Updated

This is a rush transcript from "The Five," January 17, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

DANA PERINO, FOX NEWS CO-HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm Dana Perino along with Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Kennedy, and Harold Ford, Jr. It's five o'clock in New York City, and this is The Five.

The FBI doing damage control over the way it first characterized a harrowing terror attack on a synagogue in Texas. A British national storming into the place of worship taking four hostages while demanding the release of a prisoner known as lady Al Qaeda. The gunman killed after an 11-hour standoff, thankfully all the hostages were able to escape physically unharmed, but this is how the FBI initially described the motive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW DASARNO, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, FBI DALLAS, TEXAS: We do believe from our engagement with the subject that he was singly focused on one issue and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community. But we will continue to work to find motive and we will continue on that path.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO (on camera): After backlash, the FBI doing a 180 and saying in a statement, this is a terrorism related matter in which the Jewish community was targeted and it's being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force. President Biden also reacting and using the incident to push for stricter gun control.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This was an act of terror, this was an act of terror. And allegedly he purchased it on the street. Now what that means, I don't know. But you can't stop something like this if someone is on the street buying something for somebody else on the street. Except that there's too -- there are so many guns that have been sold. It's just ridiculous. And it is because of the failure to focus as hard as we should and consistently as we should on gun purchases, gun sales, ghost guns, and a whole range of things that I'm trying to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO (on camera): Greg, I want to go to you and have you listened first to Andy McCarthy who described what the FBI might have been thinking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY MCCARTHY, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY: For too many years the bureau has been hypersensitive to Islamist organizations and the -- and their demagoguery in the way they react and I think they take them to be like the voice of Muslim Americans across the country, which they are not. And they tried to, you know, sort of couch their words in a way that's not offensive to those organizations when I think they should just tell us what happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO (on camera): I mean, to state the obvious perhaps.

GREG GUTFELD, FOX NEWS CO-HOST: Yes. Clearly, everybody here is completely wrong. This was the work of an angry parent fresh from a school board meeting, radicalized by Tucker Carlson to join the Oath Keepers and head to the synagogue. I can't believe you people don't see through this.

PERINO: It is that.

GUTFELD: But Andy McCarthy, he is absolutely right, there is a hypersensitivity. The FBI is concerned about the perceptions of them being seen as intolerant, especially now in the age of woke that's more important than actually speaking the truth. And you are seeing this all throughout the White House and Joe and Joe Biden, especially, is that they are under the thumb of Twitter and they're kind of -- that's kind of where they anticipate the reactions.

Meanwhile, normal people, people who turn on the news who aren't, you know, who don't work in politics or media, they only see two variables. The two variables are synagogue, Islamic terrorist. There are no other - there's no other contacts necessary for them. They don't need to see the big picture.

You don't need the big picture here. You have the two -- the two variables. But then what happens is, they can make the conclusion that this is a work of Islamic terrorists and an anti-Semitic attack. But once you add the other variables, woke media, woke Twitter, woke politics, what you end up happening is, well this appears unrelated to anti-Semitism or terror. It really is about getting comes off at the street and the real terrorist is perhaps the NRA.

So, this is what happens. The American public can see through that. And Joe can prattle on about gun control, but in his party killed gun control. You cannot energize criminals while disarming the public, right, between demonizing the police, the funding ideology, the defunding ideology. Lawful gun owners are going to be buying more guns.

PERINO: Jesse, one of things about stricter gun control is, OK, fine, you can -- fine, you want to have that discussion, but what about stricter border enforcement or Customs and Border Patrol protection immigration because this guy, the terrorist enter the United States on December 29th. And now you have U.K. officials interviewing two teens today that perhaps some sort of connection. What was the intel chatter that was going on before this?

JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS HOST: We are going to have to ask Biden that question when he holds his news conference on Wednesday. This guy wasn't on your radar, Mr. President? You gave him a visa two weeks ago to come into this country. What kind of visa was it? Did you vet him? Was he on a watch list?

Usually, the feds are all over these people. And then they do a raid immediately in England with associates or people affiliated with them. So, Scotland Yard didn't know anything about this, MI6 had no clue about this guy. This guy buys a hot gun off the street two weeks after he gets here? Who was the guy he bought the gun from?

They don't even know how he died or who shot him. There's a lot of suspicious things about the story and a lot of unanswered questions. And hopefully, Joe has at least one of those answers in the next 48 hours because he should be asked about this.

But Dana, if there someone foreign national radical Muslim who comes into this country and holds Jewish people hostage at a synagogue and then demands a release of an Al Qaeda prisoner? The FBI comes out and says, we can't rule out Trump supporters. Think about that.

You know, we don't know if this motive was white raid or the Russians. I mean, that's really what they did here. And that's how the FBI does it, that's by the book. Remember, Dana, the FBI has said publicly that the number one domestic terror threat --

PERINO: Yes.

WATTERS: -- are white supremacist. So, when something like this happen, they can't rule anything out. Everybody is a suspect, Dana. You can actually get mad, because listen, we don't want to cause anymore Islamophobia here, again, because this happened in Texas. God forbid, there is a backlash vigilante in that dirty, southern state. We can't have that. We have to, we can't -- we have to protect peaceful Muslims, not peaceful Trump supporters but peaceful Muslims. Those are the people who we really, really have to protect. It's all backwards.

PERINO: Harold, could you listen to two representatives of the Jewish community and their reaction to how it was first characterized.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHMULEY BOTEACH, ORTHODOX RABBI: Are you kidding me? The hostage taker did not go to a McDonald's, he didn't go to a shopping mall. He went to a synagogue.

DOV HIKIND, AMERICANS AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM: A synagogue attacked. A synagogue. By someone who is trying to free a terrorist for God's sakes, and for the FBI to say no, this is not about the Jewish community. Hey, it was about the Jews, for God's sake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO (on camera): Harold, your thoughts today.

HAROLD FORD, JR., FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, first off, happy King Day. Two, I don't necessarily see how from the outset it was not perceived as an attack on the Jewish people. I think about three years ago, little over three years ago in Pittsburgh at Tree of Life when the attack happened, the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the United States.

PERINO: Yes.

FORD: I even think about Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina where another act of hate was perpetrated. For me, the bigger issue is the one that Jesse raised. I don't know how he got into the country. He seemed to have been banned, this person, from a courthouse in his own hometown. That would seem to me to raise some flags or raise some fears.

I don't blame him though and I won't go as far as Jesse blaming this on Biden. I think our intelligence operations and apparatus have to understand what communication was not there. Was there a communication that was not there?

I give the FBI little credit this morning -- this evening because they did clarify and correct their statement.

PERINO: Yes.

FORD: But I would hope whatever processes they have and we don't -- we are not privy too. Remember this thing, I think was streaming live.

PERINO: Yes.

FORD: And finally, I give that rabbi who is the real hero in all of this, how he was able to help those hostages escape and how he was able to distract this terrorist.

PERINO: Well, one of the reasons he was able to do that, Kennedy, is because many of the synagogues have gone through training to make sure that they are prepared to deal with it. The other thing as Harold mentioned it was live streamed. It is curious, we haven't heard yet during this investigation what sort of phone the killer had. Well, I guess, he didn't kill anyone but the perpetrator. What kind of phone did he have? And are the tech companies cooperating to make sure that we can get the information?

LISA KENNEDY MONTGOMERY, FOX NEWS HOST: I bet they are. They usually do, but you know, you're absolutely right to question the FBI about this because they didn't just clarify their statement. They did a complete 180 here because they got it so wrong.

The FBI has done more to tarnished the trust in law enforcement, people in this country have for local and federal law enforcement than the progressive defund the police movement. And you know, they have been pretty awful about these things.

And for that meathead spokesperson to come out and say, it had nothing to do with the fact that this was a synagogue, a Jewish house of worship, that's absolute baloney. And you know, everyone should be outraged about this. You have to be straightforward with people.

That's the only way we can make society safer is if you are honest to people instead of trying to shellack things. And it reminds me of how the FBI dropped the ball after interviewing Olympic gymnast --

PERINO: Yes.

MONTGOMERY: -- and putting that testimony in a file for 18 months. So, the person who was essentially accused of some horrific sexual assault went out and assaulted more victims.

PERINO: Yes.

MONTGOMERY: So, the FBI has egg all over its face. And it's not OK because they issued a massive disk clarification.

