‘The Five’: Dems always looking for an excuse
‘The Five’ co-hosts show how Democrats fail to take responsibility for inflation.
This is a rush transcript of "The Five" on December 15, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
DANA PERINO, FOX NEWS HOST (on camera): Hello, everyone. I'm Dana Perino, along with Judge Jeanine Pirro, Geraldo Rivera, Jesse Watters, and Brian Kilmeade.
It's five o'clock in New York City. This is THE FIVE.
Democrats accused of being outright delusional after the latest boast from President Biden despite sinking polls in a tumultuous year of chaos ranging from Afghanistan to the southern border and now problems with the economy.
President Biden claims his party is poised to win big in 2022 and even telling Republicans they need to watch out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Now we look at 2022. I want to tell my Republican friends get ready, pal, you are going in for a problem. We have to keep making the case and if we do, I believe we are going to win. Let me say this again for the present. We are going to win in 2022.
As Democrats, we know what we're for. What Republicans don't seem to be for anything. Name me something they are for. They're against everything.
I don't know a single solitary world leader who wouldn't trade the problems of the president of the United States has for their problems. I don't know a single one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO (on camera): And Speaker Nancy Pelosi is gushing over the job President Biden has been doing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: They are blocking every effort to provide --
(CROSSTALK)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), UNITED STATES SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: It is an honor and pleasure to be here at this time of challenge and with the coronavirus, the national insecurity for families, national disaster, our country could not be more -- could not be better served than with these most experienced capable hands than your President Biden.
(APPLAUSE)
PELOSI: He is just perfect. The timing couldn't be better. I'm Madam, Vice President, we're inspired by your work for the people as you continue to be an invaluable partner to President Biden.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO (on camera): So, while the president and Speaker Pelosi are predicting big things, squad member Cori Bush is preemptively blaming Biden and moderate Democrats for potential losses but that's super interesting. We are going to talk about all of this.
Let me start with you, Jesse, they are going to say this no matter what --
JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS HOST: Right.
PERINO: -- because they have to.
WATTERS: Right.
PERINO: But do you get the sense that they believe it?
WATTERS: No, when the donors are there, you have to say we are going to win.
PERINO: Yes.
WATTERS: Especially if you have all these Democrats, what are you going to say, you know what? I'm unpopular, there's crime high, COVID cases, you guys are on your own this year. I'll pass the eggnog. Right. Like, that's not going to fly.
GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT-AT-LARGE: Deep on the police (Inaudible).
WATTERS: Right. It's like -- it's like a pep rally. Like, even if like the team is down, four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, like, there are still got to be pompoms, you have to root for the team. I understand that. But you can't blame Republicans, it's Sinema, it's Mansion, the squad, you know, it's the blue dogs, they're kind of slowing down his agenda.
Why would the Republican Party strap their lassos to this train wreck? Look at this guy. He is unpopular. His policies are making everything worse. If he was popular and he was doing good things, you would probably have maybe 10 to 15 Senate Democrats joining that agenda. But you are not going to see that and that's clear.
Nancy Pelosi, Mr. Perfect. I am old enough to remember when a couple Republicans were a little praise worthy of Donald Trump at a cabinet meeting and it was like the media framed it as a bunch of suck-ups to a dictator. Remember that whole thing? Mr. Perfect of all people?
PERINO: I mean, that's you.
WATTERS: I mean, right.
PERINO: Right.
WATTERS: I mean, you don't use that word lightly but only in politics do politicians just like go around and just kiss each other's butts. It's like, would we do that at this table? You are perfect --
BRIAN KILMEADE, FOX NEWS CO-HOST: Right.
WATTERS: Brian Kilmeade.
KILMEADE: Sarcastically.
WATTERS: It is honor. Only sarcastically.
KILMEADE: You know, we are the king of sarcasm --
WATTERS: Right.
KILMEADE: -- when it comes to compliments. I would -- I'm sorry. Do you want to --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: Go ahead, yes.
