine civil rights.
Insights & Quotes:
- Jesse Watters (mocking Pritzker): “He seems a little obsessed with me and with Chicago… maybe he’s got Pritzker derangement syndrome…” [14:32]
- Jessica Tarlov (on root causes): “You can bring down crime by giving people job opportunities and a better economic sector.” [16:49]
- Greg Gutfeld: “The bottom line is in every single story, the viewer has the freedom to discount all analysis, all criticism, all spin. Because the people complaining are not the people being affected by the crime, the bor. The economy…” [20:20]
5. RFK Jr., the CDC, and Vaccine Policy Debate
Timestamp: 23:15 – 31:13
Key Points:
- RFK Jr.’s oversight of the CDC draws scrutiny for vaccine skepticism and perceived harm from COVID policies.
- Panel discusses school closures, mandates, and media treatment of pandemic dissenters.
- Tensions flare over access to vaccines and how restrictions are handled at federal and state levels.
Insights & Quotes:
- Greg Gutfeld: “Trump is the most anti war president I’ve ever had the pleasure of being alive for… all of his strikes… are highly specific. And you can only do that with a really, really powerful war machine.” [11:01]
- Kayleigh McEnany: “They literally harmed our children for a generation by not opening schools… This is what they did to us. And from this grew RFK… Americans will not forget it.” [24:54]
- Jessica Tarlov: “This role is so unbelievably out of his league, it’s hard to comprehend… You promise to uphold the highest standards for vaccines and have not done so.” [25:48]
6. Cancel Culture and the Sydney Sweeney Effect
Timestamp: 31:55 – 34:55
Key Points:
- American Eagle’s stock soars following a campaign with Sydney Sweeney despite (or because of) left-wing backlash.
- Panel argues that consumer backlash against “woke” criticism signals cancel culture is losing its bite.
Insights & Quotes:
- Greg Gutfeld: “This is how you kill the woke: when whatever they attack becomes super profitable… All companies should embrace this practice.” [33:57]
- Sandra Smith: “Because of this ad, I wanted to be a part of like, you know, the story. So I bought two of the Sydney Sweeney jeans… I love them.” [34:47]
7. Fan Mail and Lighthearted Fare
Timestamp: 35:40 – 38:43
Highlights:
- Panelists share what they’d do with a Powerball win (Jessica: “I would get everyone that I cared about whatever’s atop their list…” [35:57]).
- Guilty pleasure TV shows and playful exchanges.
8. “One More Thing” – Quirky Closings
Timestamp: 38:50 – 42:27
- Greg Gutfeld offers “sexy armadillo news.”
- Jesse Watters jokes about stereotypes in car accidents.
- Jessica Tarlov spotlights the Army’s Golden Knights parachute team.
- Kayleigh McEnany shares about a break-dancing taxpayer and local government.
- Sandra Smith closes with a story about a five-year-old’s solo trek to Chick-fil-A.
Notable Quotes
- Greg Gutfeld: “They treated the military like a Disney remake. You know, let’s update all the characters. We’ll add a gay here, put a trans here, a non binary woodland elf. And then Trump enters the picture, he says, no, no, no, no, it’s about war.” [11:17]
- Jessica Tarlov: “You can bring down crime by giving people job opportunities and a better economic sector.” [16:49]
- Sandra Smith: “We had Democrat Alderman Raymond Lopez. He said it’s absolutely asinine the position that Democrats are taking with crime in the Windy City, a city I know very well, grew up and was raised there.” [21:16]
Memorable Moments
- Jesse Watters’ monologue on “normal people” vs. “lawyers” (04:11): A signature, provocative riff about “real America” supporting aggressive military action.
- Jessica and Jesse joking over “conspiracy theory” about war with Venezuela being used for mass deportations (07:42): Jesse – “That’s a good conspiracy theory.” Jessica – “You like it?” Jesse – “I love it.” [07:42–07:45]
- Greg Gutfeld’s department renaming riff (11:17): “The ATF… just call it the Department of Fun. The IRS, Department of Extortion…” [11:17]
- RFK Jr. and the COVID vaccine banter (24:02–29:00): Exchanges get heated and chaotic as vaccine access and state differences are debated.
Conclusion
This episode showcased Fox News’s approach to political commentary: loud, combative, and deeply critical of Democratic approaches to national defense, crime, and pandemic policy. The rebranding of the Department of Defense as the Department of War is cheered as symbolic of a return to strength and clarity of purpose. Witty banter and cultural references punctuate serious debate, giving both partisans and casual listeners plenty to chew on.
For further coverage, listen on Fox News Podcasts or visit foxnewspodcasts.com.