PERINO: All right. Coming up next, Democrat strategist James Carville calling out his own party. Guess what? He says they are winning too much. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MONTGOMERY (on camera): Americans getting fed up with President Biden and his incompetent administration. A new poll showing Americans frustrated with the president. They think Biden is out of touch with most pressing issues.

The top three words used to describe how the administration is making them feel so far, frustrated, disappointed, and nervous. The problem isn't just with Biden. The whole Democratic Party out of touch with the American people who are suffering. And old guards like James Carville are issuing this morning. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CARVILLE, DEMOCRAT STRATEGIST: I think a lot at the Democratic base has not been told or informed of the things that President Biden and this Congress has accomplished. Democrats whine too much, Chuck. Let's quit being a whiny party and get out there and fight and tell people what you did and tell people the exact truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MONTGOMERY (on camera): That's no fun. So, Harold Ford, Jr., we've got a couple of Clintonites trying to frame what's happening with these horrible numbers. You have James Carville saying, quit being a whiny party. But then Joe Lockhart who once did the job that Dana Perino for George W. Bush, he was President Clinton's spokesperson, he is saying that the coverage is unfair. The press coverage of Joe Biden is just been unfair. And he thought you were going to get a dividend for bringing normalcy back to America. So, where do you stand, Harold Ford, Jr.?

FORD: I'm more with the Carville. I think James Carville, not only he sees things whining, does it apply to Biden, I think it also applies to, you know, stop whining press coverage. Dana knows as well as anyone, you are going to get negative coverage and positive coverage, but you can't bank on -- you can only bank on negative coverage and hope you get positive coverage.

I think Carville had it right, tout the accomplishments. But I would add a couple more things. One, you got to fix the border and you got to demonstrate that you have a policy and that you are paying attention to it and that you are going to work to get it done.

Two, a supply chain task force that every week we will give a sense of what we are doing to unclogged those lanes that are making it harder and really impossible for goods to get into the country. Which are, in many ways, is contributing heavily to inflation, to inflation woes.

Three, stop trying to be the Senate leader, Mr. President. Be president. use the bully pulpit, advance your agenda that way and leave the process to Senator Schumer and Speaker Pelosi. You ought to get out and explain what's in what you want, why you want it and ask the country to support it.

And finally, give Joe Manchin what he wants on build back better, put it on the floor and take the dog on victory in front of you.

MONTGOMERY: HFJ 2024, I love to see it.

GUTFELD: Yes.

MONTGOMERY: All right, so Jesse, that's great advice. Tout your accomplishments. But when you have the Supreme Court striking down your vaccine mandate, you have inflation that's ravaging the country and hurting low-income earners. And then you have a senator from your very own party turning down modifying the filibuster. What are the accomplishments exactly, Jesse?

WATTERS: There are no accomplishments to tout. James is concerned with marketing. This is not about marketing. This is about a product. No one wants the product Biden is selling. He is like the sales guy that keeps on trying to sell you something but you are not there to buy.

There used to be a guy at Long Island, I used to go to the store and I used to go and purchase Christmas. I'm like, Mike, where are the Christmas lights, what aisle? And he'd be like, no, no, no, let me show you these Adirondack chairs, Mr. Watters. I was like, Mike, I'm here for the lights, I don't want Adirondack chairs. He said, no, no, no, sit down in these chairs, trust me, you're going to love these chairs.

I sit down to humor him, I said, Mike, they are great chairs, but I need Christmas lights. He said, you know what I'm going to do, don't tell the manager, Jesse, I'm going to knock off 10 percent on these chairs, don't tell anybody. I'm going to do this for you. They are basically free when you think about it.

And I said, what are you talking about, Mike? First of all, these chairs have stickers on them that says sold. He goes, did not these chairs, these are floor examples, but they are backordered and you are going to get these chairs at about six months.

So, it's the same thing with Biden. Like, he is selling us something that we don't want. And the stuff he is selling us but he can't even deliver like the voting thing and build back better. So, what are we doing? All we want is a nimble administration that's able to pivot away from their preplanned political agenda and towards the agenda of the American people. The things that we care about now, today, and they can't do it.

MONTGOMERY: No, because the American people are busy getting blamed for all of this, Dana. And I think that's part of what is driving these poll numbers down. You know, you had a Quinnipiac poll last week that you talked about. Thirty-three percent, you know, the average polling, the average approval rating for the president is anywhere from 40 percent to 44 percent, still not good.

PERINO: No.

MONTGOMERY: So, you know, what can they possibly do to make things better when their policies, to Jesse's point, what the American public what they've actually bought are making things worse and exacerbating things like inflation? So, what do you do to make it better?

PERINO: Well, the Quinnipiac poll definitely lit a fire, I know some Democrats because it was a shocking one and it was considered possibly an outlier. Right? So, they wrote a memo from the White House and basically saying this is not really the case. Biden is actually fairly popular, everything is fine.

And the ink was not even dry on that memo when the new CBS poll came out which basically reiterated what was said what the Quinnipiac said. And one of the big focus is, is the word focus in this poll. One of the things I thought it was interesting, it's only 33 percent think Biden and Democrats are focused on the key issues they care a lot about.

So, they are selling Adirondack chairs when we came in for Christmas lights and people are irritated about it. Now, polls like this with the trajectory, you would expect to see some sort of possible leadership change or major change in direction, but everything I'm picking up is that there is not -- there is not one that they are going to continue to try to drive on voting rights in particular. And it's likely that they will lose that vote again tomorrow.

MONTGOMERY: Interesting. So, you know, Dana is talking about some of the numbers, Greg, 40 percent of the country in the CBS poll, 40 percent say they are nervous about this administration. We are still in the first year of this president's first term. What is year two going to be like?

GUTFELD: I'm just thinking about how Adirondack chairs are so uncomfortable for short people. You guys don't understand it.

(CROSSTALK)

PERINO: I understand.

GUTFELD: You have to sit your ass all the way back to the chair. And then it's just not -- you can't find a way to sit in them. And then you get a splinter. Now, I'm just -- that's all I've been thinking about for this entire segment.

All right, here's the weird thing about these numbers. This is what's crazy. OK? Joe Lockhart is saying the media -- by the way, in scientific terms he is a gibbering moron, I think we've understood this for a while. But you have to understand, there's actually very, very, very little bad coverage about Joe Biden. If you step, I mean, we talk about it all the time, but that's because that's what we do on this, but there is very little bad coverage on this.

But it's not necessary because his ineptitude and decrepitude has become part of mainstream culture. It's like, you don't have to talk that bad about him. You don't have to criticize, because it has kind of been understood that this is kind of what we are stuck with.

And it's probably -- and the saddest part about it is, and I'm beating a dead horse quite literally, Joe put wokeism before the welfare of the country. You have some really, really big issues here whether it's crime, fentanyl poisoning, inflation, COVID, the border. These are things that affect every citizen black or white, you name it.

PERINO: Yes.

GUTFELD: But instead, Joe is like January 6th, voting rights, pronouns. He is basically AOC and a bad grandpa rubber suit. And you -- and we did get sold like some bad Adirondack chairs. I think the best advice for the Dems besides running Harold 2024, is to develop a few more tools than race politics and woke apologism (Ph).

PERINO: Yes.

GUTFELD: Right? They're -- the issue are sitting there, man, the Republicans are generally slow. If you beat them to it, but you got to let go of the stuff. The symbolic CYA social justice, the energy they put into that could power a small city, a nauseating small city like Portland.

MONTGOMERY: Yes. And they can all go live there.

GUTFELD: Yes.

MONTGOMERY: Have a great time. All right. Greg touched on it. We are going to dive into it. Straight ahead, crime wave, poor innocent people getting killed by criminals while a liberal leader claims, there is nothing to fear. We'll talk about it next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FORD (on camera): Democrat led cities roiled by yet another weekend of deadly violence. A man New York City man with an extensive rap sheet dating back to the '90s is accused of pushing an Asian woman into the subway train track into her death. But the new mayor still insists the subways are safe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D-NY): We know that public safety is not only actual but is perceived. And when you have an incident like this, the perception is what we are fighting against. This is a safe system. Because of the job that the transit offices have carried out and what this chief has done in the system, we are going to continue to enhance to deal with the mental health crisis that we have in our system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FORD (on camera): And in Los Angeles, a UCLA grad student was stabbed and killed while working at a high-end furniture store. While reports reveal an emergency room nurse in Los Angeles has died after being violently attacked by a homeless man at the city's union station.

Greg, you've been thoughtful and out -- out front on this issue. What should the cities be doing?

