Tensions erupted on Fox News’ The Five following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, when co-host Greg Gutfeld clashed with Jessica Tarlov over political violence. Kirk, 31, was shot and killed during a speech at Utah Valley University. Tyler Robinson, 28, confessed to the killing and faces first-degree murder charges.
During the segment, Gutfeld asserted that political violence is disproportionately coming from the left. “Why is only this happening on the left and not the right? That’s all we need to know,” he said. Tarlov challenged the narrative by pointing to attacks on Democrats, including the killing of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman. Gutfeld quickly dismissed the comparison, claiming her murder was a personal crime, not driven by political rhetoric.
The exchange grew heated as Tarlov insisted on a broader context, but Gutfeld rejected the “both sides” framing. “We don’t care about your both sides argument. That s—t is dead,” he said, accusing the left of rationalizing violence rather than confronting it. He claimed leftist rhetoric, particularly around gender and identity, fosters radicalism.
Referring to Robinson, Gutfeld argued that he had been influenced by extremist ideology. “He was under the hypnotic spell of a direct-to-consumer nihilism, the trans cult,” he said. Gutfeld suggested that once basic truths like biology are denied, violence becomes easier to justify.
Tarlov emphasized she wasn’t minimizing Kirk’s death, but Gutfeld remained unmoved, condemning the media and calling for action. “We’re gonna act. We don’t care what the what-about-ism is anymore,” he concluded.