Podcast Summary: The Five

Episode: Trump: Greenland Deal Would Be “Infinite”
Date: January 21, 2026
Host: Jesse Watters, with Emily Compagno, Harold Ford Jr., Dana Perino, and Greg Gutfeld
Main Theme: Discussion and debate over President Trump’s reported framework for a future deal with Greenland, broader international relations, U.S. domestic issues, and the evolving political landscape.

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Five, the panel unpacks President Trump’s recent announcement of a “framework” for a deal with Greenland. The panelists discuss the symbolic and geopolitical implications of the deal, Trump’s combative presence at Davos, the shifting nature of transatlantic alliances, and a slew of hot-button domestic issues – from immigration enforcement turmoil in Minnesota to the re-establishment of mental institutions. The hosts intertwine biting humor with pointed analysis of elite culture, Democratic messaging struggles, and the ongoing tension between governance and performative politics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Greenland Deal: The Art of the Threat

Timestamps: 01:20 – 05:54

• Trump touts a nearly finalized framework involving Greenland, promising no military intervention and claiming the U.S. as the real protector and developer of the territory.

• Panel highlights Trump’s dramatic rhetoric, historical resentments ("After the war we gave Greenland back to Denmark. How stupid were we to do that?"), and needling of European allies.

• Dana Perino notes,

  “Just go and declare victory because they’re giving you nine tenths of what you’ve asked for... he explained more about the reasons for the Golden Dome and why we would need that.... He was needling the Europeans, of course, because they're slow and they're sclerotic and they're bureaucratic.” ([04:23])

• The U.S. seeks assurance of security, development potential, and strategic access – with clear signals this benefits both America and Europe.

2. Trump at Davos: Disrupting the Global Elite

Timestamps: 06:02 – 11:37

• Greg Gutfeld skewers the culture of Davos as elitist, self-congratulatory, and out of touch:

  “He didn’t go to Davos to be part of Davos. He went to Davos so it could be part of him. ...When he leaves that room, everybody there felt like America First threw up all over them... He’s a pit bull and he's protecting our yard.” ([06:10])

• The panel riffs on the spectacle of Trump as the disruptive "orange skunk at the garden party."
• Harold Ford Jr. labels the performance as Trump's "art of the threat," and sees NATO's pushback as a net positive for more constructive negotiations:

  "When you have leverage against President Trump, it actually works out better for everybody because you find yourself being less confrontational and more collaborative.... If NATO wins, China loses, Russia loses." ([08:53])

3. Domestic Fallout: Minnesota, Immigration Raids & Political Theater

Timestamps: 14:52 – 19:12

• DOJ pursues Minnesota's leaders over alleged ICE obstruction, with Governor Walz countering by daring Trump to visit.
• Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld criticize self-styled activists, allege fraudulent misuse of protest funds, and frame federal-local clashes as manufactured standoffs.
• Perino underscores nonprofit grifting amid civil unrest:

  “She’s made over a million dollars from leading departments, getting from nonprofits. Every year she makes more money than she gives out in grants. And as long as there is money to be made, you will have protesters like this organizing...” ([17:49])

4. The Davos Analogy: Elites vs. Populists, Ignored Voices

Timestamps: 11:41 – 13:55

• Emily Compagno draws parallels between Davos’ influence and manufactured consensus and critiques Trump’s disruption as a win for substance over self-congratulation.
• Critically, Emily inserts the missing voices of Greenlanders and the Inuit:

  “I would love to hear. And finally, the Greenlanders and the Inuit, we want to do what they want to do and let’s listen to their voices because they have been robbed of it for literal centuries.” ([13:41])

5. Restoring Mental Institutions: A Policy Flashpoint

Timestamps: 25:06 – 30:08

• Trump signs executive order to re-open mental institutions, blaming Democrats for closures leading to homelessness and public disorder.
• Greg Gutfeld mocks the progressive stance:

  “They turn compassion into this deadly farce that enables a lifestyle that puts the mentally ill and the drug addicted at risk, as well as others who at risk who happen to share the same subway... their politics dictates their compassion, meaning they have no compassion at all.” ([26:21])

• Panelists recount the history of deinstitutionalization, legal hurdles, and the net effect on urban life.

6. Democratic Messaging & Relatability Crisis

Timestamps: 33:37 – 38:30

• Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer laments her party’s “obtuse” messaging. Greg Gutfeld and others tease the word choice as emblematic of elite detachment:

  “She’s actually proving her point by using the word obtuse. ...isn’t that her way of saying we’re just too smart for the voters?” ([34:12])

• Panelists debate whether Democrats must become more direct and relatable to gain traction, comparing the messaging struggles to the GOP’s populist turn.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump's Greenland Pitch:

  “All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland. It’s the United States alone that can protect this giant mass of land...” (Trump parody, [01:51])

• On Davos Elites:
  Greg Gutfeld:

  "It basically is Coachella for the Cialis crowd. ...He’s a pit bull and he’s protecting our yard." ([06:10])

• On Nonprofit Organizers and Activism:
  Dana Perino:

  “She’s made over a million dollars from leading departments, getting from nonprofits. Every year she makes more money than she gives out in grants.” ([17:49])

• Emily Compagno on Ignored Voices:

  “I would love to hear...the Greenlanders and the Inuit...their voices...they have been robbed of it for literal centuries.” ([13:41])

• Greg Gutfeld on Mental Institutions:

  “It’s actually less expensive to build these insane asylums, ‘cuz it’s only for a small amount of people committing all of these dangerous and heinous acts on the streets.” ([31:36])

• Dana Perino on Political Posturing:

  “As for Walls challenging Trump to go there, you don’t challenge a president to go to your state. You invite him to come.” ([17:49])

Segment Timestamps

• 01:20 – 05:54: Trump’s Greenland framework and European reactions
• 06:02 – 11:37: Trump at Davos, the “art of the threat,” global elite satire
• 14:52 – 19:12: Minnesota ICE enforcement, protest profiteering, and activist grift
• 25:06 – 30:08: Debate over reopening mental institutions and social policy impacts
• 33:37 – 38:30: Democratic messaging struggles and the big tent problem

Panel Tone & Style

• Conversational, sarcastic, and heavy on irreverent pop culture references (Davos as “Coachella for the Cialis crowd,” discussions of “golden domes” and “America First”).
• Willingness to satirize both sides of the political spectrum and poke fun at their own cohort.
• Occasional moments of serious policy reflection spliced with humor (homelessness, mental health, and urban safety).

Additional Notes

• The podcast also includes lighter asides (e.g., William Shatner eating cereal in a car [39:08], and local rescue stories) that serve as palate cleansers between intense segments.
• Some moments focus on internal banter and recurring jokes, underscoring the show’s dynamic between panelists and trademark tone.

This summary provides a comprehensive window into the episode’s narrative arc, highlighting both major substantive insights and the cultural-political commentary that defines The Five.