GUTFELD: Well, I think they have to acknowledge -- OK, one thing I've noticed that the -- what's missing is sane criminals. Have you noticed that whenever we hear about this, the next step is, they are deranged, right, they are either mentally ill, homeless or the progressive D.A.'s?

The only difference is one can shop at men's warehouse. But the Times Square pushers have been in and out of mental institutions for 20 years. So, you got to, first, you got to the obvious. And I think Mayor Adams, I'm praying because I know he watches The Five, that he -- that he understands this.

If you live on the streets, you are probably mentally insane and inclined to do mentally insane things. So, we need to stop pretending that on the people -- many people on the street are it's either a lifestyle choice or some heroic veteran who just lost his apartment and he's out on the street.

No, no, no, no. If you're alone male raging on the avenue doing all sorts of deviant things, you will ultimately hurt someone besides yourself.

Again, drill down to the two basic variables. Remove the context, OK. Crazy man on the street is going to hurt you. So, the simple -- the simple solution is you need to take the crazy person off the street and put them in a place where he won't do crazy things.

We have -- families have to sue the cities, the families of the victims, we got to repeal the laws that keep authorities from removing dangerous people from society. We need -- if we don't have the asylums because they're close, we got to reopen them. I'm happy to pay more tax money to that.

Unfortunately New York City under De Blasio he took what was it, $800 million from us. We don't know where it went. But I'm praying that the new mayor gets this. I want him to understand this. I think he might.

FORD JR.: Dana, you live in New York, as Jesse, and Greg, all of us do. What are your thoughts?

PERINO: Well, I think you know, I'm listening to the mayor, and he's talking about perception, and we have a perception problem. But perception is reality. And in looking at some of these polls, generally, crime and fear is around five -- number five to 10 on issues of importance to people. For Republicans, it's a little higher, between four and eight.

So, you have all of this happening across the country. There's a -- that's a very potent issue for the Midterm Elections and something that the Republicans could run on. But there has to be a real focus on what Greg was talking about in terms of let's -- what are we actually going to do about the homeless? And we've been talking about this for a long time. We really ought to do something about the homeless.

And I agree, Greg. I think maybe if we could be assured that we're going to spend a billion dollars in New York City on the homeless, and we're going to get them help, and we're going to actually do something and not have to have a report that says, whoops, Mayor De Blasio's wife blew the money, we don't know where it is. That doesn't do anybody any good.

But it also has to do with the district attorneys. I think that they know now that the focus is on them. Maybe that will help.

FORD JR: Kennedy, is this something that will make District Attorney Bragg, you think, think differently about some of these issues?

MONTGOMERY: Unfortunately, no. Unfortunately, it's going to take a lot more for him. It's interesting because San Francisco is having a come to Jesus moment in terms of how they're prosecuting a lot of these smash and grab crimes and quality of life issues that they are experiencing, because they've done what pretty much every major city on the West Coast has done, and that's caught all the homeless and throw a bunch of money at them.

You know, you've had Measure H pass in Los Angeles. And the mayor there is throwing up his hands and said, no, this is a federal problem. Whatever they're doing, they've made it worse. They're throwing people away. They don't care about human beings. They just want to seem like they care, so they pump tons of money into these programs that ultimately do absolutely nothing but make the cities less safe and make the businesses want to move out of town because it's really hard to operate when you've got feces on your front steps.

FORD JR: Jesse, bring us home here.

WATTERS: I used to take the subway every single day for 15 years. You step on, you sit down across from an actress from a hedge fund trader, a construction worker, a family of five, a guy petting his iguana. I even ran into Gutfeld a couple of times on the subway.

GUTFELD: It's true. I was asleep.

WATTERS: You were asleep after I got off.

GUTFELD: Yes.

WATTERS: And -- but that unique mix of people in this little car going at high-speeds throttling under this little island of Manhattan, that was a really special time and place, and used to strike up conversations with random people. There was something really real about it. And it's gone. COVID put it on the canvas and crime is probably going to keep it there.

Because what the mayor doesn't understand is, it is the randomness that is so scary. To think you can get on anywhere and just be attacked for nothing and there's nothing you can do about it. The only thing you can do about it is not go on the subway. That's what people are going to do. I'm not going to take my children on the subway.

And the fact that this happened in the Time Square subway -- it's like the commercial nerve center of the entire city, the tourism mecca of the city - - this is why terrorists attack Time Square because of the population density, the fear factor psychologically. He doesn't understand that. You have to have a plan to incarcerate and institutionalize dangerous mentally ill people. And until we have that plan and the willpower, no one is ever going to ride the subway ever again.

GUTFELD: True.

FORD JR: Mr. Mayor, Greg, and his team here, we are -- we're for you, but we need you to -- need you to pay attention to us. Next, the battle over what's being taught in schools back in focus as Virginia's new Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin takes office.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WATTERS: Virginia's new Governor Glenn Youngkin, putting the power back in parents' hands on his first day in office with 11 executive orders, including banning critical race theory and lifting mask mandates in public schools. But some districts are already making plans to defy him, telling families that masking policies will remain in place. But the governor signals he's ready for a battle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GLENN YOUNGKIN (R-VA): So, I just hope that Arlington County Schools and the rest of the -- rest of the school systems around the Commonwealth of Virginia use this week to listen to parents and get prepared because we granted parents the option of deciding whether they want their child to wear a mask or not, and we're going to protect that right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATTERS: And now, the White House is getting involved. Jen Psaki taking a shot at Youngkin in a tweet while backing up the Arlington County School's mask policy.

Dana, I don't understand what the fuss is. If you're a mom or your dad and you want little Johnny or Alison to wear a mask, they can wear a mask. What's the problem with letting the parents decide?

PERINO: And also, if you -- if you're not in public schools, and you're in private schools, why are you complaining?

PERINO: Right.

PERINO: Because this only affects the public schools. But the thing about Glenn Youngkin is he is, imagine this, following through on his campaign promises. This election was about -- a lot had to do about education. And also, it's very interesting, we just talked about Eric Adams in the last block. In a way, Glenn Youngkin is the Eric Adams for the Republicans. He is a fresh face, elected during a time of turmoil, and then -- has an opportunity to just say you know what I'm going for it.

There's also something different in Virginia that I don't necessarily like, but it is the way it is. They -- you can only have one term as governor. So, he doesn't have a re-election that he has to worry about. So, we can get in there. And he's got a short amount of time to do as much as he possibly can. And that's why he was right out of the gate with those 11.

WATTERS: Yes, go for it. Why not? Greg, I mean, if they're not teaching CRT in schools, then what's the uproar when he bans it?

GUTFELD: That's -- well, that's a really good point. Jesse.

WATTERS: Once in a while I make a good point.

GUTFELD: Yes, that's good. Yes, I just -- it's important that he's getting rid of that stuff. Teach courses, whether it's history or math, but not through the framing of oppression politics, because even though it -- you know, it, you know, portrays whites as the oppressor. It paints everybody else is the oppressed.

And research shows that the identity of victimhood gets you nowhere in life. I think it's not a good thing to start out a kid in that way. But I would also ask. Even though Psaki has already flamed him, the rest of Virginia should just give him a chance. Let's see how the policies affect the state.

If it doesn't work, the Republicans are pragmatic. They listen and they will not call you a racist. That's the refreshing part. Psaki is like somebody on Twitter who has to be the first one with the hot take, which means it's always wrong.

WATTERS: I almost didn't recognize Glenn Youngkin, Kennedy, because he wasn't wearing that vest. Was that a vest he was --

MONTGOMERY: That was a vest.

WATTERS: That was a vest.

GUTFELD: I thought that was Kavanaugh.

MONTGOMERY: He had the vest kept inside the pullover.

WATTERS: It's -- OK, it was a vest -- OK, it was underneath the pullover. O, got it. Got it. They're having a very hard time demonizing this Youngkin guy. They tried so hard for so long. It just doesn't seem to stick. What do you think it is about him?

MONTGOMERY: He's actually listening to parents. And this is not a political issue for them. It's really not. They're trying to make it into one, and they're trying to say that Republicans invented CRT and weaponized it. But you're talking about parents, who are -- they saw what happened in the education system when their kids were on lockdown learning remotely from their living rooms and bedrooms. Parents were not impressed by that.

And you know, when they tried to take back the power and pull the shade back down and keep them out of the process, that's when there was an electoral revolts. So, yes, give them a chance. Give school choice a chance. Let the money follow the students because they screwed everything up, and he's absolutely right.

