The Five – "War Ravaged"

Podcast: The Five (FOX News Podcasts)
Date: September 29, 2025
Main Hosts: Dana Perino, Jesse Watters, Emily Compagno, Jessica Tarlov, Lawrence Jones

Main Theme

The episode dives into the political and social unrest surrounding anti-ICE protests in Portland and Chicago, President Trump’s National Guard deployments, the political rhetoric escalating violence, the culture war over “toxic masculinity” with a Dana White interview, and a segment on the controversial legacy of Assata Shakur. The hosts debate heated issues on law enforcement, federal vs. local authority, party extremism, and cultural values in America.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Federal Response to Protests: Portland & Chicago Unrest

[01:32 – 12:46]

• Context: Violent protests around ICE facilities have led President Trump to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, despite resistance from Oregon officials. Similar tensions flare in Chicago, prompting pushback from state and city leaders.

• Analysis:

  • Dana Perino draws parallels to past protests and moments when political narratives have clashed with on-the-ground reality.
  • Jesse Watters supports the strong federal move, arguing that lawlessness is out of control in Portland, painting the state’s leaders as more anti-Trump than pro-order:

    "It’s like heads I win, tails you lose…every Antifa is going to come out of the woodwork…we’re going to round these people up and…hit them with federal charges, not these small-ball misdemeanors from some Soros DA." (03:34)

  • Emily Compagno stresses state sovereignty, arguing the president oversteps by normalizing a militarized cityscape:

    "Oregon, I trust the AG there who says we have enough people to deal with this. And they have been dealing with it for several months...President Trump and the administration want to normalize militarized cities. They've talked about it." (06:20)

  • Jessica Tarlov calls out local officials’ failure, citing Portland crime stats (homicide up 144%, non-fatal shootings up 241%) as proof the federal response is justified:

    "Any Portlandian person will tell you that it has been utterly destroyed…" (09:40)

• Memorable Quote:

  • Jesse Watters:

    "Who do you think the voters are going to stand by? The people that allow the criminals to terrorize them?" (11:51)

2. Escalation of Political Rhetoric & Party Extremism

[13:41 – 23:44]

• John Fetterman Calls for Calmer Language:

  • Fetterman urges Democrats to dial down incendiary labels ("Nazis," "fascist") toward Republicans and ICE.

    “Unchecked extreme rhetoric like labels as Hitler and fascist will foment more extreme outcomes. Political violence is always wrong. No exceptions.” (14:07)

• Rising Political Violence & Hypocrisy:

  • Emily Compagno argues both sides exploit violence for narrative but points to statistics showing right-wing violence is higher. She calls for focus on mental health, not political demonization:

    "If a leftist or someone had killed someone and had a dark Brandon flag or a Biden Harris flag, you don't think that…that would have been the first thing they would have said." (17:22)

  • Lawrence Jones retorts that the left incites violence against law enforcement and Republicans, referencing polling on support for political assassinations among Democrats:

    "Did you see the poll where it was like 20% of Democrats said they believed in political assassinations?" (19:16)

• Rhetorical Hypocrisy:

  • Discussion on “both sides” and moral clarity, with Jessica Tarlov urging her party to unequivocally reject political violence:

    “When did common sense make you have to switch parties from that? …you can always switch from a complete delusion and incendiary fomenting point of view to common sense and stay within whatever title you want to have in your party.” (21:34)

3. Culture War: Toxic Masculinity & UFC with Dana White

[24:02 – 30:42]

• Segment Setup: Dana White, UFC head, is interviewed about the concept of “toxic masculinity.”

  • Dana White:

    “What's the definition of toxic? How can somebody be too masculine?...The answer is hell no.” (25:00–25:09)

• Host Reactions & Wider Debate:

  • Dana Perino: Critiques the media for asking vague questions about "toxic masculinity":

    “If you’re a journalist and you bring up something like ‘what about toxic masculinity?’ … And he says ‘what’s that mean?’ and you say, ‘you tell me.’ That is not a journalistic question.” (25:15)

  • Emily Compagno: Defends harnessed aggression in sports, claiming discipline channels innate masculinity positively:

    “This is what happens when you channel what is an innate…aggression, assertiveness, confidence in young men into the right way. … That’s what this arena base is.” (27:21)

  • Jessica Tarlov: Asks why Democrats avoid attending UFC matches and challenges the simplistic view of masculinity.

