'The Five' react to mainstream media downplaying Durham probe
Co-hosts discuss filing from special counsel John Durham alleging the Clinton campaign paid money to penetrate Trump Tower servers and how the media originally responded to the probe.
This is a rush transcript from "The Five," February 14, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
JEANINE PIRRO, FOX NEWS HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm Judge Jeanine Pirro along with Harold Ford, Jr., Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, and yes, Greg Gutfeld. It's five o'clock in New York City, and this is THE FIVE.
Big time Hollywood celebs making a mockery of COVID rules at the Super Bowl, frolicking around the big game maskless without a care in the world while students in the same state are punished and forced to cover up inside and outside of their classrooms.
The NFL warning fans beforehand to comply with all L.A. County health and safety protocols. Masks were given out at the big game, but few of the more than 70,000 fans were seen wearing them. Repeat offender, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti once again holding his breath, allegedly, after he got caught maskless yet again in this photo.
It all begs the question, when will all Democrats finally give up on mandates that their biggest supporters keep breaking? It doesn't sound like President Biden will be coming around. He says opposing mask mandates isn't about freedom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LESTER HOLT, ANCHOR, NBC: Many of those people won't be wearing masks despite the local law in Los Angeles. What is your message to people who want desperately for this to be over and to be able to resume the lives that they remember?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well, look. I love how people talk about personal freedom. If you're exercising personal freedom it puts someone else in jeopardy, their health in jeopardy, I don't consider that being very freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PIRRO: And what happens when you try asking Democrats where they actually stand on the issue?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: I've got to tell you that I had a very hard time getting straight answers out of Democrats on the Hill this week as to whether or not they thought it was time to lift mask mandates because in part they are listening to their governors, in part they are listening to their constituents, in part they're looking over their shoulder as to whether or not they have a reelection or not.
So many of them were like, we should follow the science. OK, well your governor is saying one thing, the president and CDC are saying another, which one do you think is the science? It was very hard to nail people down on that question.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PIRRO (on camera): OK, so I will start with you, Dana.
DANA PERINO, FOX NEWS CO-HOST: OK.
PIRRO: Which is the science?
PERINO: Well, if they were actually calling the signs the kids would have been the first ones to not have to wear masks. And unfortunately, the kids are basically at the mercy of the teacher's unions, which seems to make no sense to me. I actually think it's good news that 78,000 people went to the Super Bowl and ignored the mask mandate, which basically means everybody else can too except for the kids.
PIRRO: Yes.
PERINO: But that's when the absurdities will turn into outrages and also, I think about Garcetti, who had the nerve to say what he said about well I didn't inhale. Well, I was --
(CROSSTALK)
PIRRO: Yes, I held my breath.
PERINO: I held my breath. And then he said does that make you happy? And then he thwarts it again. So, basically these people that are in charge of these cities, they don't care about the citizens. They think they are stupid.
PIRRO: Yes.
PERINO: They don't care at all about them and they get to go to the Super Bowl where they, you know, he got a free ticket I'm sure because he's the mayor, and everybody else is like, sitting there going but my kids still have to wear a mask. And any minute now you're going to see all these reporters, this in terms of herd mentality. They are going to start to write another round of articles about they are so concerned about the lack of trust in institutions in America, and then they don't have the nerve to look at themselves in the mirror.
PIRRO: So, Jesse, are these people, I mean, do they really think that we are stupid?
JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS HOST: Yes. Yes and no because as a celebrity you have to be seen, and you understand that, Judge. It's actually more unhealthy to not be recognized when you're a celebrity than to catch COVID when you're a liberty, and that is a medical fact.
(CROSSTALK)
PIRRO: How are science.
WATTERS: How are people going to know that Bennifer are at the Super Bowl if they're wearing masks? The point is to be seen, and why haven't Fauci and Biden come out today and shamed all of these people? Because this is what, 100 million people watching, flouting these rules. These guidelines are here to save lives, Judge, and to do that sends a wrong message. I'm shocked Fauci is not on every single program shaming these people.
I think actually what happened is when the people in Los Angeles saw Magic Johnson, who has AIDS, --
PIRRO: Yes.
WATTERS: -- a pretty serious comorbidity, not care and not wear a mask, I think people figured maybe they didn't need to wear one also. I would love to be able to watch children host a TV show. Imagine if kids have their own TV shows. There would be a lot of banging on desks today.
A lot of do as I say, not as I do kind of stuff because you have 70,000 people shoulder to shoulder screaming inside and then you can't have 12 children inside without a mask on? It makes no sense. The only reason kids still have to wear masks is because they don't have lawyers and TV shows. If they did, obviously this wouldn't happen.
