Former President Donald Trump didn’t hold back Tuesday when he took a swing at Fox News host Jessica Tarlov just moments after she called for stricter gun laws during a segment on The Five. His post came fast and furious on Truth Social: “I can’t stand Jessica Tarlov of THE FIVE. A real loser!!! DJT.”
Tarlov, the show’s lone liberal voice, had been speaking about the tragic mass shooting that rocked New York City this week. She shared that she knew people connected to two of the victims and gave a heartfelt tribute to NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, who was killed in the line of duty and leaves behind two children and a wife who is eight months pregnant, according to the HuffPost.
During her remarks, Tarlov also pointed out how New York Governor Kathy Hochul had called on Congress to act by passing a federal assault weapons ban. She referenced officials’ comments about the shooter’s documented mental health history, highlighting the troubling fact that someone with such a background could still legally obtain firearms.
Then, almost in sync with her live comments, Trump fired off his insult online. It seemed like a direct response to Tarlov’s on-air call for action.
“How did he get a concealed carry license even in Nevada? How are these things happening?” Tarlov asked during the broadcast. “And I don’t think that it hurts the conversation or takes us backward at all to consider how we might prevent one of these things from happening”, reported the Daily Beast.
She wasn’t done. “You will never be able to stop all of the lunatics. But if you stopped this one, we’d have four people that were alive today who certainly deserve to, and I don’t see why that’s a bad thing to do that,” she said.
Trump had, earlier that same day, issued a more measured post calling the New York shooting a “senseless act of violence” and offered thoughts to the victims’ families. But the tone changed dramatically by the afternoon when he went after Tarlov personally.
This isn’t the first time the former president has taken aim at her. Just over a month ago, Trump bashed Tarlov after she highlighted polling numbers that showed him in an unflattering light during another segment on The Five. Back then, he wrote, “Her voice, her manner, and above all else, what she says, are a disgrace to television broadcasting.”
Tarlov hasn’t exactly been backing away from controversial topics. Earlier this month, she once again brought up Trump’s weak polling performance on immigration, refusing to soften her critique even on a network where she’s often the minority voice.
Tuesday’s clash is just another example of the tension between Trump and voices on Fox News that don’t always toe the MAGA line. For Tarlov, it’s clearly not the first time she’s been called out — and it probably won’t be the last.