Jessica Tarlov’s “both sides” shield shattered live on Fox—until Greg Gutfeld erupted: “Don’t play that bullshit with me!” Her push for “balance” on Kirk’s tragedy? It crumbled under fire, exposing raw fury over a “lie” that’s poisoned politics.
What if one outburst rips the veil off the left’s endless whataboutism, turning a TV spat into a national gut-check? Gutfeld didn’t hold back—calling out the hypocrisy that’s fueled real blood. Is this the wake-up call America needs, or just more cable chaos?
Catch the full breakdown here:
The set of Fox News’ The Five transformed into a powder keg on Monday, September 15, when co-host Greg Gutfeld unleashed a profanity-laced tirade against liberal panelist Jessica Tarlov, accusing her of peddling a “massive lie” by invoking the “both sides” argument in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. What began as a routine debate on political violence escalated into one of the network’s most viral on-air meltdowns, drawing millions of views on social media and reigniting accusations of media bias in the hyper-charged aftermath of the conservative activist’s death.
The confrontation unfolded just five days after Kirk, the 32-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was gunned down mid-speech at Utah Valley University on September 10. Authorities arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, a UVU dropout with documented left-leaning online rants against Kirk’s anti-immigration stance and “MAGA poison,” charging him with first-degree murder and hate crimes. President Donald Trump ordered flags at half-staff, hailing Kirk as a “fearless warrior,” while his memorial at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium drew nearly 100,000 mourners, blending grief with vows of electoral payback. Yet, as details emerged—Robinson’s Discord manifesto etched with anti-Kirk memes, a family tip leading to his capture—the left’s response fractured along predictable lines, with some outlets and commentators urging caution against hasty politicization.
Enter The Five, Fox’s highest-rated daytime show, where Gutfeld, the sardonic host of his late-night program, clashed with Tarlov, a Democratic strategist known for her measured defenses of liberal policies. The segment opened with discussion of Trump’s Oval Office remarks on Kirk, pivoting to Robinson’s background: a conservative-raised kid who veered radical, per family statements, fueled by online echo chambers decrying Kirk as a “hate machine.” Gutfeld, visibly agitated, interrupted Tarlov’s analysis of the suspect’s “hobbies and education” to demand: “What is interesting here is, why is only this happening on the left and not the right? That’s all we need to know.”
Tarlov, flanked by conservative co-hosts Jesse Watters and Dana Perino, countered with a classic progressive pivot: “What about Melissa Hortman?” She referenced the June 2025 assassination of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman (D), shot dead alongside her husband and family dog in a suspected right-wing extremist attack by Vance Boelter, a 45-year-old with ties to militia groups and anti-government manifestos. Hortman’s killing, which prompted bipartisan calls for de-escalation, had faded from headlines amid midterm frenzy, but Tarlov wielded it as Exhibit A for bidirectional violence. “Did you know her name before it happened?” Gutfeld shot back, his voice rising. “None of us did. None of us were spending every single day talking about Melissa Hortman.”
The exchange detonated from there. Tarlov pressed: “So she didn’t matter?” Gutfeld, red-faced and gesturing wildly, exploded: “Don’t play that bullshit with me!” He slammed the table, declaring the “both sides” narrative “dead” and a “rationalization” born of ideological denial. “On your side, your beliefs do not match reality… You’re coming up with these whatabouts because if you face the facts, your life is gonna fall apart. You’re gonna realize you’re not the good guys!” The outburst, laced with expletives bleeped for broadcast, left co-hosts stunned; Watters stifled a laugh, while Perino steered toward commercial. Gutfeld later apologized on-air for the language but doubled down: “I didn’t mean to scream at you, Jessica, but this is a very personal thing.”
Tarlov, composure cracking but voice steady, clarified: “I’m not minimizing the tragedy,” insisting her point was about systemic rhetoric on both aisles fueling assassins like Robinson or Boelter. By show’s end, she told viewers, “I am not mad at Greg,” a nod to their on-off rapport since Tarlov joined in 2022 as the token liberal foil. Off-air, sources close to production described a tense green room huddle, with executives praising the “raw authenticity” that spiked ratings 25%—The Five averaged 3.2 million viewers that night, per Nielsen.