I have a new thing what I do with masks. I don't carry one out. I don't think anybody here does but when you don't carry one out and you go into a store and then they hassle you and you said, put a mask on, you said, I don't have one, sorry. And they either slink away or they give you a free mask, so then you put the free mask on and then as you leave you just take it off and you drop it in the wastebasket and you walk out. And that's kind of a passive-aggressive way for me to fight the man.
PIRRO: OK. Well, that's really well thought out.
WATTERS: Thank you very much.
PIRRO: All right, Harold, what about the fact that Biden says if you don't wear a mask it's not a matter of your personal freedom?
HAROLD FORD, JR., FOX NEWS CO-HOST: Well, I think in fairness, what he said is your personal freedom, if it infringes on someone else's health or freedom -- but your larger point, I guess, I think that Democrats and Republicans, the country alike, is coming to grips with the fact that we have made great, great strides against this virus.
We talked about the numbers. The number 80 percent more have one dose, 65 percent are two-dosed, 43 percent of people who are eligible to be boosted are boosted. A year ago, I wasn't vaccinated. I think I get fully vaccinated until the beginning of April. So the conversation today versus a year ago is far different. And now politicians and public health experts are really -- not dueling -- as much as trying to reconcile things. I think it would be people.
We've said on this show before, Greg, you said it a few weeks ago, that it will eventually be the people who will push the politicians and push our health experts to tell us when and where -- I should say go faster in how they are doing things.
Now with kids, my kids -- my kids are now vaccinated, I have a six-year-old and an eight-year-old. I feel far more comfortable going out, being out, being social, knowing that if I do go home, if I somewhere chance transmit something, and my kids are not going to have -- likely not going to be hospitalized.
But 12 states, blue states, loosening these mandates and restrictions, I think it's a positive thing and I think everybody should take a victory lap, President Trump and President Biden.
FORD: They already have it. Mine is six and eight. So, my kids have been vaccinated since early December. I was not -- I didn't hesitate at all.
PIRRO: Interesting. All right, Greg, would you like to wrap it up?
GREG GUTFELD, FOX NEWS CO-HOST: I would love to wrap it up.
PIRRO: Go right ahead.
GUTFELD: Specially for you.
PIRRO: Thank you. On Valentine's.
GUTFELD: Did you get my gift?
PIRRO: No, I didn't. I'm afraid. I'm afraid.
GUTFELD: You should. I forgot to put holes in it. We're seeing --
(CROSSTALK)
PIRRO: That's mean.
GUTFELD: I don't know that means.
PIRRO: I know what it meant.
GUTFELD: We keep complaining about hypocrisy, I think we have to just admit that talking about hypocrisy is like talking about oxygen.
PERINO: Yes.
GUTFELD: It's never going to go away so it's almost pointless. The other thing is, it is about how -- who are you to allow who says what is infringing versus not infringing. The moment you get into a car there's a potential of infringing a pedestrian's rights, right? But you still get into a car.
You see the president and the media redefining the idea of freedom that in a weird way when so many talks about freedom, for example, the truckers, it is something like a dog whistle for anti-vaxxers or even fascism you should be really -- be very wary of anybody who talks too much about freedom, which is bizarre coming from an American president. We're all about freedom.
We are also seeing a new kind of virtue signaling here, which is I can do what I please as long as we tell -- I tell the children to mask up. Then I -- that's my job. That's -- every governor and every mayor in every liberal city has been doing this. It's not famous actresses who have really bad reputations say but I care about climate change so I can still be an absolute jerk.
So, what you're seeing is kind of an insistence of masking up kids to assuage their own guilt.
WATTERS: Yes.
GUTFELD: They're basically just encouraging child abuse so they can continue having a good time. So, I don't know. I think we live in a two- class system. By the way, we called this. Again, it was another Five life predictor. We said the Super Bowl, this was going to happen, so it was just declared it over before it happens.
We have a two-class system, the one that wants to do what it wants and the one that wants to tell you what to do while they do what they want, we have to crush that. We can't have people telling us what we can do to our kids because they believe it's infringing on their lives. That is a slippery slope that just go straight into something really bad. Really bad.
WATTERS: Really bad.
GUTFELD: Really bad.
PIRRO: Yes, would think --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: Disgusting as that.
PIRRO: You would think that the burden -- you would think that the burden is on the person, you know, who has more to lose at that point, but they don't want to do that.
PERINO: They spent -- they gave 78,000 K95 masks away for nothing.
PIRRO: Yes.
PERINO: It could have gone to actual nurses, first responders that needed them.
PIRRO: Yes.
GUTFELD: They could hand at giant eyes wide shut party.