You know, if parents want to make the choice to not force their child to wear a mask, let them do that. And that's -- you know, that's a great place to start.

WATTERS: It's a great lesson for Democrats, Harold, that if you're a politician, you listen to parents instead of the teachers unions. Maybe people will like you a little bit.

FORD JR: Look, I think Glenn Youngkin is trying his hardest, and I wish him the best. Dana's point, it's only four years in the Commonwealth of Virginia. You're able to, I think, be a little more daring.

I do that that people who want to wear masks wear mask and hope to people who choose not to wear masks realize that you might be making someone else sick, but that's something you'll have to deal with in Virginia.

Where I agree with him wholeheartedly it's and it's been raised here, we need critical math being taught in school. When it critical languages being taught in school. We need critical history. We shouldn't be afraid of things that may upset us.

Jesse, the Eagles lost yesterday. They need to look at the film and understand what happened not because they want to continue to play like that, but because they want to play better. The reality is we in America, we always do better --

WATTERS: So did the Cowboys, Harold. They should look at the tape too.

MONTGOMERY: Yes, they do.

FORD JR: Right. look, Titans will be on -- will be on next week. But the truth is we can't be afraid of the past, shouldn't be afraid of history, but at the same time we shouldn't teach people that some people are better than others. Critical math, critical science, critical language, that's what we should be teaching in all of our schools.

WATTERS: I just don't understand how Virginia is allowed to be a Commonwealth. Where did they get that from?

MONTGOMERY: Kentucky as well.

WATTERS: Commonwealth, that's -- it's so amazing. Why are -- why is New York not a Commonwealth?

PERINO: It's like having a foundation. It just sounds better.

WATTERS: It sounds so much better, Dana. You're right.

FORD JR: I'm going to write that down, the Commonwealth in New York City.

WATTERS: "THE FASTEST" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GUTFELD: Welcome back. Time for "THE FASTEST." First up, a woman rushed to the hospital with severe stomach pain after binging on too much sushi at an all-you-can-eat buffet. You won't find this on "SPECIAL REPORT." She scarfed down 32 roles, plus some edamame beans, some jalapeno poppers, and miso soup. What a pig. And now, she admits she should have taken it slower.

All right, Jesse, what -- who does an all-you-can-eat sushi? That is the least appetizing choice if you're seeking volume. What did she -- it's like only wales would do that.

WATTERS: Yes. She's a rookie eater, not like you and I, Gutfeld. Gluttony is a sin, but this is also a sin. She mixed the sushi with jalapeno poppers.

GUTFELD: Yes, that's a problem.

PERINO: That was it.

WATTERS: You can't mix cuisines. Those are only for very experienced eaters. Like, you can't have Indian mixed with Italian or Chinese versus Mexican. You just have to stick with one and then take it all the way.

GUTFELD: Unless you're on a -- at a Vegas all-you-can-eat buffet, Kennedy, were like you can have turkey gravy that kind of blends into your soft serve ice cream.

MONTGOMERY: It blends in. I put it there intentionally. I felt bad for her because I realized she's never going to be a competitive eater. And that's something that I aspire to.

WATTERS: Kobayashi has got nothing to worry about.

MONTGOMERY: Yes, it's Joey Chestnut. I'm taking them down. But this young woman, Danielle, she's not going to. Sushi is expensive. A $50 buffet, that's really expensive. So, you know, next time go to Golden Corral.

GUTFELD: Yes, that's what me and Harold do. We often go to the Golden Corral on weekends and we have -- we try to eat as much cornbread as possible. Usually, we end up throwing up in the parking lot. It's a terrible thing.

You -- do you ever do the all-you-can-eat, Harold? You don't seem like the type.

FORD JR: I do have kids now, so the pizza buffet. I've never -- I've never seen sushi all-you-can-eat, but the pizza one, I do.

GUTFELD: Yes, yes. It's pro-con. I'm just going to -- I'm just going to keep asking questions, Harold.

FORD JR: I like the sausage and pepperoni. Honestly, I don't know what you're asking.

GUTFELD: Thank you -- thank you, Harold. Dana, you can't go to the all-you- can-eat because you have one grape and then suddenly you're stuffed.

PERINO: That's right. Well, the other thing is, I have two rules. No all- you-can-eat and no sushi.

GUTFELD: Yes. It's actually right. That's two -- but these are two awful things put together. I used to do all-you-can-eat Chinese food. That's amazing. Spareribs, fried rice, that's what all-you-can-eat is about.

WATTERS: Dana, is there any -- are there any sushi restaurants in your hometown?

WATTERS: That'll be a no.

WATTERS: In your home state?

PERINO: But my sister, Angie, she loves the Golden Corral. So, if you could invite her, Harold and Greg, to your next one, she would love it.

GUTFELD: All right, bring a bib. All right, "ONE MORE THING" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PERINO: It is time now for "ONE MORE THING." Jesse.

WATTERS: Fox rock star and our good buddy Porter Berry just welcomed the little baby boy into the world. Robert Porter Lee Berry dropped in at healthy seven pounds, three ounces on Friday. Mom is doing great and big brother Owen, very excited. So, we're sending lots of love to this little guy. I'm sure he and Jesse Jr. are going to cause a lot of trouble around these parts.

And speaking of causing trouble, I'll be on "HANNITY" tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Check us out there.

PERINO: That's a gorgeous baby. So, everybody's happy for him. Harold.

FORD JR: Congrats. My congratulations as well. On April 4, 1968, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was in Indianapolis on the night that Dr. King was assassinated. And he gave this -- these set of remarks. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT F. KENNEDY, FORMER U.S. SENATOR: Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice. He died and the cause of that effort.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FORD JR: As we remember Dr. King today, we reminded of those words that love and justice and compassion defined him. Dr. King asked us all to develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness. I hope that we all can. And as a great Nelson Mandela, great -- another great freedom fighter once said, let's let our choices reflect our hopes and not our fears. Happy King Day!

PERINO: All right, Greg.

GUTFELD: Robert Porter Lee Berry. Well, with that name, he certainly won't be stealing any cars in Florida.

Let's do this. Greg's job search. Well, two weeks ago, I joined LinkedIn not because I wanted to, but I wanted to contact a CEO of an appliance company because I didn't have a motor for my washer and dryer. Now, I got the washer and dryer motor, but the downside is now I get all these e- mails. And because I listed as my occupation host, I'm getting a lot of interesting job applications in offers. Take a look at this as -- for being a host.

So, if -- at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, I -- the job -- I could be the dining host where I could graciously serve food and beverages to patients, staffs, and visitors. But the large serving trays weigh up to 40 pounds, so that might be a problem for me.

But at Hard Rock, this is what's exciting. I get to greet, seat, and page guests, and also assume the role of a tour guide.

WATTERS: Your table is ready.

GUTFELD: Yes, your table is ready. I've been practicing that for years. The party of seven, your table is ready. And then -- but the problem with that skill required, remaining calm and a hectic, fast-paced environment. I'm out.

PERINO: Out.

GUTFELD: So, anyway, this is great. If I get canned here, I got a lot of stuff to fall back on.

PERINO: It's a really good networking that you've got going on. I had one thing. You know -- you know how phones and noises -- noises of phones bother me. But look at this parrot, this parrot named Gucci, look at what he learned how to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: Wow.

PERINO: Pretty clever little guy.

GUTFELD: That's crazy.

PERINO: I mean, it would drive me bananas.

GUTFELD: That's crazy.

PERINO: But good luck, little bird. All right, Kennedy.

MONTGOMERY: Whenever my phone rings, my dog goes nuts. So, if you put that parrot and my dog together, we'd be screwed.

Today would have been Betty White's 100 birthday. The LA Zoo is honoring her with a special day. They unveiled the white rose garden where people can go leave message messages and portraits. It's in the Allen Ludden Plaza named after her late husband.

Betty White challenge is trending on social media where you can donate $5.00 to animal rescue in her honor.

PERINO: Lovely. Well, great show, everyone. I'm stretching for five more seconds. Excellent parrot, but I think Jesse wins "ONE MORE THING" prize. But host for Greg, I love it. I'm going to try that. Maybe we should all get on LinkedIn.

All right, that's it for us. "SPECIAL REPORT" is up next. Hey, Bret!