KILMEADE: Sure. I forgot how to --
WATTERS: You met.
KILMEADE: I don't want to get in the post-game meeting with --
(CROSSTALK)
RIVERA: You've been at --
KILMEADE: Thank you. A couple of things. This is, if they called Donald Trump, perfect. We would have laughed out -- I mean, at this table because no one is perfect except you. But I want to just answer a question what are Republicans for? And I'm not in charge of the agenda but just by listening to the interviews and talking to some of them they like to drill.
They would like to get the energy costs down so they can do that by getting LNG. They would stop the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. They would have actually went out of the way to arm the Ukrainians and give them help and give them strategy and maybe put some advisers on the ground to let the Russians know what's going to happen.
Also, they were going to investigate China and the origin of the COVID virus and they were going to finish the wall. After all we have the receipts, it was paid for.
That's what they would be doing. So, it's not -- it's not what they are for. Therefore, these things that's just off the top of my head.
WATTERS: That's good for to have off the top of your head.
PERINO: Can I --
(CROSSTALK)
JEANINE PIRRO, FOX NEWS HOST: It's very good.
PERINO: -- pause that question, though? So, one of the things is that they've started to do is that the Build Back Better bill has been languishing for a while. It's not going to pass before Christmas. And now you have many Democrats who were saying, you know what, we should really work on the voting rights piece of our agenda.
PIRRO: Yes.
PERINO: So, they are shelving Build Back Better already so, to me, that means like the longer this sits out there, the longer he might look like a lame duck president before he even gets to his first state of the union address.
PIRRO: Well, he is like a lame duck president because even the New York Times is writing an article about who should run for president telling him not to run for president.
Cori Bush one of the squad members or one of the radical congresswomen is saying we're losing in 2022 because of you, Joe Biden.
PERINO: Yes.
PIRRO: And what we've got are all of these people who already know that Joe Biden can't be the leader, he can't carry the Democrats. He kept talking about, I kept saying to myself what is he saying, why is he saying he is going to win?
What he was saying was we stand with the people. We've made historic progress.
KILMEADE: What does that mean?
PIRRO: We're going to make sure -- that's exactly my point.
KILMEADE: Right.
PIRRO: He says things that mean nothing. And, yes, Republicans are for nothing. Well, we are for law and order to begin with. We are for the wall. We are for education. We are for people making a responsible salary.
I mean, this guy is all for inflation. And the bottom line is yes, I've been in politics. I ran five times. You really try to, you know, puff things up a little. But those people that he was talking to, even they don't believe it.
PERINO: Yes.
PIRRO: And Nancy Pelosi coming out and saying that she is inspired by Kamala Harris' work. That's a quote. What work? I think she is still in --
(CROSSTALK)
KILMEADE: Does she have a microscope? A Hubble telescope to find the work?
PIRRO: I think she is still in Vietnam.
KILMEADE: Right.
PIRRO: I mean, I don't know. Did she come back from Vietnam, Kamala Harris?
KILMEADE: I'm not sure.
PIRRO: I mean, it's all nonsense. It's all smoking mirrors and they're losing. And the numbers prove it.
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: Geraldo, the generic ballot, the congressional ballot has Republicans at a historic high. Like we're not ever seeing numbers like this. So, if you are a Republican, you should run in Vermont. You never know. Republicans could win everywhere.
RIVERA: But to me, I didn't take any of that rhetoric seriously. To me, it was all, you know, kind of flamboyant irony.
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: Really? We're taking it completely seriously.
RIVERA: You know, we're so unpopular let's say we are popular, ha-ha, inside joke and then go on. But I will -- I don't know the mechanisms of the economy. I don't pretend to. I'm not a businessman.
You know, but I am an investor and the stock market was up almost 400 points today. And it's a --
(CROSSTALK)
KILMEADE: Because of you.
RIVERA: -- historic highs because of the fed. So, if the fed bails out the Democrats maybe our presumption that they're going to be routed in November will be tested.
