Jesse Watters of Fox News ignited controversy during the current week when he stated his wish that a female president never serves during his years alive, leading co-host Greg Gutfeld to comment that he was “jumping off a cliff” through these inflammatory statements.
The controversy began on the April 1, 2026, Wednesday broadcast of “The Five” following segments featuring Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. During her MS NOW interview, the 86-year-old former speaker of the House indicated that while a female president was certain to happen eventually, it probably wouldn’t occur during her remaining years.
In response, Watters made a shocking statement that caused visible discomfort among his co-panelists. His proclamation expressed hope for no female president during his lifetime, followed by a string of challenging questions he claimed came from unidentified sources, questioning if women have adequate emotional maturity, business networks, or military credibility necessary for presidential office.
Attempting to stop him, Gutfeld told the 47-year-old host, “You are just jumping off a cliff just because you’re bored.” Despite this intervention, Watters pressed on, stating that numerous individuals assert women don’t have sufficient humor for the presidency before claiming, “None of those things I believe.”
The Fox News personality subsequently shifted to criticizing Democratic presidential leader Gavin Newsom, proposing the California governor “could be the first woman president” based on what Watters described as “emotional instability” and womanly characteristics. His criticism included accusations of a midlife crisis and claims that Newsom’s presidential campaign exists solely “to prove his worth to his father.”
Media critics immediately denounced these statements. Arwa Mahdawi, a Guardian columnist, pointed out that Watters reaches an audience of roughly three million people on his prime-time program, amplifying the significance of his platform. According to Nielsen data, Jesse Watters Primetime consistently attracts three to 3.5 million viewers during its 8 p.m. broadcast.
These remarks emerged amid widespread political conversation about women in leadership positions. On Sunday, Axios reported on Sunday regarding top Democratic Party members deliberating whether selecting a straight, white, Christian man offers their strongest path to the 2028 election victory — a conversation sparked by former First Lady Michelle Obama’s assertion that America is “not ready for a woman” president.
Watters has a history of similar sexist statements. During 2024, he asserted then-Vice President Kamala Harris would become “paralyzed” in the Situation Room facing military generals who would “have their way with her” — language he subsequently defended as “figurative.” His past comments include suggesting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wasn’t “ripe” for presidential office due to being unmarried and childless, plus ridiculing her sexual harassment reports.
During Monday’s broadcast, Watters intensified his Newsom criticism, characterizing the governor as “kind of like a woman trapped in a man’s body” who “changes his mind a lot” and is “always crying.” These characterizations stemmed partially from Newsom’s recent emotional news conference where the governor became tearful discussing youth civic participation.
Social media critics labeled the Fox host a “repulsive little man” and “bobbleheaded fool,” with numerous people questioning his continued employment. Some highlighted the contradiction of Watters challenging women’s emotional stability while President Trump navigates continuing international tensions with Iran.
This episode underscores persistent friction at Fox News among conservative male anchors and liberal panelists. Jessica Tarlov, serving as the program’s sole liberal representative, routinely confronts Watters regarding his inflammatory rhetoric. The network’s discussion format frequently positions her opposite Watters’ more explosive commentary.
Anne Purvis, Watters’ mother — a child psychologist who considers herself liberal — has historically telephoned his program urging him toward responsible platform use. Her critical text communications became so regular that production staff developed a repeating feature titled “Mom Texts” featuring Watters reading her reproachful messages during broadcasts. Her son has nevertheless persisted in testing limits through controversial positions, including proposing America should bomb or gas United Nations facilities following Trump’s technical problems there last September, plus asserting that public soup consumption by men seems effeminate.
Research from Stanford released during February 2022 determined that voter beliefs regarding female electability create self-fulfilling prophecies. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study revealed that when voters consider a woman’s general election victory too difficult, they select male candidates during primaries despite personally favoring the female option. Researchers additionally discovered that presenting evidence of voter support for female candidates boosted willingness to support them by approximately three percentage points.
With the 2028 presidential contest beginning to form, Watters’ statements have revived discussion regarding America’s readiness for its inaugural female president — an achievement that remains unrealized despite numerous credible female contenders in recent election cycles, including Hillary Clinton’s popular vote win in 2016 and Kamala Harris’ groundbreaking 2024 campaign.