PIRRO: Coming up, Hillary's Trump hacking operation exposed. The dirty tricks the Durham investigation just uncovered.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PERINO (on camera): Special counsel John Durham dropping a bombshell that could lead right back to Hillary Clinton. The court filing alleges multiple Clinton campaign staffers hired a technology company to, quote, "infiltrate servers at Trump tower" and then later the actual White House in order to try to establish a link from Donald Trump to Russia.
And breaking this afternoon, sources telling Fox News that Durham's probe has accelerated, with more people cooperating and coming before a grand jury. Republicans say it is proof they've been right all along and that heads should start rolling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): This is what is so egregious and so wrong about it. I mean, you think about it. They spied on a presidential campaign. That's as wrong as it gets but then we found out from this filing that they actually spied on a sitting president, which is even worse.
JOHN RATCLIFFE, FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: I would expect there to be, frankly, quite a few more indictments. I think this conspiracy -- and they do think there was a criminal conspiracy -- is broad and deep.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO (on camera): And after endless coverage of the Russia investigation, the media seems to be silent on this particular development, and the way they covered the Durham investigation in the past is drawing even more scrutiny.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The biggest scandal was when they spied on my campaign. They spied on my campaign.
LESLEY STAHL, REPORTER, CBS NEWS: No, there's no real evidence of that.
TRUMP: Of course, there is. It's all over the place.
STAHL: No.
TRUMP: Lesley, --
STAHL: Sir --
TRUMP: They spied on my campaign and they got called.
STAHL: Can I --
UNKNOWN: Donald Trump and William Barr promise that Durham would expose huge corruption, but he hasn't done that.
RACHEL MADDOW, HOST, MSNBC: Because apparently an ongoing concerted Republican and pro-Trump project to try to turn the investigation of the Russia scandal into some kind of scandal itself.
DON LEMON, HOST, CNN: No, OK, wait until the Durham report comes out and then nothing happens and they just move on to the next conspiracy theory.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO (on camera): I could just keep watching that montage but we should take it around the table. Judge, what about this development that Fox News is reporting that there is additional cooperation that's happening which is why this is sped up a little bit?
PIRRO: Well, that makes sense in a situation like this. I think, you know, everyone who is a potential defendant knows who they are in these cases and they are probably recognizing that they've gotten to the guts of this.
Look, this was an attempt to frame a presidential candidate and the President of the United States. To frame him as being a Russian operative, a Putin puppet and if you recall, the damage here is unbelievable. We've never seen anything like this and America was torn for four years, we were at each other's throats because Hillary Clinton, her campaign, hired people to try to make a connection between a server in the Trump tower and one in a Russian bank that's connected to Putin.
I mean, this is outrageous, and you know, this woman who's always smiling and, you know, is like, you know, I -- Donald Trump is evil and I am the great salvation, the truth is she's been through more criminal -- quasi criminal activities from erasing 33,000 e-mails, that many of them classified, said she never had a classified e-mail on her laptop or her iPhone when she was the secretary of state, and she's got all of these problems and now they're getting to the guts of it.
And I think by trying to frame the President of the United States, every American should be furious and every potential defendant out there knows that they're coming for you.
PERINO: Does that include, I would assume, Hillary Clinton, Harold, who is going to be one of the speakers at the New York State Democratic convention and has flirted with the idea of running again. It seems to lead right back up to her door. In 2016 she put out a tweet saying look at this, there seems to be a connection here but it seems like they were fabricating the connection in the first place to drive news coverage.
FORD: If these allegations by Mr. Durham turn out to be true, the one that's been leveled against, I believe these two lawyers and maybe a third lawyer, you have to let the chips fall where they fall. I'm a rule of law person, I believe the Constitution, all of our rule of law derives from that.
I would be careful to before we go so far to link her to this. And I've heard some people conflate the rhetoric and equate between Watergate and here. Let's remember President Nixon approved and actively engaged in the cover-up. If that is proven, Judge, or if anybody around the table, anybody watching, Mrs. Clinton will have a lot to answer for. But before we go there, make that leap with her, I think what we have on the table alone is disturbing.
GUTFELD: So, you're saying it's Obama behind this?
WATTERS: Yes.
FORD: They're saying that the three -- that the two or three lawyers that Mr. Durham has leveled these charges with, and they said they went out and perhaps hired someone to infiltrate then-candidate Trumps servers, that should disturb any American. Any of us who believe in the rule of law, and anybody who believe that politics should be litigated on the up and up. If that is proven, again, let the chips fall where they may.
PERINO: You know, one of the reasons they figured this out, Greg, is because lawyers build for their time and when you go back to the billing records you find out that they were all billing it to the Trump -- Hillary Campaign.
