Fox News host Jesse Watters delivered a blistering takedown of co-host Jessica Tarlov during Monday’s episode of The Five, sparking viral reactions across conservative circles over the deportation of Kilmar Abrego García—the Maryland man linked to MS-13.
“Well, Jessica keeps on saying there’s all these mistakes,” Watters said. “First, she said this guy was picked up because he had a bull’s hat. And then he has tattoos on his hand that spell MS-13.”
Tarlov interrupted: “That’s not true.”
“Yes, it is,” Watters fired back. “Read the symbolism, Jessica.”
From there, Watters tore into the case’s timeline, noting that the Salvadoran national had been tied to a gang sweep, suspected of human trafficking, and accused of domestic violence—all while Democrats and the media dubbed him the “Maryland Dad.”
“Then he’s wearing paraphernalia that says the slogan of MS-13. And then he gets caught up in a gang sweep with ranking members of MS-13 as part of a murder investigation, then gets pulled over and is suspected of human trafficking, then gets accused of slugging his wife twice and she has it on video. And suddenly his name isn’t Maryland Dad, it’s Due Process. You transitioned pretty quickly, Jessica.”
Abrego García’s deportation sparked outrage among progressives and liberal advocates who claim the removal violated a judge’s prior ruling protecting him from deportation due to gang threats in El Salvador. ICE deported the illegal alien, citing public safety concerns. He now sits in a high-security prison known for holding violent gang members.
WATCH:
Jesse Watters took down Jessica Tarlov in a heated exchange over the Maryland man.pic.twitter.com/7evtor8eKg
— Department of Government Efficiency News (@DOGE__news) April 22, 2025
Watters also blasted the Biden administration’s immigration track record, accusing Democrats of hypocrisy on the issue.
“And to say this administration never admits a mistake,” he said, “you guys never admitted you opened the border for four years.”
“Yes, we did,” Tarlov replied.
“Come on,” Watters said. “You’re saying this guy is afraid to go home? Because that’s funny. In 2019, when he was popped, he said he wasn’t afraid to go home. Jessica, funny that you’re in the due process now, after bringing us the Me Too movement, cancel culture and the Trump trials.”
“You can’t break into the country and ignore the process of coming here and then want a process to leave. You cannot cut the line to come here and then ask to be put in a line to go home. If you guys are going to be the defense attorneys for every criminal gangbanger in America, after you’ve allowed the gangs to invade and now say all of them need lawyers, it’s gonna be an eternity, Jessica, to get these people out of here.”
When Tarlov tried to interject with concerns over slippery slope deportation policies, Watters mocked the fearmongering.
“And the slippery slope argument, is this the slipperiest slope you’ve ever seen? If they deport an MS-13 terrorist, you’re next.”
“Who?” Tarlov asked.
“The Puerto Ricans? Anybody with a tan, Jessica? Are you next? No one believes that. No one believes that. This is the dictator hoax all over again, and you lost on that the last time.”