END

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CHARLES PAYNE, FOX BUSINESS HOST (on camera): Maybe, just maybe that could save the president by midterm, but he's got some catching up to do. That will do it for me, though, here. Of course, the markets are closed today for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. They will be open tomorrow so catch me at 2 p.m. on the Business Channel. It's going to be a huge day. Now The Five starts.

DANA PERINO, FOX NEWS CO-HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm Dana Perino along with Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Kennedy, and Harold Ford, Jr. It's five o'clock in New York City, and this is The Five.

The FBI doing damage control over the way it first characterized a harrowing terror attack on a synagogue in Texas. A British national storming into the place of worship taking four hostages while demanding the release of a prisoner known as lady Al Qaeda. The gunman killed after an 11-hour standoff, thankfully all the hostages were able to escape physically unharmed, but this is how the FBI initially described the motive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW DASARNO, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, FBI DALLAS, TEXAS: We do believe from our engagement with the subject that he was singly focused on one issue and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community. But we will continue to work to find motive and we will continue on that path.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO (on camera): After backlash, the FBI doing a 180 and saying in a statement, this is a terrorism related matter in which the Jewish community was targeted and it's being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force. President Biden also reacting and using the incident to push for stricter gun control.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This was an act of terror, this was an act of terror. And allegedly he purchased it on the street. Now what that means, I don't know. But you can't stop something like this if someone is on the street buying something for somebody else on the street. Except that there's too -- there are so many guns that have been sold. It's just ridiculous. And it is because of the failure to focus as hard as we should and consistently as we should on gun purchases, gun sales, ghost guns, and a whole range of things that I'm trying to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO (on camera): Greg, I want to go to you and have you listened first to Andy McCarthy who described what the FBI might have been thinking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY MCCARTHY, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY: For too many years the bureau has been hypersensitive to Islamist organizations and the -- and their demagoguery in the way they react and I think they take them to be like the voice of Muslim Americans across the country, which they are not. And they tried to, you know, sort of couch their words in a way that's not offensive to those organizations when I think they should just tell us what happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO (on camera): I mean, to state the obvious perhaps.

GREG GUTFELD, FOX NEWS CO-HOST: Yes. Clearly, everybody here is completely wrong. This was the work of an angry parent fresh from a school board meeting, radicalized by Tucker Carlson to join the Oath Keepers and head to the synagogue. I can't believe you people don't see through this.

PERINO: It is that.

GUTFELD: But Andy McCarthy, he is absolutely right, there is a hypersensitivity. The FBI is concerned about the perceptions of them being seen as intolerant, especially now in the age of woke that's more important than actually speaking the truth. And you are seeing this all throughout the White House and Joe and Joe Biden, especially, is that they are under the thumb of Twitter and they're kind of -- that's kind of where they anticipate the reactions.

Meanwhile, normal people, people who turn on the news who aren't, you know, who don't work in politics or media, they only see two variables. The two variables are synagogue, Islamic terrorist. There are no other - there's no other contacts necessary for them. They don't need to see the big picture.

You don't need the big picture here. You have the two -- the two variables. But then what happens is, they can make the conclusion that this is a work of Islamic terrorists and an anti-Semitic attack. But once you add the other variables, woke media, woke Twitter, woke politics, what you end up happening is, well this appears unrelated to anti-Semitism or terror. It really is about getting comes off at the street and the real terrorist is perhaps the NRA.

So, this is what happens. The American public can see through that. And Joe can prattle on about gun control, but in his party killed gun control. You cannot energize criminals while disarming the public, right, between demonizing the police, the funding ideology, the defunding ideology. Lawful gun owners are going to be buying more guns.

PERINO: Jesse, one of things about stricter gun control is, OK, fine, you can -- fine, you want to have that discussion, but what about stricter border enforcement or Customs and Border Patrol protection immigration because this guy, the terrorist enter the United States on December 29th. And now you have U.K. officials interviewing two teens today that perhaps some sort of connection. What was the intel chatter that was going on before this?

JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS HOST: We are going to have to ask Biden that question when he holds his news conference on Wednesday. This guy wasn't on your radar, Mr. President? You gave him a visa two weeks ago to come into this country. What kind of visa was it? Did you vet him? Was he on a watch list?

Usually, the feds are all over these people. And then they do a raid immediately in England with associates or people affiliated with them. So, Scotland Yard didn't know anything about this, MI6 had no clue about this guy. This guy buys a hot gun off the street two weeks after he gets here? Who was the guy he bought the gun from?

They don't even know how he died or who shot him. There's a lot of suspicious things about the story and a lot of unanswered questions. And hopefully, Joe has at least one of those answers in the next 48 hours because he should be asked about this.

But Dana, if there someone foreign national radical Muslim who comes into this country and holds Jewish people hostage at a synagogue and then demands a release of an Al Qaeda prisoner? The FBI comes out and says, we can't rule out Trump supporters. Think about that.

You know, we don't know if this motive was white raid or the Russians. I mean, that's really what they did here. And that's how the FBI does it, that's by the book. Remember, Dana, the FBI has said publicly that the number one domestic terror threat --

PERINO: Yes.

WATTERS: -- are white supremacist. So, when something like this happen, they can't rule anything out. Everybody is a suspect, Dana. You can actually get mad, because listen, we don't want to cause anymore Islamophobia here, again, because this happened in Texas. God forbid, there is a backlash vigilante in that dirty, southern state. We can't have that. We have to, we can't -- we have to protect peaceful Muslims, not peaceful Trump supporters but peaceful Muslims. Those are the people who we really, really have to protect. It's all backwards.

PERINO: Harold, could you listen to two representatives of the Jewish community and their reaction to how it was first characterized.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHMULEY BOTEACH, ORTHODOX RABBI: Are you kidding me? The hostage taker did not go to a McDonald's, he didn't go to a shopping mall. He went to a synagogue.

DOV HIKIND, AMERICANS AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM: A synagogue attacked. A synagogue. By someone who is trying to free a terrorist for God's sakes, and for the FBI to say no, this is not about the Jewish community. Hey, it was about the Jews, for God's sake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO (on camera): Harold, your thoughts today.

HAROLD FORD, JR., FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, first off, happy King Day. Two, I don't necessarily see how from the outset it was not perceived as an attack on the Jewish people. I think about three years ago, little over three years ago in Pittsburgh at Tree of Life when the attack happened, the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the United States.

PERINO: Yes.

FORD: I even think about Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina where another act of hate was perpetrated. For me, the bigger issue is the one that Jesse raised. I don't know how he got into the country. He seemed to have been banned, this person, from a courthouse in his own hometown. That would seem to me to raise some flags or raise some fears.

I don't blame him though and I won't go as far as Jesse blaming this on Biden. I think our intelligence operations and apparatus have to understand what communication was not there. Was there a communication that was not there?

I give the FBI little credit this morning -- this evening because they did clarify and correct their statement.

PERINO: Yes.

FORD: But I would hope whatever processes they have and we don't -- we are not privy too. Remember this thing, I think was streaming live.

PERINO: Yes.

FORD: And finally, I give that rabbi who is the real hero in all of this, how he was able to help those hostages escape and how he was able to distract this terrorist.

PERINO: Well, one of the reasons he was able to do that, Kennedy, is because many of the synagogues have gone through training to make sure that they are prepared to deal with it. The other thing as Harold mentioned it was live streamed. It is curious, we haven't heard yet during this investigation what sort of phone the killer had. Well, I guess, he didn't kill anyone but the perpetrator. What kind of phone did he have? And are the tech companies cooperating to make sure that we can get the information?

LISA KENNEDY MONTGOMERY, FOX NEWS HOST: I bet they are. They usually do, but you know, you're absolutely right to question the FBI about this because they didn't just clarify their statement. They did a complete 180 here because they got it so wrong.

The FBI has done more to tarnished the trust in law enforcement, people in this country have for local and federal law enforcement than the progressive defund the police movement. And you know, they have been pretty awful about these things.

And for that meathead spokesperson to come out and say, it had nothing to do with the fact that this was a synagogue, a Jewish house of worship, that's absolute baloney. And you know, everyone should be outraged about this. You have to be straightforward with people.

That's the only way we can make society safer is if you are honest to people instead of trying to shellack things. And it reminds me of how the FBI dropped the ball after interviewing Olympic gymnast --

PERINO: Yes.

MONTGOMERY: -- and putting that testimony in a file for 18 months. So, the person who was essentially accused of some horrific sexual assault went out and assaulted more victims.

PERINO: Yes.

MONTGOMERY: So, the FBI has egg all over its face. And it's not OK because they issued a massive disk clarification.