GUTFELD: Amazing. This is worse than January 6, 9/11, Watergate, Hindenburg combined. That's what CNN would say if this in fact were Trump and not Hillary. In this case they are focusing instead on Joe Rogan, claiming that his use of the n-word was another January 6th.
This is another illustration of the news spigot. Like when with Mueller the legacy meeting that can turn that spigot up full, just blast it 24/7. Then Hunter laptop, turn this spigot off. Everybody is like what happened, where to go. Biden wins an election. You don't hear about Hunter Biden. Then Trump flushes paper down the toilet, and the spigot comes up. And it hits in the face.
And now you've got this collusion, you got real, authentic Russian collusion, this is all about Hillary, and the spigot goes off. This is something that, you know, we see this every day. You saw it. They accuse -- and also, they blame you for the things that they do, so it is like, you know, you're putting kids in danger while they don't wear the masks. They accuse you of racism while saying that, you know, the toxicity of whiteness is everywhere, and in this case, they created a hoax when in fact, they were behind a hoax creating a different hoax.
PERINO: Yes. So, in order to drive news coverage --
GUTFELD: Yes.
PERINO: -- that then everybody would follow. Interestingly that Mark Elias is this attorney that everyone should pay attention to.
PIRRO: Yes.
PERINO: Democratic Mark Elias perhaps -- you know, Democrats are even mad at him because he's screwing up the Arizona case. So, when you hear cooperation, it sort of means to me that some people just don't want to go to jail so they start talking.
WATTERS: I think Hillary should be banished from polite society. I'm not comparing her to O.J. because, you know, we have no proof that she ever murdered anybody, but I would like to see Hillary treated the way O.J. is. You know, he's not really welcome places, he's kind of a pariah.
Right now, she is a certified political criminal. Her husband has been Me- Tooed and has been fingered to be on Epstein's island and you know the foundation was, you know, that's just a washed-up money laundering operation.
This is what happened. She paid people to hack into Trump's computers and frame him for being a Russian traitor! That would be like paying someone to break into Trump tower at 2 o'clock in the morning, plant a bunch of guns and drugs and Russian documents and then call the FBI and say hey guys, I got a tip, why don't you go raid the tower.
That's the same thing. And we now know too that this was happening as far back as 2014. The CIA knew crooked was trying to frame him, they briefed Obama that Hillary was going to frame him. They briefed the FBI that this was a frame job so Mueller was just a cleanup operation to tee up the impeachment and it failed.
So, it's not -- I think, you know, Greg was being fictitious I think, but when you look about January 6th and then you look at this, what did more damage? I mean, think about how many people's lives were destroyed, how it divided the country, how it made us question our democracy --
GUTFELD: Right.
WATTERS: -- question our election and our institutions. It ruined multiple Thanksgivings for me personally. And you know, I think we need to get to the bottom of it. As they say, Greg, big if true.
GUTFELD: Yes, big if true.
PERINO: You know who else worked -- you know who worked on the Watergate committee?
GUTFELD: Who?
PERINO: Remember? Hillary herself.
GUTFELD: That's right.
PERINO: Right.
GUTFELD: Full-circle, as they say.
PIRRO: And a lot of people want Hillary investigated.
PERINO: Yes.
PIRRO: Not just Republicans.
PERINO: Even Democrats.
WATTERS: Yes.
PIRRO: Not just independents. Democrats.
PERINO: All right. Coming up, Nancy Pelosi trying to do a 180 on defunding the police, but will Americans buy it?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FORD (on camera): With the midterms just around the corner, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is speaking out forcefully against defund the police after the inside cut movement cost Democrats dearly in the last election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, CHIEF ANCHOR, ABC NEWS: Cori Bush, congresswoman from Missouri, is saying it's time to defund the police, she is sticking by that. You're the speaker, how do you think Democrats should address rising crime?
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), UNITED STATES SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Well, with all due respect and we're all for Cori Bush, that is not the position of the Democratic Party. I quote one of my colleagues from New York, Ritchie Torres, a brand-new member of Congress way on the left saying that defund the police is dead. That causes a concern with a few in our caucus, but public safety is our responsibility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FORD (on camera): Those comments come amid another shocking weekend of violence. Thirteen police officers shot in just 24 hours, nine of them during a shoot-out in Phoenix. The National Police Association calling it a war on cops and a young New York City woman brutally stabbed to death inside her own apartment after the suspect followed her in. Police arresting the perp, who was hiding under her bed. It turns out he's a career criminal with three open cases against him.
A lot to unpack here, Dana. These cases, it's unbelievable. Greg and I were talking about this in the green room, why we are unable to -- this bail reform thing has to stop. This guy should not be on the streets if he is violent, if he's been accused of violent things.