• Notable Moments:

  • Light banter about training in jiu-jitsu, and a riff on how “men have taken their place back in society”—suggesting the culture has shifted past the toxic masculinity debate. (26:36, 27:00s)

4. Controversial Tribute to Assata Shakur

[31:35 – 37:32]

• Context: The death of convicted cop killer and fugitive Assata Shakur, and subsequent tributes from the Chicago Teachers Union and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, spark outrage from the panel.

• Host Critiques:

  • Jessica Tarlov:

    “It reminded me of when those protesters forced FBI agents who didn’t have spines to kneel down. You’re going to repeat after me as I quote a cop killer.” (32:41)

  • Jesse Watters:

    “Barack Obama put her on the most wanted list for the FBI. I mean, this used to be the reasonable position. If you murder a cop, we disown you. … They have been hijacked.” (34:27)

  • Dana Perino: Calls out a NJ gubernatorial candidate for failing to denounce Shakur, draws a contrast with their quick criticisms of right-leaning victims.
  • Emily Compagno: Notes most Democrats see Shakur’s celebration as “shameful and depraved” and laments the poor priorities of institutions like the Chicago Teachers Union.

5. Quick Topics: Habits, Animal Stories, and Uplifting Moments

[38:10 – End]

• Brief discussion on research showing 90% of daily actions are on autopilot.

  • Emily Compagno: “You don’t need to break free of a habit, you just need to reprogram…your brain works on autopilot.” (39:16)

• One More Thing: A Las Vegas cat befriends a coyote, the British penny farthing comes back, a man rescues women from floodwaters, goose attacks a golfer, and a pit bull is adopted after 500 days in a shelter—light closing moments.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On protest violence:

  • “This has been like a three month siege at a federal courthouse. ... [They’ve] shot lasers into the eyes of federal law enforcement…They’ve cut out the fiber optics of the building…”
    —Jesse Watters (03:34)

• On political violence:

  • “The hypocrisy is astounding. If you want to have a message of tolerance... make that your message, no matter who’s killing people.”
    —Emily Compagno (18:35)

• On toxic masculinity:

  • "How can somebody be too masculine?...The answer is hell no."
    —Dana White (25:06–25:09)

• On the Shakur tribute:

  • "If you murder a cop, we disown you. But that's not the modern day Democratic Party. They have been hijacked."
    —Jesse Watters (34:27)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:32] – Start of main discussion: Portland, ICE, and federal vs. state authority
• [03:34] – Jesse lays out Trump support argument; critique of Democratic optics
• [06:20] – Emily on state rights versus federal intervention
• [09:40] – Jessica on Portland’s surging crime and failed local leadership
• [13:41] – Rhetoric: Fetterman calls for lowering the temperature
• [17:22] – Emily on violence statistics and political hypocrisy
• [21:34] – Jessica on moral clarity versus party identity
• [24:02] – Toxic masculinity, UFC, and Dana White interview
• [31:35] – The Assata Shakur controversy
• [38:10] – Daily habits and autopilot
• [40:29] – Good news/“One More Thing” wrap-up

Tone and Language

The tone is energetic, combative, and occasionally sarcastic, consistent with the panel’s signature style. There’s sharp attribution of blame, emotional appeals (especially around law enforcement and violence), and good-natured ribbing in lighter segments.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode covered the latest clashes between federal power and local control, especially around high-profile protests, while tracing how rhetoric, culture, and even popular sports like UFC are tangled in wider American conflicts. It’s an emblematic Five episode—part news analysis, part culture war, part barroom argument, heavily colored by the panel’s strong viewpoints and quick-fire interplay.