President Donald Trump turned what should have been a standard telephone interview with Fox News into an impromptu attack on one of the channel’s own personalities on Thursday, stating “The Five” would function “a lot better” without Democratic strategist Jessica Tarlov, who wasn’t present to respond.
The 79-year-old president phoned into the program on March 26, 2026, for what developed into a broad discussion covering subjects from the Strait of Hormuz to his support among gay voters. However, the conversation took an abrupt shift when co-host Jesse Watters extended an invitation.
“Mr. President, the next time you do this on The Five, can we have you on set? Because we really want you to sit next to Jessica. I think you’d be a good influence on her. Can you do that?” Watters asked.
Trump refused to engage with the suggestion. Rather, he began attacking the program’s sole liberal contributor, who works as a rotating co-host but was not present during Thursday’s episode because of a scheduling matter.
“I like all of your shows. I’m glad Jessica’s not there. No, actually, I think your show would be better without her. But who am I to say that? I think it would be a lot better,” Trump said during the phone interview.
The president intensified his remarks beyond that point, charging Tarlov with employing “fake numbers” while discussing his approval ratings. He particularly objected to her mentioning a 42 percent approval figure—although a Fox News poll published March 25 in fact placed him at 41 percent approval with 59 percent disapproval, his most elevated disapproval rating throughout both terms in office.
“I watch Jessica, and I’m not a fan,” Trump told the panel as co-hosts laughed. “She uses fake numbers. She’ll give, ‘Well, he’s only polling 42 percent.’ That’s not right. Polling very high, actually.”
Trump subsequently challenged her absence, questioning Watters directly: “Tell me, did she not want to do it, or did you kick her off the show?” Watters explained that the network hadn’t dismissed her. She had a prior schedule that she couldn’t alter.
Tarlov, a Democratic political strategist who additionally co-hosts the Raging Moderates podcast with Scott Galloway, didn’t allow the president’s remarks to go without a response. She fired back on social media on Thursday night with a pointed jab at Trump’s polling claims.
“Was so bummed to miss the show today! But I definitely would’ve said he’s even inflating his numbers to 42 percent!” she wrote.
The attack came just one day after Tarlov, on Wednesday’s episode of “The Five,” referred to the “daily war snuff film briefing” Trump receives from aides because he “likes to see what’s getting blown up,” a reference to NBC reporting that Trump is shown a two-minute highlight reel of frontline victories in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Thursday’s ambush represents yet another installment in Trump’s ongoing feud with Tarlov. Last July, following her call for gun control after a New York City shooting, the president wrote on Truth Social: “I can’t stand Jessica Tarlov of THE FIVE. A real loser!!!” He has additionally characterized her as a “failed TV personality” and “disgrace to television broadcasting” for emphasizing his unfavorable polling numbers.
The president has an established pattern of going after female journalists who question him. In December, he described ABC reporter Rachel Scott “the most obnoxious reporter in the whole place.” He has repeatedly attacked CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, described New York Times reporter Katie Rogers as “ugly, both inside and out,” and yelled “Quiet, piggy!” at Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey.
What made Thursday’s attack especially notable was its venue. Instead of attacking Tarlov on social media or at a rally, Trump utilized an interview on her own show to criticize her, providing her no chance to respond in real time. The panel—Dana Perino, Kennedy, Greg Gutfeld, Kayleigh McEnany, and Watters—laughed along with the president’s remarks.
The incident generated an uncomfortable situation for Fox News. The network must manage its relationship with a sitting president who continues to be popular with its core audience, rather than defending its own employees. As of Monday, neither Fox News executives nor producers of “The Five” had publicly addressed Trump’s comments or indicated any plans to change the show’s lineup.
Tarlov, 41, has developed her career as a liberal voice on Fox News since joining as a contributor in 2017. She became a co-host of “The Five” in January 2022, offering Democratic perspectives to the show’s predominantly conservative panel. Her willingness to challenge pro-Trump narratives has made her a frequent target of criticism from the president’s supporters—and now from the president himself during the show’s airtime.
The president has sustained his combative approach toward media figures he perceives as hostile, though targeting a host on a network generally favorable to his administration stands out even by his standards.