But separate that for a moment, Nancy Pelosi saying that defund the police, Democrats are not associated with that. I mean, I accept that a little bit because there are Republicans who say things that I know that you don't personally agree with.
PERINO: Right.
FORD: But should the whole party, should she -- how should she have handled it differently if at all?
PERINO: Well, I feel like they cater to their far-left wing, the squad. so often, so early on, that when she has to say with all due respect to Cori Bush, she gave Cori Bush all due respect and that's one of the reasons they have the problem now. But it's not -- she wants to defend herself from the slogan defund the police, but increasingly, I think Americans understand that it's actually that they can't defend themselves from the policies. You can't divorce it.
I couldn't believe that last week in the State Assembly in New York, they're actually having a debate that bail reform is actually very good. And Eric Adams is pulling what's left of his hair out to try to get them to pay attention.
I think the squat is about to cause a lot more problems for Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats. Because if you think about the things that they said that they were going to demand and to get, they haven't gotten any of those voting rights.
No, they didn't get anything in the Build Back Better Plan, especially all those climate material -- climate provisions that they wanted. They don't have -- the fact that they don't have to swallow their pride and vote for the infrastructure bill knowing that they were probably not going to end up getting all the other things that they wanted.
And you had Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez go to Texas this week to try to primary a decent member of Congress, a Democrat who's now possibly going to lose in the primary because of AOC.
FORD JR.: Henry Cuellar you're talking about?
PERINO: Yes. Henry Cuellarwho has been really good on the border in terms for his constituents and for Americans' national security. So, I think that the Squad is about to cause a lot more problems for Biden, Pelosi, and Schumer.
FORD JR: Greg, if she called you, Speaker Pelosi, and she's going to need your advice on how do I deal with some of those in my caucus who don't appreciate how much crime is impacting cities and everyday Americans. What do we do?
GUTFELD: I would -- I would throw them in the back of a truck and take them to the victims' houses and talk to the dead -- the families of the dead. There is a pattern here that is just unmistakable. Homeless male, career criminal out on street, four multiple charges, murders of victim, female, Asian, you can't report that for some reason.
Asian, it's always Asian. The murder weapon, not a gun. It's a knife, just like the murder victim in California. How many of these do we need to have before we get to say it's an epidemic. He had been arrested multiple times with 27 counts of criminal mischief. He'd been -- he'd hit somebody on the subway.
So, the conclusion is, in order to lock up the perpetrator, you have to let them kill a young Asian woman first. And then they'll go, oh, my God, this is repulsive. There is an anti-Asian movement going on and it's not the murders alone, it's the distinct lack of coverage about it. It's the dog not barking. It's the silence around these crimes.
They're making me think there's something to this that's not just about the lone maniac, or else we would be all over this stuff. I want to see -- I want to see an electrified Asian leadership get out there and just get pissed off and do something about this. Because if they don't do -- it's already been treated like a new normal. It's like a weekly occurrence. It's like -- it's because the community isn't amplifying the crime, right?
It's like -- it's like, what if they amplified the crime the way George Floyd was amplified, where you just played the video over and over again? What if you did this to these poor women who are being murdered weekly? How would that change? I would like to see that.
FORD JR: Your Honor?
PIRRO: Women are murdered silently across this country every day of the week. And the problem is that no one takes up their cause. When the -- what we're seeing -- and we started with Nancy Pelosi. Let me just say this about Nancy Pelosi. I don't believe a word that comes out of that woman's mouth.
All of a sudden, she says, oh, no, that's not our stance. Are you kidding me? You with your mouth for a whole year, the United States is burning down cities and businesses, neighborhoods, people dying, thousands of cops being injured, they don't say one word. The Democrat National Committee, they're convinced -- not one word, OK.
Now that they realize that their power is -- may be pulled back because Americans are fed up with their nonsense, they're going to say, oh, that's not really our cause. Well, you're full of crap and you always have been.
Here's the bottom line. The criminals are taking over our cities, and no one is standing up for us. We are all left to defend ourselves and take care of ourselves. I don't want to see any more of the Kyle Rittenhouses, but I'm telling you, there will be more of them. And there will be people who will be attacked, Greg. No one will talk about them.
It's like kids wearing masks. They don't vote, so no one really cares. The women are being silenced and murdered, nobody says anything because they're not a voting bloc. This is about Americans who are every one of us who don't want these people roaming the street.
I don't care about social justice or what you call social justice. I only care about real justice. You commit a crime, you go to jail. And that's the end of it. And if we don't do that, we're losing the country. We've lost the borders, and now we're going to lose the country.
FORD JR: Primetime?