PERINO: All right. Coming up next, Democrat strategist James Carville calling out his own party. Guess what? He says they are winning too much. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MONTGOMERY (on camera): Americans getting fed up with President Biden and his incompetent administration. A new poll showing Americans frustrated with the president. They think Biden is out of touch with most pressing issues.

The top three words used to describe how the administration is making them feel so far, frustrated, disappointed, and nervous. The problem isn't just with Biden. The whole Democratic Party out of touch with the American people who are suffering. And old guards like James Carville are issuing this morning. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CARVILLE, DEMOCRAT STRATEGIST: I think a lot at the Democratic base has not been told or informed of the things that President Biden and this Congress has accomplished. Democrats whine too much, Chuck. Let's quit being a whiny party and get out there and fight and tell people what you did and tell people the exact truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MONTGOMERY (on camera): That's no fun. So, Harold Ford, Jr., we've got a couple of Clintonites trying to frame what's happening with these horrible numbers. You have James Carville saying, quit being a whiny party. But then Joe Lockhart who once did the job that Dana Perino for George W. Bush, he was President Clinton's spokesperson, he is saying that the coverage is unfair. The press coverage of Joe Biden is just been unfair. And he thought you were going to get a dividend for bringing normalcy back to America. So, where do you stand, Harold Ford, Jr.?

FORD: I'm more with the Carville. I think James Carville, not only he sees things whining, does it apply to Biden, I think it also applies to, you know, stop whining press coverage. Dana knows as well as anyone, you are going to get negative coverage and positive coverage, but you can't bank on -- you can only bank on negative coverage and hope you get positive coverage.

I think Carville had it right, tout the accomplishments. But I would add a couple more things. One, you got to fix the border and you got to demonstrate that you have a policy and that you are paying attention to it and that you are going to work to get it done.

Two, a supply chain task force that every week we will give a sense of what we are doing to unclogged those lanes that are making it harder and really impossible for goods to get into the country. Which are, in many ways, is contributing heavily to inflation, to inflation woes.

Three, stop trying to be the Senate leader, Mr. President. Be president. use the bully pulpit, advance your agenda that way and leave the process to Senator Schumer and Speaker Pelosi. You ought to get out and explain what's in what you want, why you want it and ask the country to support it.

And finally, give Joe Manchin what he wants on build back better, put it on the floor and take the dog on victory in front of you.

MONTGOMERY: HFJ 2024, I love to see it.

GUTFELD: Yes.

MONTGOMERY: All right, so Jesse, that's great advice. Tout your accomplishments. But when you have the Supreme Court striking down your vaccine mandate, you have inflation that's ravaging the country and hurting low-income earners. And then you have a senator from your very own party turning down modifying the filibuster. What are the accomplishments exactly, Jesse?

WATTERS: There are no accomplishments to tout. James is concerned with marketing. This is not about marketing. This is about a product. No one wants the product Biden is selling. He is like the sales guy that keeps on trying to sell you something but you are not there to buy.

There used to be a guy at Long Island, I used to go to the store and I used to go and purchase Christmas. I'm like, Mike, where are the Christmas lights, what aisle? And he'd be like, no, no, no, let me show you these Adirondack chairs, Mr. Watters. I was like, Mike, I'm here for the lights, I don't want Adirondack chairs. He said, no, no, no, sit down in these chairs, trust me, you're going to love these chairs.

I sit down to humor him, I said, Mike, they are great chairs, but I need Christmas lights. He said, you know what I'm going to do, don't tell the manager, Jesse, I'm going to knock off 10 percent on these chairs, don't tell anybody. I'm going to do this for you. They are basically free when you think about it.

And I said, what are you talking about, Mike? First of all, these chairs have stickers on them that says sold. He goes, did not these chairs, these are floor examples, but they are backordered and you are going to get these chairs at about six months.

So, it's the same thing with Biden. Like, he is selling us something that we don't want. And the stuff he is selling us but he can't even deliver like the voting thing and build back better. So, what are we doing? All we want is a nimble administration that's able to pivot away from their preplanned political agenda and towards the agenda of the American people. The things that we care about now, today, and they can't do it.

MONTGOMERY: No, because the American people are busy getting blamed for all of this, Dana. And I think that's part of what is driving these poll numbers down. You know, you had a Quinnipiac poll last week that you talked about. Thirty-three percent, you know, the average polling, the average approval rating for the president is anywhere from 40 percent to 44 percent, still not good.

PERINO: No.

MONTGOMERY: So, you know, what can they possibly do to make things better when their policies, to Jesse's point, what the American public what they've actually bought are making things worse and exacerbating things like inflation? So, what do you do to make it better?

PERINO: Well, the Quinnipiac poll definitely lit a fire, I know some Democrats because it was a shocking one and it was considered possibly an outlier. Right? So, they wrote a memo from the White House and basically saying this is not really the case. Biden is actually fairly popular, everything is fine.

And the ink was not even dry on that memo when the new CBS poll came out which basically reiterated what was said what the Quinnipiac said. And one of the big focus is, is the word focus in this poll. One of the things I thought it was interesting, it's only 33 percent think Biden and Democrats are focused on the key issues they care a lot about.

So, they are selling Adirondack chairs when we came in for Christmas lights and people are irritated about it. Now, polls like this with the trajectory, you would expect to see some sort of possible leadership change or major change in direction, but everything I'm picking up is that there is not -- there is not one that they are going to continue to try to drive on voting rights in particular. And it's likely that they will lose that vote again tomorrow.

MONTGOMERY: Interesting. So, you know, Dana is talking about some of the numbers, Greg, 40 percent of the country in the CBS poll, 40 percent say they are nervous about this administration. We are still in the first year of this president's first term. What is year two going to be like?

GUTFELD: I'm just thinking about how Adirondack chairs are so uncomfortable for short people. You guys don't understand it.

(CROSSTALK)

PERINO: I understand.

GUTFELD: You have to sit your ass all the way back to the chair. And then it's just not -- you can't find a way to sit in them. And then you get a splinter. Now, I'm just -- that's all I've been thinking about for this entire segment.

All right, here's the weird thing about these numbers. This is what's crazy. OK? Joe Lockhart is saying the media -- by the way, in scientific terms he is a gibbering moron, I think we've understood this for a while. But you have to understand, there's actually very, very, very little bad coverage about Joe Biden. If you step, I mean, we talk about it all the time, but that's because that's what we do on this, but there is very little bad coverage on this.

But it's not necessary because his ineptitude and decrepitude has become part of mainstream culture. It's like, you don't have to talk that bad about him. You don't have to criticize, because it has kind of been understood that this is kind of what we are stuck with.

And it's probably -- and the saddest part about it is, and I'm beating a dead horse quite literally, Joe put wokeism before the welfare of the country. You have some really, really big issues here whether it's crime, fentanyl poisoning, inflation, COVID, the border. These are things that affect every citizen black or white, you name it.

PERINO: Yes.

GUTFELD: But instead, Joe is like January 6th, voting rights, pronouns. He is basically AOC and a bad grandpa rubber suit. And you -- and we did get sold like some bad Adirondack chairs. I think the best advice for the Dems besides running Harold 2024, is to develop a few more tools than race politics and woke apologism (Ph).

PERINO: Yes.

GUTFELD: Right? They're -- the issue are sitting there, man, the Republicans are generally slow. If you beat them to it, but you got to let go of the stuff. The symbolic CYA social justice, the energy they put into that could power a small city, a nauseating small city like Portland.

MONTGOMERY: Yes. And they can all go live there.

GUTFELD: Yes.

MONTGOMERY: Have a great time. All right. Greg touched on it. We are going to dive into it. Straight ahead, crime wave, poor innocent people getting killed by criminals while a liberal leader claims, there is nothing to fear. We'll talk about it next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FORD (on camera): Democrat led cities roiled by yet another weekend of deadly violence. A man New York City man with an extensive rap sheet dating back to the '90s is accused of pushing an Asian woman into the subway train track into her death. But the new mayor still insists the subways are safe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D-NY): We know that public safety is not only actual but is perceived. And when you have an incident like this, the perception is what we are fighting against. This is a safe system. Because of the job that the transit offices have carried out and what this chief has done in the system, we are going to continue to enhance to deal with the mental health crisis that we have in our system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FORD (on camera): And in Los Angeles, a UCLA grad student was stabbed and killed while working at a high-end furniture store. While reports reveal an emergency room nurse in Los Angeles has died after being violently attacked by a homeless man at the city's union station.

