Jessica Tarlov has spent years as the lone liberal voice on a Fox News panel surrounded by conservatives, a role that requires either considerable courage or a very thick skin.
That setup rarely stays quiet for long.
On Thursday, she cited Donald Trump’s 35% approval rating on The Five, and Trump, watching from Air Force One en route to Las Vegas, responded by attacking her appearance and demanding her firing.
Tarlov made her case during the panel. “He has a 35% approval rating in most polls,” she said, adding: “No Americans wanted the tariffs, they didn’t want the war in Iran, and they don’t want the ballroom.”
That didn’t sit well on the other side of the table.
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Greg Gutfeld pushed back, saying Trump was “not a politician.” Tarlov didn’t budge. “He is!” she replied. “Stop saying that he’s just the host of The Apprentice who came to save us.”
Kellyanne: Trump got elected on—
Jessica: And what do people think of him now? He has a 35% approval rating in most polls.
Gutfeld: He’s not a politician.
Jessica: Yes, he is. Stop saying he’s just the host of The Apprentice who came to save us. He’s been in office twice.… pic.twitter.com/6qA9tLzbHb
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 16, 2026
And then, as expected, it moved online.
The response followed shortly after the segment ended.
“I am watching one of the Least Attractive and Talented People on all of Television, Jessica Tarlov. Her voice is so grating and terrible, I had to ‘turn her off!’” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Her Democrat soundbites are FAKE. She makes up ‘Poll Numbers,’ and nobody challenges her, because she is so boring. I have among the best Poll Numbers I have ever had, and why shouldn’t I, ALL THE COUNTRY DOES IS WIN. GET HER OFF THE AIR, SHE IS BAD FOR OUR COUNTRY!”
That’s one version of events. The data, however, tells a different story.
Recent polling broadly aligns with what Tarlov said on air. A YouGov survey conducted with The Economist found approval at 38%, with a majority disapproving of Trump’s performance. Just 32% of respondents said they support the Iran war, while 55% opposed it, and 64% disapproved of his sweeping tariffs.
Tarlov had a ready reply. “Guess I’ll take this opportunity to mention that my numbers are far from fake – Trump really is that unpopular,” she wrote on X, before adding: “And you can pre order my book I Disagree as of today!!”
Guess I’ll take this opportunity to mention that my numbers are far from fake – Trump really is that unpopular. And you can pre order my book I Disagree as of today!! https://t.co/HJ0ht7whiu pic.twitter.com/5uNypNRAlo
— Jessica Tarlov (@JessicaTarlov) April 17, 2026
Others joined in.
Candace Owens, also mentioned in Trump’s post, responded by screenshotting the rant and writing: “Can somebody please source me the News segment that caused this meltdown. Looks like he may have accidentally heard the truth?”
Can somebody please source me the News segment that caused this meltdown.
Looks like he may have accidentally heard the truth? pic.twitter.com/cIHxKdrfIl— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) April 16, 2026
This, however, was nothing new.
Trump has previously called for Fox executives to remove Tarlov, criticized her while being interviewed on her own show during her absence, and told a separate female reporter she had “a very bad attitude” for asking about Iran. His most memorable exchange came aboard Air Force One in November, when he told a Bloomberg reporter, “Quiet, piggy,” after she asked about the Epstein files.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