WATTERS: They defunded the police in San Francisco. Nancy didn't say anything at the time. They defunded in D.C., her other home, she didn't say anything at the time either. And now she says something only because it's poison for Democrats in the Midterms. She only goes where the wind blows.
And the wind is blowing against the Squad. The squad owns this crime wave more than the Democratic Party. The Squad gave air cover to those street radicals and those state legislators that did this crazy stuff and pulled the money out of these departments. They own that. Nancy knows that but she can't spank them that hard publicly.
Notice, as you said, with all due respect, with all due respect. No, Nancy can get tough when Nancy wants to get tough. She's afraid of the Squad. She doesn't want a little Civil War to spill over in a Midterm year. But you might be right. They're just as angry as she is. And this could be a lot -- there could be a lot of action between those two this year.
FORD JR: Joe Biden, Eric Adams, are now leaders. They're not defunding police. Up next, President Biden getting hit with a crushing blow from voters in his own party.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GUTFELD: All right, Joe Biden getting another brutal reality check from Democrat voters in his own party don't like him. Is that -- is that grammatically correct?
PERINO: Democrats --
GUTFELD: Don't like him with the majority -- well, I should have reread it again. Thinking Joe shouldn't -- they think Joe shouldn't run in 2024? Am I crazy? And when Democrats were asked who they'd like to replace him with, 72 percent said they just want someone besides Joe Biden.
You know, Jesse, 72 percent, big number. That's seven out of 10.
WATTERS: Ten?
GUTFELD: Yes.
WATTERS: A little over that.
GUTFELD: Yes, a little -- about seven -- yes, a little -- about two percent over.
WATTERS: It is. That's a lot.
GUTFELD: It's a lot.
WATTERS: It's a lot. I think something's got to be wrong with the CNN polling in it, Greg, because this man won 81 million votes.
GUTFELD: Right. I know.
WATTERS: That is the most in American history. That is more than Barack Obama, Donald Trump. I mean, just judging by those votes holders, this man is a historical figure. It doesn't make sense. It's like -- it's like getting engaged to a supermodel and then all of a sudden calling off the wedding a month later. Something doesn't add up here. And I think it's clear what this is.
The guy can't score policy win and he's not running for reelection. And he just doesn't send thrilled on the legs of Democrats.
GUTFELD: Or up the legs.
PIRRO: Up the leg.
WATTERS: Or down -- up and down.
GUTFELD: If it's going down Joe's leg, it's not a thrill. Harold? Sorry. I don't know why I said that.
WATTERS: It depends.
GUTFELD: It depends. OK, stop it.
PIRRO: I could have said the same thing.
GUTFELD: You think he's going to run again, don't you?
FORD JR: I do.
PIRRO: You do?
FORD JR: I do.
WATTERS: For what?
FORD JR: For President. And look, you think about our -- you think about history. The last few presidents had primary challengers or thought about having -- people thought about running against him. Everybody thought Ross Perot and Bill Clinton defeat H.W. They did Bill Clinton, but it was Buchanan that primaried him early on.
You look at even Obama. Sanders talked about running against Obama. Dick Gephardt, an old friend, talked about running against Bill Clinton when he's president. So, these kinds of things happen. But the last time I checked, the presidency is four years, right?
GUTFELD: Yes.
FORD JR: This is just one year in. The numbers are --
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: We're just one year in and it's this bad.
PIRRO: Yes.
FORD JR: We got eight months still. So, look --
WATTERS: Someone else is kicking Joe's butt right not.
PIRRO: Yes, anyone.
GUTFELD: That's usually true, you know, Dana, that any generic usually does better because you don't -- you don't have any flaws in the generic candidate, though I do love that Kamala Harris polled at two percent.
PIRRO: Yes, I saw that.
GUTFELD: She's really moved up.
PIRRO: Yes.
PERINO: I think it's also like dragging it down. Because I think a lot of people think that Joe Biden will not run again, and that the second line is Kamala Harris, and she's not inspiring a lot of confidence.
I also love the story this week from the LA Times about the frustrations that Democrats have with the direction that Chuck Schumer and the White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain have gone in the direction of basically bending over backwards to the left, that their strategy was off.
And so, when you start seeing articles like that, you know that there's a lot of frustration. Times are out.
GUTFELD: Yes. Judge, when do you throw your hat in the ring?
PIRRO: Never. But one thing I want to say. You know why 72 percent don't want to run they ran and they'd rather have anybody else run, because they're tired of making excuses to people like us. So, when we say to people, like, this guy can't even think straight, how can you support him? Oh, no, he's really very smart. He's good on policy. But wait, he's never been right on the foreign policy issue in his whole life. You know, they're, they can't explain it anymore, so they're fed up, so that's it.