As things stand, I don't understand how you could possibly be optimistic holding the hands that the Democrats are holding. Look what just happened we're going to talk later in the program about the mayor of San Francisco completely --
PERINO: Yes.
RIVERA: -- walking away from her policies from a year ago and as if it never happened. I believe the Democrats will do that increasingly. That they'll -- they'll bail --
(CROSSTALK)
PIRRO: I think you're right.
RIVERA: -- just --
KILMEADE: Stop Cori Booker.
RIVERA: This isn't working, let's move on.
KILMEADE: Cori Bush still says defund the police. And believe me, every time she has a microphone, she says the same thing which Joe Biden passes out every time she says it.
RIVERA: I was going to say --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: So, they are also saying things, Jesse, like, if you don't cancel student loan debt you will not get the Democrats to coem out to vote. So, the progressives are already saying you are not going to fire up the base.
WATTERS: Young people don't vote in midterms anyway, Dana. Am I rigth about that?
PERINO: You sure?
WATTERS: I'm right about that. So, I don't think they are going to turn out for Joe Biden. I don't think that's not going to like, drive them to the polls. So, they have to pay what they were paying a year ago, big deal.
KILMEADE: OK. Just to chime in. There were 35-year-olds who would be outraged if all of a sudden, the loan that they just finished paying off --
PERINO: Yes.
KILMEADE: -- was paid off by all these 23-year-olds get their loans paid off. There's a lot of people take great pride in paying off their debt.
PERINO: Yes.
KILMEADE: And you think you break that agreement. One thing I'd like to add. Out of everybody that could replace Joe Biden, the one guy that I think could --
RIVERA: Gavin Newsom?
WATTERS: I predicted that. That was my prediction from the last show.
(CROSSTALK)
KILMEADE: OK. I don't agree with you, Joe Manchin.
PERINO: Get out.
PIRRO: But you can't get the progressive --
KILMEADE: Joe Manchin.
WATTERS: No.
KILMEADE: Joe Manchin is more --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: But you know what?
PIRRO: We like him.
PERINO: I'm going to give you my answer --
PIRRO: We like him but we'll have our own candidate, a Republican candidate.
WATTERS: Yes.
PIRRO: He can't get enough from the right or the left to win.
KILMEADE: So, you disagree.
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: I'm going to give you my answer tonight --
PIRRO: Yes, I do.
PERINO: -- on Tucker on the a-block. So, I think --
(CROSSTALK)
PIRRO: Who do you think?
PERINO: That's a deep tease. I'll be on Tucker I'll be talking about this very --
(CROSSTALK)
KILMEADE: That is so deep, it's two shows away. That is
PERINO: -- issue in the air on --
KILMEADE: That is --
PERINO: Coming up next, what happened to blaming everything on the pandemic. Who the White House says is at fault for surging prices?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
RIVERA (on camera): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Everything cost too damn much. First it was the pandemic's fault and now it's big meat. That's what I said. Big meat. Who knew? Biden's White House blaming the soaring cost of meat on the greed of producers, hold that thought, as the administration presides over inflation bloated economy not seen in 40 years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president, secretary of agriculture have both spoken to what we've seen as the greed of meat conglomerates. That is an area where people go to the grocery store and they're trying to buy a pound of meat, two pounds of meat, 10 pounds of meat. It is, the prices are higher.
That is in his view and the view of our secretary of agriculture because of you could call it corporate greed, sure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERA (on camera): Corporate greed and big meat. Blaming big meat. Instead, Republican Senator Tom Cotton says they should be blaming their own policies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TOM COTTON (R-AK): They are blaming everyone for this record inflation when it just goes back to Democratic policies. Look, we have had this pandemic for two years. First it was oil and gas companies. Now it's meat conglomerate. Maybe next week it's going to be the elf on the shelf when there aren't enough Christmas presents under the tree.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERA (on camera): Who is your boogeyman when you are running successfully for D.A.? How did you portray the Democratic rival?
