One of Fox News’ prominent voices, liberal commentator Jessica Tarlov, openly acknowledged the toxic nature of cable news and admitted her role in perpetuating it. During a recent episode of the Prof G podcast, Tarlov and Larry Sabato, founder of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, discussed the increasing negativity in media. Sabato expressed frustration with how TV news amplifies social media trends, saying, “That makes me rage.” Tarlov agreed, apologizing “to the entire world for what we export” as part of cable news. Sabato blamed social media’s dominance in political discourse, lamenting that he wished for a “time machine” to prevent social media’s creation altogether.

Tarlov has also recently been in the spotlight due to a $30 million defamation lawsuit filed against her by Tony Bobulinski, a former associate of Hunter Biden. The suit stemmed from comments she made on The Five alleging that a Trump super PAC paid Bobulinski’s legal fees—a claim she later clarified and retracted on-air. The New York federal court dismissed the lawsuit, ruling in Tarlov’s favor and ordering Bobulinski to cover her legal fees under the state’s anti-SLAPP law, which protects free speech. Fox News praised the ruling as a landmark decision, emphasizing it as a victory for press freedom and a rejection of meritless claims against its commentator. Despite the legal drama, Tarlov’s candid admission about the damaging nature of cable news highlighted ongoing concerns about the media’s role in fueling political division.