GUTFELD: All right, it's going to be fun. Stay tuned. It's Valentine's Day and THE FIVE has got some important advice for your love life. Not me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WATTERS: Happy Valentine's Day, America. We hope everybody remembered to get their significant others gift. We hope. And we're celebrating with some personalized FIVE-themed cards. For Greg, Animals are great, but our love is greater. When I mean our love, I mean you and my love.
Dana, I choose you to be my valentine. Did you get it? You see what I did there?
PERINO: Got it. Got it.
WATTERS: Harold, you don't have to write this down. Write everything down. You're my everything. Write it down anyway. Judge, the verdict is in: I love you and you cannot appeal.
PIRRO: Yes.
WATTERS: And for yours truly, every hour is primetime when I'm with you.
PERINO: Oh, wow, that is cheesy.
WATTERS: Plus, we have a Joe Biden card and it says inflation may be high, but my love for you is priceless. All right, Dana -- and you're going to be on a love quiz tonight on primetime with Peter.
PERINO: I'm looking forward to it. I'm kind of nervous.
WATTERS: You shouldn't be.
PERINO: I'm nervous.
WATTERS: How well do you know your spouse?
PERINO: Yes, we met 25 years ago this year.
PIRRO: Wow.
PERINO: Married 24 years.
FORD JR: Wow.
PERINO: So, we better know something.
WATTERS: You better know something, and if you don't, make it up. Greg, what are you doing for this special day?
GUTFELD: Well, nothing, and I'll tell you why. Only an idiot would marry a Russian and then tell her about Valentine's Day. The whole point of marrying somebody who's not an American is not introducing that holiday to them. Why add that to your responsibility? She has no clue that today is Valentine's Day.
WATTERS: Does she know about July 4th?
GUTFELD: Yes, she does know about that.
WATTERS: Does she think there's a bombing going on?
GUTFELD: Yes, yes.
WATTERS: Run for cover.
GUTFELD: So, I'm just going to be at Hammers Hot Tub because that is out of town.
WATTERS: I've heard that place. It's pretty good.
GUTFELD: Oh, it's wild. We got 30 of us. Y'all -- and by the way, we all got tested for everything.
WATTERS: Good. You should be. Judge, your phone has been going off, a lot of Valentine's admirers. How are you going to choose?
PIRRO: Oh, I've already chosen. I'm having dinner with a friend and two guys.
GUTFELD: Oh, yes.
PERINO: Wow.
GUTFELD: I saw that video.
PIRRO: Yes, you saw that video? The guys are Ted and Red and Stella.
WATTERS: You really had me interested for a seconds. All right, what about you, Harold? What have you planned?
FORD JR: So, all these holidays, I never planned. Like, I go late and then I just go overboard. So, we got a good -- you like that, Judge? Is that --
PERINO: Yes, guilt is good. Guilt is good.
FORD JR: I'm going to write that down. Guilt is good.
WATTERS: Guilt is good. Write that down.
FORD JR: So, we'll have -- we'll have a fun night. My kids will actually be part it. We'll have a little dinner. And to my number one girl, I love you. Happy Valentine's!
WATTERS: So, is going out on Valentine's Day here in the city, and then you get gouged with the prefix? Dinner, is that -- is that a rookie move?
PERINO: I actually -- I love the -- I go to the early bird special.
WATTERS: What's that?
PIRRO: 6:15.
WATTERS: Oh, Dana.
PERINO: No, it's good. And then --
GUTFELD: That's how you do it?
PERINO: Yes, yes. Then you get you can get -- then you can get a table.
GUTFELD: Yes.
PERINO: It's not a problem.
WATTERS: You get a table. No reservation issues.
GUTFELD: And he's awake when you get home so you can party.
PERINO: Yes.
WATTERS: The hot tubs. That's -- it got your name written all over it, Gutfeld.
GUTFELD: Yes. It's the way I write it.
WATTERS: Just bring your little swimmies.
FORD JR: What are y'all doing?
WATTERS: What are we doing? Well, I'll be getting home late at 8:15. So, we'll be going to bed early so I can wake up and have my miracle morning.
PIRRO: That's it?
GUTFELD: Miracle Morning.
WATTERS: Should I plan something?
GUTFELD: Oh, my God.
WATTERS: Oh, no, I'll be making her very happy. "ONE MORE THING" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PIRRO: It's time now for "ONE MORE THING." I'll start with you, Dana.
PERINO: All right, this is a love story of a different kind. I want you to meet a wonderful guy. He works for Fox Sports ads sales. His name is Nicholas Compitello. And this is Steel. This is his canine companion. Those of you who remember Spike who was a part of the daily briefing show for a long time. This match just happened. He waited two years to get this dog. I asked him a couple of questions. Here. Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICHOLAS COMPITELLO, FOX SPORTS: I had to wait for about two years to get him, then went to a two-week training course up in Long Island where it was a pre-match, you know, going over simple commands. Then, you know, graduated last Friday. And here I am showing off my guy.
