Donald Trump has frequently proven that he doesn’t hold back on his grievances and opinions about the media. In the past, there have been numerous instances where the U.S. president has openly lashed out at a particular reporter or even an entire channel, alleging that they prefer to tarnish his reputation.
A similar incident occurred again when the 79-year-old participated in a phone interview with Jesse Watters on Fox News. During the segment on March 26 titled The Five, Trump criticized the absence of co-host Jessica Tarlov, who was not on the panel. He did not mince his words on-air, suggesting the network should part ways with Tarlov.
It started when Jesse Watters remarked that they would like to get Trump to make a live appearance on the show and then have him sit beside Jessica. To this, the U.S. president responded, “I watch Jessica, and I’m not a fan. I like all of your shows. I’m glad Jessica’s not there. No, actually, I think your show would be better without her. But who am I to say that? I think it would be a lot better.”
That’s not all. He went on to accuse Jessica Tarlov of misrepresenting polling information about him before tagging her a bad journalist. Trump mimicked the Fox News co-host as he continued, “He’s only polling 42 percent… ‘That’s not right, I’m polling very high actually. I hate people who use fake polls because polls are just like bad journalists. You know, bad journalists, they write fake stories. Well, fake polls do damage also.’”
After criticizing Tarlov at length, Trump then softened his tone. He ended up remarking, “I’m sure I’d like her. I’m sure she’s a lovely person.” However, her absence from the show became a major topic for Donald Trump, as he was curious about Jessica skipping it.
Was so bummed to miss the show today! But I definitely would’ve said he’s even inflating his numbers to 42%! https://t.co/70uWYNrBox
— Jessica Tarlov (@JessicaTarlov) March 26, 2026
At one point, he turned to Watters and asked, “Tell me, did she not want to do it, or did you kick her off the show?” To this, Jesse clarified that Tarlov had a previous engagement that she could reschedule before moving on to other conversations. Besides the president himself, none of the other panelists on the Fox News show commented on her absence.
The comments made by Trump about Jessica Tarlov did not sit well with her. The Fox News co-host and political analyst took to X and promptly clapped back at the president’s claim that she misquoted polling figures. Jessica remarked that she still upheld her previous claims that Trump was indeed inflating his polling numbers to 42 percent.
Sharing a glimpse of the interview, she penned, “Was so bummed to miss the show today! But I definitely would’ve said he’s even inflating his numbers to 42%!” This is not the first time Trump has targeted Fox News’ Jessica Tarlov in particular. In his history of public criticisms of the journalist, he had even tagged her a ‘real loser’ once on social media.
Donald Trump now wants a quick exit from the war in Iran, which he may think is feasible considering the 2 minute highlight reel briefings he’s been getting. We still have a moving set of goals and even Republican lawmakers are calling the administration out for the lack of… pic.twitter.com/y2rcwYm3kT
— Jessica Tarlov (@JessicaTarlov) March 26, 2026
On the other hand, Jessica has always been extremely vocal about her criticism of Trump’s policies. This included her opinions on the controversial nature of gun crimes. Besides her, Trump has also lashed out at other female journalists, such as CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. It alludes to his diffidence over those who challenge him, driving a deeper rift into the already existing divide between politics and media.
