The Five — Podcast Summary

Episode: Violent Anti-ICE Protests Continue To Rock MN
Date: January 14, 2026
Panel: Dana Perino (Host), Kellyanne Conway, Jessica Tarlov, Jesse Watters, Greg Gutfeld, Megan Alexander

Overview

This episode of The Five dives into the ongoing violent anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis, the political fallout and polarization over immigration enforcement, and the shifting dynamics within both major political parties in the U.S. The cast discusses the facts around the recent Minneapolis ICE incident, debates the future direction of ICE and U.S. immigration policy, and highlights broader trends like the Democratic Party’s move leftward, President Trump’s global ambitions (Greenland and Iran), and pop culture moments shaping news cycles.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Anti-ICE Protests in Minneapolis: Facts, Politics & Media Spin

• Incident Recap & Details

  • Dana Perino outlines the new information: an ICE agent suffered internal bleeding after being rammed by Renee Good (the woman who was shot and killed), contradicting earlier reports from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey that downplayed the agent's injuries ([01:34]).
  • Political blowback on Mayor Frey for both his stance against ICE and subsequent public shift.

• Democratic Infighting Over ICE

  • A center-left group warns Democrats not to promote “abolish ICE”; internal debates erupt, with some supporting the agency’s elimination and others arguing for reform ([02:16]).

• Political Performances

  • Satirical calls to impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and “abolish ICE” echo the polarized atmosphere ([02:54], [03:07]).

  • Kellyanne Conway underscores the practical need for ICE, blaming sanctuary city policies for the agency's presence and tying local crime spikes directly to Democratic leadership in Minneapolis ([03:41]).

    “ICE exists because sanctuary cities exist… Law enforcement officers are being attacked for doing their job.”
    — Kellyanne Conway ([03:41])

• Historical Context

  • The panel recalls the 2016 CNN “ride-along” with ICE, contrasting past media acceptance of ICE with current outrage and rising violence ([05:27]).
  • Gutfeld and Conway criticize Democratic “flip-flopping” on immigration enforcement since the Trump presidency.

2. Debate: Reforming vs. Abolishing ICE

• Jessica Tarlov's Reform Proposal

  • Suggests restoring longer agent training, only detaining/targeting those with criminal convictions, prohibiting ICE from demanding ID from citizens, mandating de-escalation tactics, and requiring visible agent identification ([06:56]).
  • She urges caution in Democratic messaging: “I think that Democrats have to be very careful about that... There is a better way — you want to talk about reform, that's one thing. But when you say just straight up abolish, it’s very easy to chop that up and put that in an ad from the right attacking the left.”
    ([06:59])

• Conservative Rebuttal

  • Gutfeld and Watters counter the idea that ICE is the bad actor, highlighting criminal releases and the hostile protesting environment.
  • Watters challenges Tarlov’s ideas about IDs and the practicalities of verifying citizenship status ([09:54]).

    “How else is a federal agent going to know if someone here is in the country legally or not if they can't ask for paperwork?”
    — Jesse Watters ([10:12])

  • Gutfeld points to the scale of illegal immigration as the reason for ICE’s struggles, blaming Democrats' border policies:

    “You wouldn't have needed a vast operation if you hadn't opened the border and let in 10 million people in the last four years. ... This is on the Dems. It's not on ICE.”
    — Greg Gutfeld ([13:10])

3. Broader Political and Media Landscape

• Media Rotation

  • Discussion on the lack of mainstream media coverage except when ICE is cast negatively; reference to recent “obscure” Democratic positions, such as the party’s growing discomfort with the “defund” slogan ([15:40]).