PERINO: How many girls have you met because of Steel?
COMPITELLO: Honestly, I've been a little -- you know, I'm just trying to get him situated. I've met you which is an amazing opportunity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO: And so, you know, you might see him around the building or see him around town. That is Steel. And it's just a wonderful organization, CCI.org. They do incredible work. So, I look forward to getting to know them better.
PIRRO: OK. All right, and for me, the Children's National Hospital charity auction officially begins today. The hospital is near and dear to many of votes in the Fox family because it's where Bret Baier's son received treatment for congenital heart disease.
There's an all-star panel events as well as silent auctions to benefit the hospital this week. The auction is jam-packed with prizes. You could win a personal message from me or an opportunity to take over Dana and Jesse's "ONE MORE THING." It's open to everyone today through February 19 at 9:00 p.m. Visit www.allstarpanelevent.com and click Silent Auction button to register and bid. OK, Jesse.
WATTERS: Yes, my "ONE MORE THING" is for sale.
PIRRO: It is.
GUTFELD: You know, Judge, you don't have to say www anymore. Just --
PIRRO: I know that but it was here. Some people don't know for sure.
PERINO: You should be very thorough.
WATTERS: All right, my --
PIRRO: You know what? You started the show wrong this morning -- this afternoon. Go ahead, Jesse.
WATTERS: I just want to take this outside. Congratulations to my sister Aliza Watters.
PERINO: How cute is that.
WATTERS: She has just been named assistant dean of undergraduate curriculum at Johns Hopkins.
PERINO: Wow. Good job.
FORD JR: Congratulation.
WATTERS: I'm very, very proud of Aliza and we're very, very impressed. Tonight on "PRIMETIME," we have the aforementioned Valentine's Day couples quiz. Dana will be featured also. We're going to do a deep dive into the Russia hoax. Also, a kid that was locked up in a closet by the teacher's union for not wearing a mask and class will be joining me.
PERINO: Wow.
WATTERS: And there's some cannibalism, a foot amongst the cartels.
GUTFELD: A foot or an arm.
WATTERS: See what I did there?
GUTFELD: Yes.
WATTERS: And we're warning on that one.
PIRRO: Yes, very good. Very good.
PERINO: Good thing they got a warning.
PIRRO: OK, Greg.
PERINO: Some people didn't get a warning.
PIRRO: Do you want to add to that?
GUTFELD: Yes. Let's do this, shall we?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUTFELD: Animals are great! Animals are great! Animals are great!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTFELD: Cannibalism at 7:00. You know -- you know, when you see a baby, people like the film baby seeing things for the first time.
WATTERS: We should have the hot tub that you're going to be in later.
GUTFELD: Yes. It's stupid. I like to see animals seeing other animals for the first time, like this little baby rhino. He never saw these other animals, was a completely thrown off by these tall neck creatures. And then and then was walking around and saw some zebras. I thought there was more video of him being surprised by a zebra.
Yes, but he was surprised. And it's like -- it's kind of like -- you know, what's interesting? I don't think animals see race. Look at that.
WATTERS: Greg, you know what? I think zoos should do that more often. Just mix all the animals in one room?
GUTFELD: Of the animals together. Yes.
WATTERS: Just let it all play out.
GUTFELD: Exactly. Why segregate it?
PERINO: And then play it at 7:00.
WATTERS: Play it at 7:00.
GUTFELD: Cannibalism.
WATTERS: Viewer warning.
PERINO: Wow. All right, Harold, hit it.
FORD JR: First --
GUTFELD: Valentine's Day.
FORD JR: Children's National Hospital, Bret and Amy Baier, that's such a great thing. I'm actually going to play golf with Bret too. I think he's -- he got something --
WATTERS: I'm going to play. I don't know what Brent is going to do to me.
FORD JR: So, my one more thing, anybody watches the Phoenix Open year after year, right before the Super Bowl, knows that they've got a 16th hole that is really unlike anything in golf. And Sam Ryder experienced it.
He aced the 16th hole. And I don't think he was ready for what came out.
PIRRO: Wow.
FORD JR: The crowd, 20,000 people, they sprayed beer. You think you're at a soccer match?
WATTERS: No masks.
FORD JR: They throw the -- no masks. They throw beer cans. It took 15 minutes to clean things up. Sam Ryder won't forget this. Congratulations to you, young fellow.
PIRRO: That's pretty incredible. That's it for us. "SPECIAL REPORT" is up next. Hey, Bret.
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