President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack against Fox News host Jessica Tarlov on Friday, June 20, 2025, accusing the political commentator of deliberately misleading viewers about his approval ratings and calling for her removal from the network’s popular show “The Five.”
Trump’s criticism came after Tarlov, who serves as the liberal voice on the conservative-leaning panel show, presented polling data showing declining support for the President across multiple key issues. In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump questioned why Fox News allows what he termed a “failed TV personality” to appear on their programming.
The President specifically targeted Tarlov’s presentation of polling numbers that painted an unfavorable picture of his administration’s performance. According to multiple sources, Trump claimed that “Her voice, her manner, and above all else, what she says, are a disgrace to television broadcasting.” He accused her of consistently misrepresenting his approval ratings despite what he characterized as record-high poll numbers.
Trump defended his position by citing specific polling data, including a 56 percent approval rating from Rasmussen and 54 percent from Insider Advantage. He argued that other polls showed him with approval ratings ranging from 56 to 68 percent, contradicting the negative assessments presented by Tarlov on air.
The dispute appears to have been triggered by Tarlov’s recent commentary on “The Five” regarding Trump’s standing with various voter demographics. She had highlighted Fox News polling data indicating that only 40 percent of registered voters approved of Trump’s economic management, while 58 percent disapproved. Additionally, she pointed to other surveys suggesting the President was losing support among independent voters on key issues.
Trump expressed particular frustration with what he perceived as unfair coverage of his electoral success. He referenced his victory in the 2024 presidential election, emphasizing that he won all seven swing states and secured the popular vote by millions of votes. The President argued that this electoral performance contradicted the negative polling narratives presented by Tarlov.
In his criticism, Trump praised other “The Five” co-hosts Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld, describing them as “terrific” while suggesting they were unable to adequately defend him against Tarlov’s commentary. He implied that these hosts lacked access to the favorable polling data he referenced in his social media post.
The President also addressed immigration policy in his attack, claiming that his administration had achieved zero illegal border crossings in the previous month. He contrasted this with what he characterized as 62,000 illegal entries during the previous administration, including individuals from what he described as prisons, mental institutions, and gangs.
Trump concluded his criticism by suggesting that Tarlov’s presence on Fox News was alienating the network’s MAGA viewership. He predicted that the network’s ratings would decline if they continued to feature her on their programming, asserting that viewers were complaining about her frequent appearances.
Tarlov, who has served as a Democratic strategist and political commentator with expertise in polling analysis, has been a regular target of conservative criticism for her liberal viewpoints on the predominantly conservative network. She joined “The Five” as a co-host after the departure of other personalities and has maintained her role as the primary liberal voice on the panel.
The conflict highlights ongoing tensions between Trump and Fox News, despite the network’s generally supportive coverage of his administration. The President has previously criticized the network when its reporting or commentary has been unfavorable to his positions or performance.
“The Five” remains one of Fox News‘ most popular programs, featuring a rotating panel of hosts discussing current political events and policy issues. The show’s format typically includes four conservative-leaning hosts and one liberal voice, with Tarlov filling the latter role.
Trump’s attack on Tarlov represents part of a broader pattern of the President using social media to respond to media coverage he perceives as unfavorable. His criticism of individual journalists and commentators has been a consistent feature of his communication strategy throughout his political career.