Social media ignited like dry tinder. Conservative X users hailed Gutfeld as a truth-teller: “Greg just EVISCERATED Jessica Tarlov… ‘That sht is DEAD!'” one clip from @RagingKuJo1222 racked up 34,000 views, with replies cheering the “demise of whataboutism.” @RochelleAz posted a longer edit captioned “Gutfeld goes scorched earth,” amassing 950 likes and 380 reposts, framing Tarlov’s defense as a “lie” that ignores left-wing “labeling” of conservatives as “fascists” greenlighting violence. Right-wing outlets like RedState and PJ Media amplified the footage, with headlines like “Gutfeld Nukes Jessica Tarlov for ‘Both Sides’ Spin” and “That S** Is Dead!” portraying Tarlov as a gaslighting apologist.
Liberals fired back, decrying Gutfeld’s “mansplaining meltdown” as emblematic of Fox’s echo chamber. @momofcomedy tweeted: “Greg Gutfeld is fucking psychotic! 😂… foaming at the mouth about how violent ‘the left’ is,” garnering sympathy for Tarlov’s “calm amid chaos.” Mediaite and The Hill covered the spat neutrally, noting Gutfeld’s dismissal of Hortman echoed broader conservative critiques of “low-profile” left-victim narratives, while Tarlov’s team privately fumed over “selective outrage.” One anonymous Fox insider told NJ.com: “Jessica held her ground, but Greg’s personal shot about her ‘life falling apart’ crossed a line—it’s therapy-hour stuff, not debate.”
This wasn’t their first rodeo. Tarlov and Gutfeld’s chemistry—part sparring partners, part siblings—has fueled The Five‘s success, but past clashes, like a June 2025 spat over election denialism that allegedly led to Tarlov’s brief “escort” off-set (denied by Fox as “hyperbole”), hint at deeper fractures. Gutfeld, a former Men’s Health editor turned Trump-era satirist, has long railed against “woke” equivalencies, penning books like The Joy of Hate that mock liberal pieties. Tarlov, a Fox regular since 2017, brings Ivy League polish (Bryn Mawr, LSE) to defenses of Biden-era policies, often positioning herself as the “reasonable” counter to the show’s rightward tilt.
The blowup ties into broader post-Kirk tensions. Robinson’s probe revealed Discord ties to 20+ users, per FBI leaks, prompting Gutfeld’s follow-up on September 24—Tarlov’s return episode—where he dismantled her citation of a “discredited” DOJ study on right-wing extremism, authored by an alleged Antifa affiliate. “You label someone a fascist… it makes you free to attack them,” Gutfeld thundered, linking it to Kirk’s fate and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s suspended monologue blaming “MAGA martyrs.” Tarlov shot back on the DOJ pull, but X users like @Gerry39464526 mocked: “Whataboutism is dead, Jessica.”
Experts weigh in with caution. Media analyst Jennifer Rubin, in a Washington Post op-ed, called the exchange “cathartic but counterproductive,” arguing it exemplifies cable news’ role in amplifying divides rather than bridging them. Political scientist Jennifer Nicoll Victor of George Mason University told The Wrap: “Gutfeld’s rage taps real conservative grief over Kirk, but dismissing Hortman trivializes bipartisan pain—it’s the lie both sides tell themselves.” On the flip, conservative commentator Matt Margolis of PJ Media praised: “Tarlov’s excuse-making crashed hard against Gutfeld’s brutal facts.”
Fallout lingers. Tarlov skipped two episodes post-meltdown, fueling rumors of a “cooling-off” (Fox denies), while Gutfeld’s Gutfeld! drew a 15% bump, per insiders. X threads dissected the “breakdown,” with @LisaSteelersGal gushing: “Enough is enough… Thank you, Greg!” and @1mZerOCool sharing: “Boy did it get emotional.” Critics like @nestonavajr urged Tarlov: “Go after Greg for… disrespectful behavior.”
As midterms near, the spat underscores media’s mirror to America’s schisms. Kirk’s death—tied to rhetoric from both Trump rallies and progressive protests—has spiked threats 40%, per Secret Service data, with Turning Point USA reporting 30,000 new registrations from his memorial. Tarlov, in a post-show X thread, reiterated: “Violence isn’t partisan—it’s human,” while Gutfeld tweeted a quip: “Heavy lifting on free speech? Nah, that’s on the ones who can’t handle facts.”
For Fox, the drama’s gold: Clips hit 10 million YouTube views, boosting ad slots. But as Gutfeld reflected off-air: “This is personal—Charlie was a friend.” Whether Tarlov’s “lie” was deflection or diligence, the unminced words have left scars, reminding viewers that in polarized punditry, truth often arrives screaming.