• Trump, Greenland, and Iran

  • President Trump reportedly interested in acquiring Greenland and addressing threats in Iran; panelists debate U.S. strategic interests and draw historical comparisons to previous territorial acquisitions ([16:52]–[24:40]).
  • Dana Perino likens the Greenland proposal to Seward’s Alaska purchase:

    “You could make a case that everything we want to do in Greenland to protect our hemisphere, that they would allow us to do... there’s a deal to be made here.”
    — Dana Perino ([18:43])

  • Tarlov raises the sovereignty issue and risks to NATO cohesion:

    “You have a pan-European fleet coming to back up Greenland... No one would be happier if NATO was disbanded than Vladimir Putin.”
    — Jessica Tarlov ([25:51])

• Shifting Party Labels and Liberal Ascendancy

  • CNN poll shows a record share of Democrats identifying as liberal; panel jabs at the implications, the ambiguity of labels, and the loss of “conservative Democrat” archetypes:

    “Is allowing men who identify as women into women's bathrooms enlightened? ... Has the woke effectively slayed liberalism?”
    — Greg Gutfeld ([29:55])

  • Tarlov points to growing American identification as independent, and the ideological volatility since 2020 ([31:10]).

4. Cultural Moments & Listener Relations

• Trump Flips Off a Heckler

  • President Trump gives a “one-finger salute” to a Ford worker accusing him of being a “pedophile protector,” prompting a reflection on authenticity versus decorum in politics:

    “And this is why we love him, because he doesn't hide who he really is.”
    — Jesse Watters ([34:16])

  • Tarlov shrugs off the controversy, emphasizing free speech rights on both sides ([35:09]).

• Segment: Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

  • Discussion about how Americans intentionally sacrifice sleep for personal time, panelists share their own habits ([37:08]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Democrats’ change of tune about ICE:

  “They changed their tune in 2016 because Donald Trump got elected and he ran successfully on this issue.”
  — Kellyanne Conway ([04:41])

• On melting political labels:

  "Instead of asking people how they define themselves, ask them what the definition means to them. ... What is being a liberal, right?"
  — Greg Gutfeld ([29:55])

• On Trump’s border/ICE approach:

  "You wouldn't have needed a vast operation if you hadn't opened the border and let in 10 million people in the last four years. That's on you.”
  — Greg Gutfeld ([13:10])

• On party authenticity:

  "They get some woman that was in the military... she gets on the debate stage and she's like, 'I'm for security and safety and affordability.' So then they win, and then they start voting and they're like, 'Oh, yeah, yeah, snip little Johnny's testicles out.' ... That's your problem. You guys lie."
  — Jesse Watters ([32:21])

• On U.S. foreign acquisitions:

  “Alaska was to stop Russia... The list goes on and on. NATO is stronger and tougher because of President Trump.”
  — Kellyanne Conway ([22:17])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• ICE Protest Incident Recap: [01:34]
• Democratic Debates on ICE: [02:16]
• Kellyanne's Critique of Sanctuary Cities: [03:41]
• CNN’s 2016 ICE Coverage Flashback: [05:27]
• Jessica’s ICE Reform Proposal: [06:59]
• Gutfeld's ICE Defense and Blame Assignment: [13:10]
• Media Critique and "Whip Gate" Callback: [15:40]
• Trump–Greenland–Iran Segment: [16:52]–[24:40]
• Democratic Party Liberal Shift Discussion: [27:19]–[32:53]
• Trump Flipping Off a Heckler: [32:58]
• Revenge Bedtime Procrastination segment: [37:08]
• "One More Thing"/Closing Playful Segments: [39:17]–[41:33]

Tone and Content Notes

• The tone is energetic, combative, and distinctly partisan, with characteristic sarcasm and humor (especially from Gutfeld and Watters).
• Well-worn lines about media bias, Democratic hypocrisy, and culture war issues are staples throughout.
• Jessica Tarlov often plays the foil, advocating for reform and nuance, while the other panelists push for pointed criticism and defense of conservative/Trump-aligned politics.

This summary covers the critical debates, most memorable soundbites, and context for the continuing ICE protests, partisan policy shifts, and culture flavor that defines The Five.