Fox News’ Jessica Tarlov Blasts Jesse Watters Over Texas Flood Comments

Jessica Tarlov and Jesse Watters
Fox News/YouTube

Jesse Watters returned to The Five on Monday, July 7, and was hit with criticism from cohost Jessica Tarlov, who called him out for his reaction to the recent floods in Texas, which have left over 100 people dead.

The conversation began with Watters insisting, “This climate change thing is a religion to these people because they believe that weather is punishing us for being a rich and successful and prosperous nation, and all they need to do to appease the rain gods is have everybody use their sacred things like solar panels, stupid cars, and windmills, and that’s what’s gonna save lives. And then you have people that blame it on Donald Trump.”

Tarlov then jumped in and pointed out Watters’ hypocrisy, referencing the different way he reacted when Hurricane Helene hit under Joe Biden‘s administration. Specifically, she slammed Watters for not calling out the now-president when he spread lies about FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) funds during the September 2024 tragedy.

“I don’t think talking about preparedness or what might have helped qualifies as impugning the memory of those that have been lost or detracting from the thoughtful conversation that needs to take place,” Tarlov said. “This river has been flooding for a very long time. There are a number of instances. And we were here around the table when Hurricane Helene struck, and I did not hear Jesse Watters say that Donald Trump should stop spreading lies about the Biden administration and spreading of FEMA funds.”

She continued, “Trump came out and said, ‘They’re giving your dollars to illegals, they’re housing them with your FEMA dollars.’ Then he said, ‘You’re only going to get $750 from FEMA,’ which was a complete lie, and there are Republican officials who have testified to the fact that people did not get their FEMA assistance because of what Trump or other Republicans were saying.”

Tarlov also pointed out that “there are over $54 billion in identified needs in terms of disaster resistance when it comes to these kind of flash floods that state officials are asking for, and the GOP legislature has rejected them. That is something they can work on to move forward and hopefully avoid a tragedy like this again.”

The Five, Weekdays, 5 p.m. ET, Fox News




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  1. B

    BlueUmbrella

    Funny how the truly awful things Tarlov spews aren’t called out by this site. She frequently cites polls that have no credibility & rarely does research, hence why she is typically crushed in her stances by others on the panel. And, FEMA money under Biden WAS going to illegals!

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  2. P

    PurpleWheel

    The conversation began with Watters insisting, “This climate change thing is a religion to these people because they believe that weather is punishing us for being a rich and successful and prosperous nation, and all they need to do to appease the rain gods is have everybody use their sacred things like solar panels, stupid cars, and windmills, and that’s what’s gonna save lives. And then you have people that blame it on Donald Trump.”

    Congratulations, Watters, this is easily among the stupidest things I've ever heard anyone say, and that's no small feat considering the amount of incredibly stupid things I've heard being spewed from the right on a daily basis. Wow. Just. Wow.

    And yes, when an administration actively guts organizations like FEMA and the NWS, as Trump's adminstration did via Musk and his DOGE goons, and when your party as a whole refuses to embrace science and acknowledge that climate change is a thing, they do bear responsibility for aiding in allowing these tragedies to happen. The right wanted total control of the government and they got it, they control every single branch now. They don't get to complain when people start trying to hold them accountable for the things that happen on their watch.

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    CyanTree

    Jessica represents the very worst of what’s happening in our country today.

    I can no longer watch The Five when she is on. She is discusting.

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  4. O

    OlivePlanet

    Jessica is one of the few sane ones at FOX.

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