Greg, you've been thoughtful and out -- out front on this issue. What should the cities be doing?

GUTFELD: Well, I think they have to acknowledge -- OK, one thing I've noticed that the -- what's missing is sane criminals. Have you noticed that whenever we hear about this, the next step is, they are deranged, right, they are either mentally ill, homeless or the progressive D.A.'s?

The only difference is one can shop at men's warehouse. But the Times Square pushers have been in and out of mental institutions for 20 years. So, you got to, first, you got to the obvious. And I think Mayor Adams, I'm praying because I know he watches The Five, that he -- that he understands this.

If you live on the streets, you are probably mentally insane and inclined to do mentally insane things. So, we need to stop pretending that on the people -- many people on the street are it's either a lifestyle choice or some heroic veteran who just lost his apartment and he's out on the street.

No, no, no, no. If you're alone male raging on the avenue doing all sorts of deviant things, you will ultimately hurt someone besides yourself.

Again, drill down to the two basic variables. Remove the context, OK. Crazy man on the street is going to hurt you. So, the simple -- the simple solution is you need to take the crazy person off the street and put them in a place where he won't do crazy things.

We have -- families have to sue the cities, the families of the victims, we got to repeal the laws that keep authorities from removing dangerous people from society. We need -- if we don't have the asylums because they're close, we got to reopen them. I'm happy to pay more tax money to that.

Unfortunately New York City under De Blasio he took what was it, $800 million from us. We don't know where it went. But I'm praying that the new mayor gets this. I want him to understand this. I think he might.

FORD JR.: Dana, you live in New York, as Jesse, and Greg, all of us do. What are your thoughts?

PERINO: Well, I think you know, I'm listening to the mayor, and he's talking about perception, and we have a perception problem. But perception is reality. And in looking at some of these polls, generally, crime and fear is around five -- number five to 10 on issues of importance to people. For Republicans, it's a little higher, between four and eight.

So, you have all of this happening across the country. There's a -- that's a very potent issue for the Midterm Elections and something that the Republicans could run on. But there has to be a real focus on what Greg was talking about in terms of let's -- what are we actually going to do about the homeless? And we've been talking about this for a long time. We really ought to do something about the homeless.

And I agree, Greg. I think maybe if we could be assured that we're going to spend a billion dollars in New York City on the homeless, and we're going to get them help, and we're going to actually do something and not have to have a report that says, whoops, Mayor De Blasio's wife blew the money, we don't know where it is. That doesn't do anybody any good.

But it also has to do with the district attorneys. I think that they know now that the focus is on them. Maybe that will help.

FORD JR: Kennedy, is this something that will make District Attorney Bragg, you think, think differently about some of these issues?

MONTGOMERY: Unfortunately, no. Unfortunately, it's going to take a lot more for him. It's interesting because San Francisco is having a come to Jesus moment in terms of how they're prosecuting a lot of these smash and grab crimes and quality of life issues that they are experiencing, because they've done what pretty much every major city on the West Coast has done, and that's caught all the homeless and throw a bunch of money at them.

You know, you've had Measure H pass in Los Angeles. And the mayor there is throwing up his hands and said, no, this is a federal problem. Whatever they're doing, they've made it worse. They're throwing people away. They don't care about human beings. They just want to seem like they care, so they pump tons of money into these programs that ultimately do absolutely nothing but make the cities less safe and make the businesses want to move out of town because it's really hard to operate when you've got feces on your front steps.

FORD JR: Jesse, bring us home here.

WATTERS: I used to take the subway every single day for 15 years. You step on, you sit down across from an actress from a hedge fund trader, a construction worker, a family of five, a guy petting his iguana. I even ran into Gutfeld a couple of times on the subway.

GUTFELD: It's true. I was asleep.

WATTERS: You were asleep after I got off.

GUTFELD: Yes.

WATTERS: And -- but that unique mix of people in this little car going at high-speeds throttling under this little island of Manhattan, that was a really special time and place, and used to strike up conversations with random people. There was something really real about it. And it's gone. COVID put it on the canvas and crime is probably going to keep it there.

Because what the mayor doesn't understand is, it is the randomness that is so scary. To think you can get on anywhere and just be attacked for nothing and there's nothing you can do about it. The only thing you can do about it is not go on the subway. That's what people are going to do. I'm not going to take my children on the subway.

And the fact that this happened in the Time Square subway -- it's like the commercial nerve center of the entire city, the tourism mecca of the city - - this is why terrorists attack Time Square because of the population density, the fear factor psychologically. He doesn't understand that. You have to have a plan to incarcerate and institutionalize dangerous mentally ill people. And until we have that plan and the willpower, no one is ever going to ride the subway ever again.

GUTFELD: True.

FORD JR: Mr. Mayor, Greg, and his team here, we are -- we're for you, but we need you to -- need you to pay attention to us. Next, the battle over what's being taught in schools back in focus as Virginia's new Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin takes office.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WATTERS: Virginia's new Governor Glenn Youngkin, putting the power back in parents' hands on his first day in office with 11 executive orders, including banning critical race theory and lifting mask mandates in public schools. But some districts are already making plans to defy him, telling families that masking policies will remain in place. But the governor signals he's ready for a battle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GLENN YOUNGKIN (R-VA): So, I just hope that Arlington County Schools and the rest of the -- rest of the school systems around the Commonwealth of Virginia use this week to listen to parents and get prepared because we granted parents the option of deciding whether they want their child to wear a mask or not, and we're going to protect that right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATTERS: And now, the White House is getting involved. Jen Psaki taking a shot at Youngkin in a tweet while backing up the Arlington County School's mask policy.

Dana, I don't understand what the fuss is. If you're a mom or your dad and you want little Johnny or Alison to wear a mask, they can wear a mask. What's the problem with letting the parents decide?

PERINO: And also, if you -- if you're not in public schools, and you're in private schools, why are you complaining?

PERINO: Right.

PERINO: Because this only affects the public schools. But the thing about Glenn Youngkin is he is, imagine this, following through on his campaign promises. This election was about -- a lot had to do about education. And also, it's very interesting, we just talked about Eric Adams in the last block. In a way, Glenn Youngkin is the Eric Adams for the Republicans. He is a fresh face, elected during a time of turmoil, and then -- has an opportunity to just say you know what I'm going for it.

There's also something different in Virginia that I don't necessarily like, but it is the way it is. They -- you can only have one term as governor. So, he doesn't have a re-election that he has to worry about. So, we can get in there. And he's got a short amount of time to do as much as he possibly can. And that's why he was right out of the gate with those 11.

WATTERS: Yes, go for it. Why not? Greg, I mean, if they're not teaching CRT in schools, then what's the uproar when he bans it?

GUTFELD: That's -- well, that's a really good point. Jesse.

WATTERS: Once in a while I make a good point.

GUTFELD: Yes, that's good. Yes, I just -- it's important that he's getting rid of that stuff. Teach courses, whether it's history or math, but not through the framing of oppression politics, because even though it -- you know, it, you know, portrays whites as the oppressor. It paints everybody else is the oppressed.

And research shows that the identity of victimhood gets you nowhere in life. I think it's not a good thing to start out a kid in that way. But I would also ask. Even though Psaki has already flamed him, the rest of Virginia should just give him a chance. Let's see how the policies affect the state.

If it doesn't work, the Republicans are pragmatic. They listen and they will not call you a racist. That's the refreshing part. Psaki is like somebody on Twitter who has to be the first one with the hot take, which means it's always wrong.

WATTERS: I almost didn't recognize Glenn Youngkin, Kennedy, because he wasn't wearing that vest. Was that a vest he was --

MONTGOMERY: That was a vest.

WATTERS: That was a vest.

GUTFELD: I thought that was Kavanaugh.

MONTGOMERY: He had the vest kept inside the pullover.

WATTERS: It's -- OK, it was a vest -- OK, it was underneath the pullover. O, got it. Got it. They're having a very hard time demonizing this Youngkin guy. They tried so hard for so long. It just doesn't seem to stick. What do you think it is about him?

MONTGOMERY: He's actually listening to parents. And this is not a political issue for them. It's really not. They're trying to make it into one, and they're trying to say that Republicans invented CRT and weaponized it. But you're talking about parents, who are -- they saw what happened in the education system when their kids were on lockdown learning remotely from their living rooms and bedrooms. Parents were not impressed by that.