PIRRO: I always portray the rival as someone soft on crime. But you know, what really wasn't about them.
(CROSSTALK)
KILMEADE: Bad at meat.
PIRRO: No. It really was about --
RIVERA: Light on meat.
PIRRO: It was about how strong I was. My record. What I did. I didn't really spend a lot of time trashing.
RIVERA: And yet, politics aren't that now, it's that emphasizing all the - -
(CROSSTALK)
PIRRO: Totally different.
RIVERA: -- things. It seems to be emphasizing the negative.
PIRRO: But can I talk about this?
RIVERA: Go ahead.
PIRRO: OK.
KILMEADE: I was like, (Inaudible)Jeanine's career. Noted in the segment.
PIRRO: But here's the bottom line. They are always looking for an excuse.
PERINO: Yes.
PIRRO: He doesn't want to admit that it's him. That it's his policy.
(CROSSTALK)
RIVERA: That's politics.
PIRRO: That's it's in -- that it's what?
RIVERA: That's politics.
PIRRO: That's not politics.
(CROSSTALK)
RIVERA: He always blame the other guy.
PIRRO: That is true. No, no, no. We got $3,500 that the average American family has to pay this year just to survive compared to last year. Last year was a really bad year, you know. The pandemic and everything else hit.
But with Joe Biden in there he put money into the stimulus, into the infrastructure, this, and that, and the other thing his so-called Biden bipartisan infrastructure. And the bottom line is that with inflation that's the highest it's been in 40 years and we're at, what is it, 6.9 percent. You know? And he keeps wanting to pour more money in and that means your money is worth less because there is a lot more of it.
RIVERA: But I want to stick with political stereotyping, Dana, and the Reagan administration. Remember welfare queens? He portrayed a whole class of people who became the enemy of the Republican voters in a very succinct way by focusing on one purported wealthy queen and they did the story didn't even pan out. But it was very effective politically.
That's what you do to your rival. Don't you define your rival in this case big meat. Big meat is something people can remember.
PERINO: But they are making up a rival. Right? So, like big meat is not their rival. Right? The big -- the rival is their -- are the Republicans, but it's also the fact that they have 69 percent of people in the ABC poll saying that they are disapprove of the way the Biden administration is handling inflation.
That's a huge wake-up call. Where else can you get 69 percent of Americans to agree on today? They agree on that. So, what happens? So, a progressive group puts out poll tested messaging and says here's what you do to fight back. You just blame all of the private sector for being greedy.
And they tried it with the energy companies. Now they are trying it with meat. Now I'm not saying that there isn't a problem especially when it comes to the producers, like the cattle ranchers. That is a problem, I do think, and that's one of the things that both the Trump administration and the Biden administration are looking into.
But when it comes to consumer prices, all these other things fall into it. You have got to get the cows to market. You've got to get the trucks fueled. All of that stuff adds up. Packaging is more expensive. The supply chain.
PIRRO: Yes.
PERINO: All of that happens. But if you ever wondered how the Democrats all get on -- get on one -- on the same page and they are all singing from the same song sheet, it's because you have a poll tested thing that goes out greed. That's it, let's talk about greed.
RIVERA: So, every morning, today's headline was big meat?
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: My last thing is that the problem is initially they said inflation wasn't happening. Then they said it's transitory/temporary. Then they're saying, well, it's going to get better right after the first of the year. Now they are saying actually it's the greedy meat packers.
RIVERA: Yes. It's so funny how the issue has to hit exactly right for it to the economy so we have to be the economy at that moment.
PERINO: Yes.
RIVERA: I mean, for it to be the pandemic, whatever. It has to be -- and it just seems it's such a roll of the dice till the day of the election. Do politicians ever take responsibility?
WATTERS: No. If you're good on --
(CROSSTALK)
KILMEADE: Guy like you, you take responsibility.
PIRRO: I did.
WATTERS: You did you but you were a judge, judge.
PIRRO: No, I was a D.A.
