The Five – Podcast Summary
Episode: Trump: Support The Decision To Knock Out The Boats
Date: December 4, 2025
Hosts: Dana Perino, Lawrence Jones, Jesse Watters, Greg Gutfeld, Ainsley Earhardt, Pete Hegseth
Podcast: The Five – FOX News Podcasts
Episode Overview
This lively episode of "The Five" centers on several hot-button political issues in the U.S.: former President Donald Trump’s endorsement of military strikes against suspected narco-trafficking boats, broader debates over the war on drugs and military engagement, a deep dive into Somali immigration and alleged fraud scandals in Minnesota, Hollywood's shifting political alliances, and a pop culture skirmish involving singer Sabrina Carpenter and the White House. The hosts deliver sharp, sometimes irreverent commentary, interspersed with memorable jokes and heated exchanges.
1. Striking Narco-Trafficking Boats: Trump’s Policy and Its Fallout
[02:00–13:14]
Key Discussion Points
- Trump’s support for taking military action against drug boats in the Caribbean divides political opinion.
- Debate erupts over the morality, legality, and strategic impact of so-called "double tap" strikes (hitting the same target twice), especially when survivors are present.
- Democrats are painted as downplaying the threat of "narco-terrorism," while Republicans emphasize the threat of drugs and cartel violence.
Segment Breakdown
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[02:00] Pete Hegseth reiterates support for "knocking out boats" trafficking drugs, clarifying he supports targeting the vessels and their operators.
“There’s a very receptive ear to doing exactly what they’re doing, taking out those boats.” – Pete Hegseth [02:00]
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[02:18] Dana Perino ties Trump’s stance to a recent controversial strike, highlighting political and media reactions.
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[03:01] Barack Obama enters the conversation: the hosts play a clip where he warns about politicizing the military, to which Greg Gutfeld reacts skeptically.
"You expect them to define a terrorist? …You call a felon a carceral individual. What are you going to call a drug dealer, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur? We don't care. We’re still going to shoot him." – Jesse Watters [03:54]
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[05:25] Jesse Watters argues Trump can set traps for Democrats, forcing them to take unpopular or contradictory positions.
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[06:01] Lawrence Jones references General Jack Keane, stating double tap strikes are "standard operating procedure" and rebuffs the notion this is a war crime.
“This is not a war crime. This is standard operating procedure. …25% of the time, they double tap.” – Lawrence Jones [06:01]
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[07:38] The discussion shifts to drug violence in American cities, the power of cartels, and the argument that narco-terrorism threatens U.S. society and sovereignty.
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[08:54] Dana Perino cites a poll showing 53% of Americans support military use of force against suspected drug boats.
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[09:12] Ainsley Earhardt highlights the war on drugs’ moral and practical complications and predicts cartels may use hostages to foil U.S. interdictions.
“They’re going to start putting children and American citizens on those boats, mark my words. …You’re going to have the same situation that Barack Obama found himself in when he was indiscriminately killing Americans with drone strikes.” – Ainsley Earhardt [09:12]
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[11:15] Lawrence Jones claims cartel boat traffic has "almost stopped" since Trump’s escalated actions.
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[13:01] Greg Gutfeld frames the situation as a harsh "cost-benefit analysis," arguing Americans support tough measures on drug traffickers.
2. Somali Immigration Fraud Scandal in Minnesota
[14:42–24:10]
Key Discussion Points
- The episode pivots to discuss Trump’s criticism of Somali Congresswoman Ilhan Omar amid a massive welfare fraud scandal in Minnesota, involving allegations of misused public funds and connections to Democratic politicians.
- Hosts challenge local and Democratic officials for downplaying both the scale of the fraud and issues related to immigration, arguing that corruption is being ignored and that critics are silenced by accusations of bigotry.
Segment Breakdown
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[15:01] Trump’s rhetoric: “She should be thrown the hell out of our country.” – Pete Hegseth [15:01]
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[15:42] Ainsley Earhardt reads Omar’s response accusing Trump of xenophobia.
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[16:33] Dana Perino shares a story from Sierra Leone about how corruption undermines societies at every level, paralleling it with the Minnesota case.
"Corruption is the bad seed that leaves everything terrible. Corruption is awful." – Dana Perino [16:33]
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[18:23] Lawrence Jones runs through statistics on Somali Americans in Minneapolis, tying poverty and lack of education to alleged public assistance fraud and terrorist financing.
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[20:12] The hosts criticize Minnesota leadership, especially Governor Tim Walz, for allegedly intimidating whistleblowers and claim the community votes and donates to protect corrupt actors.
"There was a whole blanket kind of intimidation where if you come out against crime, you are deemed racist, bigoted. So people shut up." – Jesse Watters [20:18]
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[22:10] Ainsley Earhardt and others debate how a culture of corruption can be imported through improper vetting, calling for honest discourse even while acknowledging the complexity for honest immigrants.