And you know, when they tried to take back the power and pull the shade back down and keep them out of the process, that's when there was an electoral revolts. So, yes, give them a chance. Give school choice a chance. Let the money follow the students because they screwed everything up, and he's absolutely right.

You know, if parents want to make the choice to not force their child to wear a mask, let them do that. And that's -- you know, that's a great place to start.

WATTERS: It's a great lesson for Democrats, Harold, that if you're a politician, you listen to parents instead of the teachers unions. Maybe people will like you a little bit.

FORD JR: Look, I think Glenn Youngkin is trying his hardest, and I wish him the best. Dana's point, it's only four years in the Commonwealth of Virginia. You're able to, I think, be a little more daring.

I do that that people who want to wear masks wear mask and hope to people who choose not to wear masks realize that you might be making someone else sick, but that's something you'll have to deal with in Virginia.

Where I agree with him wholeheartedly it's and it's been raised here, we need critical math being taught in school. When it critical languages being taught in school. We need critical history. We shouldn't be afraid of things that may upset us.

Jesse, the Eagles lost yesterday. They need to look at the film and understand what happened not because they want to continue to play like that, but because they want to play better. The reality is we in America, we always do better --

WATTERS: So did the Cowboys, Harold. They should look at the tape too.

MONTGOMERY: Yes, they do.

FORD JR: Right. look, Titans will be on -- will be on next week. But the truth is we can't be afraid of the past, shouldn't be afraid of history, but at the same time we shouldn't teach people that some people are better than others. Critical math, critical science, critical language, that's what we should be teaching in all of our schools.

WATTERS: I just don't understand how Virginia is allowed to be a Commonwealth. Where did they get that from?

MONTGOMERY: Kentucky as well.

WATTERS: Commonwealth, that's -- it's so amazing. Why are -- why is New York not a Commonwealth?

PERINO: It's like having a foundation. It just sounds better.

WATTERS: It sounds so much better, Dana. You're right.

FORD JR: I'm going to write that down, the Commonwealth in New York City.

WATTERS: "THE FASTEST" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GUTFELD: Welcome back. Time for "THE FASTEST." First up, a woman rushed to the hospital with severe stomach pain after binging on too much sushi at an all-you-can-eat buffet. You won't find this on "SPECIAL REPORT." She scarfed down 32 roles, plus some edamame beans, some jalapeno poppers, and miso soup. What a pig. And now, she admits she should have taken it slower.

All right, Jesse, what -- who does an all-you-can-eat sushi? That is the least appetizing choice if you're seeking volume. What did she -- it's like only wales would do that.

WATTERS: Yes. She's a rookie eater, not like you and I, Gutfeld. Gluttony is a sin, but this is also a sin. She mixed the sushi with jalapeno poppers.

GUTFELD: Yes, that's a problem.

PERINO: That was it.

WATTERS: You can't mix cuisines. Those are only for very experienced eaters. Like, you can't have Indian mixed with Italian or Chinese versus Mexican. You just have to stick with one and then take it all the way.

GUTFELD: Unless you're on a -- at a Vegas all-you-can-eat buffet, Kennedy, were like you can have turkey gravy that kind of blends into your soft serve ice cream.

MONTGOMERY: It blends in. I put it there intentionally. I felt bad for her because I realized she's never going to be a competitive eater. And that's something that I aspire to.

WATTERS: Kobayashi has got nothing to worry about.

MONTGOMERY: Yes, it's Joey Chestnut. I'm taking them down. But this young woman, Danielle, she's not going to. Sushi is expensive. A $50 buffet, that's really expensive. So, you know, next time go to Golden Corral.

GUTFELD: Yes, that's what me and Harold do. We often go to the Golden Corral on weekends and we have -- we try to eat as much cornbread as possible. Usually, we end up throwing up in the parking lot. It's a terrible thing.

You -- do you ever do the all-you-can-eat, Harold? You don't seem like the type.

FORD JR: I do have kids now, so the pizza buffet. I've never -- I've never seen sushi all-you-can-eat, but the pizza one, I do.

GUTFELD: Yes, yes. It's pro-con. I'm just going to -- I'm just going to keep asking questions, Harold.

FORD JR: I like the sausage and pepperoni. Honestly, I don't know what you're asking.

GUTFELD: Thank you -- thank you, Harold. Dana, you can't go to the all-you- can-eat because you have one grape and then suddenly you're stuffed.

PERINO: That's right. Well, the other thing is, I have two rules. No all- you-can-eat and no sushi.

GUTFELD: Yes. It's actually right. That's two -- but these are two awful things put together. I used to do all-you-can-eat Chinese food. That's amazing. Spareribs, fried rice, that's what all-you-can-eat is about.

WATTERS: Dana, is there any -- are there any sushi restaurants in your hometown?

WATTERS: That'll be a no.

WATTERS: In your home state?

PERINO: But my sister, Angie, she loves the Golden Corral. So, if you could invite her, Harold and Greg, to your next one, she would love it.

GUTFELD: All right, bring a bib. All right, "ONE MORE THING" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PERINO: It is time now for "ONE MORE THING." Jesse.

WATTERS: Fox rock star and our good buddy Porter Berry just welcomed the little baby boy into the world. Robert Porter Lee Berry dropped in at healthy seven pounds, three ounces on Friday. Mom is doing great and big brother Owen, very excited. So, we're sending lots of love to this little guy. I'm sure he and Jesse Jr. are going to cause a lot of trouble around these parts.

And speaking of causing trouble, I'll be on "HANNITY" tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Check us out there.

PERINO: That's a gorgeous baby. So, everybody's happy for him. Harold.

FORD JR: Congrats. My congratulations as well. On April 4, 1968, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was in Indianapolis on the night that Dr. King was assassinated. And he gave this -- these set of remarks. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT F. KENNEDY, FORMER U.S. SENATOR: Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice. He died and the cause of that effort.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FORD JR: As we remember Dr. King today, we reminded of those words that love and justice and compassion defined him. Dr. King asked us all to develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness. I hope that we all can. And as a great Nelson Mandela, great -- another great freedom fighter once said, let's let our choices reflect our hopes and not our fears. Happy King Day!

PERINO: All right, Greg.

GUTFELD: Robert Porter Lee Berry. Well, with that name, he certainly won't be stealing any cars in Florida.

Let's do this. Greg's job search. Well, two weeks ago, I joined LinkedIn not because I wanted to, but I wanted to contact a CEO of an appliance company because I didn't have a motor for my washer and dryer. Now, I got the washer and dryer motor, but the downside is now I get all these e- mails. And because I listed as my occupation host, I'm getting a lot of interesting job applications in offers. Take a look at this as -- for being a host.

So, if -- at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, I -- the job -- I could be the dining host where I could graciously serve food and beverages to patients, staffs, and visitors. But the large serving trays weigh up to 40 pounds, so that might be a problem for me.

But at Hard Rock, this is what's exciting. I get to greet, seat, and page guests, and also assume the role of a tour guide.

WATTERS: Your table is ready.

GUTFELD: Yes, your table is ready. I've been practicing that for years. The party of seven, your table is ready. And then -- but the problem with that skill required, remaining calm and a hectic, fast-paced environment. I'm out.

PERINO: Out.

GUTFELD: So, anyway, this is great. If I get canned here, I got a lot of stuff to fall back on.

PERINO: It's a really good networking that you've got going on. I had one thing. You know -- you know how phones and noises -- noises of phones bother me. But look at this parrot, this parrot named Gucci, look at what he learned how to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: Wow.

PERINO: Pretty clever little guy.

GUTFELD: That's crazy.

PERINO: I mean, it would drive me bananas.

GUTFELD: That's crazy.

PERINO: But good luck, little bird. All right, Kennedy.

MONTGOMERY: Whenever my phone rings, my dog goes nuts. So, if you put that parrot and my dog together, we'd be screwed.

Today would have been Betty White's 100 birthday. The LA Zoo is honoring her with a special day. They unveiled the white rose garden where people can go leave message messages and portraits. It's in the Allen Ludden Plaza named after her late husband.

Betty White challenge is trending on social media where you can donate $5.00 to animal rescue in her honor.

PERINO: Lovely. Well, great show, everyone. I'm stretching for five more seconds. Excellent parrot, but I think Jesse wins "ONE MORE THING" prize. But host for Greg, I love it. I'm going to try that. Maybe we should all get on LinkedIn.

All right, that's it for us. "SPECIAL REPORT" is up next. Hey, Bret!

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