A reality check on the conclusion of former President Donald Trump’s defamation case left one co-host from “The Five” griping over an important caveat.
“Oh, that means it doesn’t count?!”
(Video: Fox News)
Commentary on low information voters seamlessly shifted from Taylor Swift to E. Jean Carroll Monday when Fox News’ panel on “The Five” were considering President Joe Biden’s re-election strategy.
Following Judge Jeanine Pirro’s recommendation that the billionaire pop star stay out of politics, co-host Jessica Tarlov remarked how celebrity endorsements were sought on both sides of the aisle before Jesse Watters questioned whether Biden could even identify Swift.
As the primetime host criticized the re-election campaign strategy as one that “smacks of desperation,” the Democratic strategist took a whataboutism tact against Trump that prompted a crash course on legality.
“Is the strategy to owe $83 million for defaming a woman that you sexually assaulted?” asked Tarlov before grinning ear to ear as Watters dismissed her. “I love how you ignored what I just said.”
During the crosstalk, Greg Gutfeld spoke up to probe his co-host for her thoughts on a jury awarding Carroll over $83 million in her defamation suit against the former president. “My thoughts are that you shouldn’t sexually assault people and then you shouldn’t defame them.”
“Okay, was he found guilty of sexual assault?” he asked in reply as Tarlov insisted, “Yes, he was. He was by a jury.”
Teasing out clarity, Gutfeld asked, “Was it criminal?”
In near unison, Tarlov and Pirro said “Civil” triggering indignation from the liberal who posited, “Oh, that means it doesn’t count?!”
“It means,” corrected the judge, “it’s not a guilty verdict.”
The Fox News personalities effort had fallen in line with a corporate media love fest for Carroll Monday as the author completed an interview circuit to gloat over the courtroom victory.
Amid her recounting of her feelings during the trial, Carroll had told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America” about her intentions with the eight-figure payout should Trump’s legal team be unsuccessful in appealing the outcome.
“I don’t want to waste money,” she contended before elaborating, “Well, I do have an idea. I’d like to give the money to something Donald Trump hates. If it will cause him pain for me to give money to certain things, that’s my intent.”
E. Jean Carroll seeks to use Trump $83M payout to ’cause him pain’ – threatens ANOTHER case https://t.co/AJZHqYNkpH via @BIZPACReview
— BPR based (@DumpstrFireNews) January 29, 2024
In his own reaction to the outcome, Trump had taken to Truth Social Friday and wrote, “Absolutely ridiculous! I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party. Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!”
Capping off the conversation, Gutfeld quipped, “Yeah. Anyway, it’s always nice to bring something up that has nothing to do with the topic,” only further incensing Tarlov who insisted, “It does! He said the campaign strategy.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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