“If you come from a corrupt place, and it’s not even called corruption, that is the system. And then you just apply the system in the new place where you have been improperly vetted." – Ainsley Earhardt [22:20]
3. Hollywood Political Infighting and 2028 Primary Speculation
[25:35–30:53]
Key Discussion Points
- Tinseltown donors are shifting their support from Kamala Harris to California Governor Gavin Newsom in anticipation of the 2028 Democratic primary.
- The panel lampoons Newsom as inauthentic and criticizes his record, especially on California’s wildfires and insurance woes.
- Josh Shapiro’s exclusion from Harris’s ticket and his alleged advantage because of it are discussed, while Ainsley Earhardt critiques Hollywood’s unprincipled candidate choices.
Segment Breakdown
- [26:00] Hollywood prefers “the fighter we need” in Newsom, abandoning Harris after a string of Democratic disappointments.
- [26:08] Dana Perino argues Josh Shapiro’s political future was saved by being snubbed for Harris’s ticket.
- [27:08] Greg Gutfeld and Lawrence Jones are wary of Newsom’s flexibility and alleged dishonesty.
- [28:18] Ainsley Earhardt: “They just want a win, and it’s very unprincipled…The tallest blade of grass is the first to meet the mower.”
4. Sabrina Carpenter vs. Trump DHS – Pop Culture Takes Center Stage
[31:21–36:58]
Key Discussion Points
- Singer Sabrina Carpenter accuses Trump’s administration of using her song for immigration enforcement videos without her approval, calling it “evil and disgusting.”
- The administration claps back, defending deportations and dismissing her criticism.
- Hosts debate generational differences, celebrity activism, and moral shifts as people age; question the meaningfulness of such celebrity feuds in the context of real-world problems.
Segment Breakdown
- [32:19] The White House’s response: “We won’t apologize for deporting dangerous criminal, illegal murderers, rapists and pedophiles... Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid. Or is it slow?”
- [33:47] Jesse Watters discusses how maturity (and transformative life events) changes people’s views: “The things that she detests today, she will learn and understand to value later. Like we all have.”
- [35:06] Greg Gutfeld laments celebrity double standards, arguing many speak out only when their brand is involved.
- [36:06] Ainsley Earhardt describes Carpenter’s provocative album art and performances to suggest public posturing is inconsistent.
- [36:47] Playful banter about Carpenter’s height (“still at 4'11" taller than Greg”) and whether they’re discussing important national topics.
5. Modern Dating & Social Media Transparency
[37:58–41:06]
Key Discussion Points
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Gen Z’s penchant for live-streaming their dates and rating partners on anonymous forums (The Tea) is considered by the hosts as risky, legally questionable, and culturally foreign.
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Dana Perino takes a pragmatic view on traditional relationships, counseling young people to find love but avoiding judgment; Lawrence Jones and others mock the public humiliation of dating reviews.
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[39:30] Lawrence Jones: “That sounds illegal because what men do on dates is not subject for public humiliation.”
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[40:05] Jesse Watters theorizes that the desire for information is driving the creation of new platforms, not vice versa.
6. "One More Thing" – Lighthearted Stories
[41:37–44:48]
- The hosts share quirky, humorous news bits: Peruvian Santas offering boat rides, a thief swallowing a Fabergé egg, a drunk raccoon in a liquor store, and a bear climbing a utility pole in Arizona.
- Regular comedic banter and clever punchlines underscore the camaraderie and light touch.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Jesse Watters [03:54]: “You call women a birthing person, you call a felon a carceral individual. What are you going to call a drug dealer, you know, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur? …We’re still going to shoot him.”
- Ainsley Earhardt [09:12]: “They’re going to start putting children and American citizens on those boats, mark my words…through the fog of war, they are going to be torpedoed.”
- Dana Perino [16:33]: "Corruption is the bad seed that leaves everything terrible."
- Lawrence Jones [18:23]: "Most of the people that are Somalian in Minneapolis are either in poverty or living in the poverty line...and not only that, they're stealing it."
- Ainsley Earhardt [22:20]: “If you come from a corrupt place...that is the system. And then you just apply the system in the new place where you have been improperly vetted."
- Jesse Watters [33:47]: “The things that she detests today, she will learn and understand to value later…it's the transformative experience..."
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [02:00–13:14] Trump’s Drug Boat Policy & Double Tap Strike Debate
- [14:42–24:10] Somali Immigration Fraud & Minnesota’s Political Response
- [25:35–30:53] Hollywood Dumps Kamala for Newsom; Primary Preview
- [31:21–36:58] Sabrina Carpenter vs. Trump White House
- [37:58–41:06] Gen Z Dating Trends & Social Media
- [41:37–44:48] Light-Hearted Final Stories — "One More Thing"
Episode Tone & Atmosphere
- The hosts maintain an energetic, often playful tone interspersed with pointed commentary and satire.
- Complex and often polarizing political topics are broken up with jokes, running gags, and pop culture riffs, keeping the discussion brisk and accessible.
For listeners new to the episode, this summary captures the central arguments, political jabs, memorable commentary, and colorful exchanges that define “The Five’s” approach to contemporary issues.
