Jessica Tarlov, the only liberal voice on Fox News’ “The Five,” has come under intense fire from viewers and political commentators following two recent controversial moments—one involving an unexpected apology for cable news and another centered on a disputed claim about President Donald Trump’s finances.
The backlash erupted after Tarlov made a startling assertion during the show’s Friday episode, claiming that Trump earned 40 percent of his wealth from cryptocurrency during his presidency.
This statement was quickly challenged by her co-hosts and sparked widespread ridicule and criticism on social media.
“Why does Fox News even employ her?” one user asked on X. “She brings nothing to the table… dumb liberal!!!”
Another commenter suggested she might be “a paid actress” because “nobody could be that dumb.”
During the same episode, Tarlov attempted to shift the panel’s focus away from a discussion about former President Joe Biden’s alleged cancer diagnosis cover-up, instead pointing to Trump’s attendance at a meme coin fundraising dinner.
“Greg mentioned a ‘staggering level of corruption,’ and I just got to note… the staggering level of corruption from last night’s meme coin dinner,” she said, according to the Daily Mail.
Her co-hosts were quick to scold her for derailing the conversation, with Tarlov defending herself by insisting, “I’m talking about who is corrupt and who is profiting off the American office.”
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld shot back bluntly.
“You’re defending an administration that covered up a dying leader and you’re sitting here going ‘but meme coin, meme coin,” he said.
Amid the fallout from the panel debate, a separate discussion between Tarlov and Larry Sabato, the University of Virginia politics expert, has resurfaced.
On the “Prof G Podcast,” Tarlov issued a sweeping apology for the cable news industry she represents.
“As someone who’s on cable news, I apologize to the entire world for what we export,” she admitted.
Sabato responded with a mix of humor and frustration, criticizing how television and social media fuel public outrage.
“TV funnels what’s selling on social media, I think, more than the reverse,” he said. “That makes me rage.”
He added wistfully, “We still don’t have [a time machine], ’cause I’d love to go back and make it impossible to create social media… I don’t know how I’d do it, but I would try.”
The backlash against Tarlov has escalated in recent days, with some conservatives demanding her firing from Fox News.
“She’s more suited for The View,” one commenter wrote.
Others defended Trump against her claims, highlighting his financial sacrifices while in office.
“Trump is the only president to lose money in office and the only one to donate his salary,” noted one supporter. “Obama never made more than $400K, yet he is a multimillionaire. Biden as a senator never made more than $175K.”
Despite the growing criticism, Tarlov has yet to clarify or apologize for her comments.
Fox News has also remained silent on the controversy, choosing not to address calls for her dismissal, according to the Daily Mail.
The episode highlights ongoing tensions within cable news and the polarized political landscape, where even panel discussions can quickly spiral into heated controversies that fuel public anger and division.
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