WATTERS: And if you are a politician --
PIRRO: I was a D.A., too.
WATTERS: OK, true. But you know what, you are perfect. As Nancy Pelosi would say.
(CROSSTALK)
PIRRO: Yes, that makes three perfects at this table.
WATTERS: Is that better -- the perfect couple. So --
PIRRO: Not a couple.
WATTERS: OK. Dana said something and she is right. The guy at the supermarket, Geraldo, with the little gun, the price gun it shoots it on the meat here, he gets a note from big meat every week what the price of the steaks is going to be.
Where do you think that price comes from? You got increased transportation costs, labor costs.
KILMEADE: Right.
WATTERS: Packaging costs, fuel costs, energy costs. It's all expensive. So, big meat is carrying a lot of costs so they are going to raise prices. You don't get to become big meat by selling meat for free, Geraldo.
RIVERA: I get that. I get that.
WATTERS: If you sell meat for free you become little meat. And you don't want to be little meat.
RIVERA: Do you have that graph, that funky graph on how the price of gas has really plummeted. Biden --
(CROSSTALK)
PIRRO: What? Ten cents?
RIVERA: Look at that. That looks very dramatic.
(CROSSTALK)
WATTERS: Geraldo, that's not dramatic. That's 10 cents.
RIVERA: No. But that's -- wait a second.
PIRRO: That's 10 cents.
WATTERS: I will --
RIVERA: I'm the (Inaudible) of the segment.
WATTERS: OK.
PIRRO: Yes.
RIVERA: Put the graph back, please. It looks like there's been a dramatic drop in the price of gasoline.
WATTERS: Right.
RIVERA: But as my young colleague points out, that's only 10 cents. They've squashed the vertical --
PERINO: Yes.
RIVERA: -- to make that graph looked like the price of gas --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: They keep doing this. It's embarrassing.
RIVERA: -- is plummeting.
WATTERS: Yes. It's a slick sales job.
(CROSSTALK)
RIVERA: Now did you learn a little something?
PIRRO: Yes.
WATTERS: I already knew it but now the audience knows how slick the Democrats are.
KILMEADE: Yes.
WATTERS: It went down 10 cents in two weeks, Geraldo, is that because big oil is less greedy? No, because Omicron has all the oil traders bidding the price down.
(CROSSTALK)
PIRRO: And by the way, with big meat I don't like the idea that John Dutton from Yellowstone is rising prices like that. It doesn't fit in my head.
KILMEADE: I have not seen Yellowstone. But I will say this.
PERINO: He do not say --
(CROSSTALK)
KILMEADE: Meat is not even the biggest problem. It looks like t used cars is up 31 percent.
PIRRO: Yes.
KILMEADE: Gas is up 58 percent. Meat is at 13 percent.
PIRRO: Right.
KILMEADE: Then you got furniture following right behind that, jewelry.
(CROSSTALK)
RIVERA: They say that used --
KILMEADE: So, it affects everybody, and as you mentioned before $3,500 per family. I get it. So, what you'd do is, you don't have to have all the answers but you have to try. And the minute I think you just diminished your argument when you set up somebody as the fall guy. In this case it's corporations, big meat, the we have corporations' big oil. And you don't have to create an enemy.
The other thing is and no offense but the press secretary should not be answering complex economic problems. Have the treasury secretary out there.
PERINO: No, that's a problem.
KILMEADE: The labor secretary out there.
(CROSSTALK)
RIVERA: That's a --
PERINO: Can I tell you something how that works?
KILMEADE: This was you don't big meat statements that people mock for 24 hours. I'd like to have an expert that knows more than the reporters out and front.
PIRRO: Yes. Find out.
PERINO: Let me tell you what happens. When the economy is good and you have good news, you can find anybody from the Treasury Department to (Inaudible) to the briefing.
(CROSSTALK)
KILMEADE: They don't want to go.
WATTERS: Yes.
PERINO: Soon as it stops, they are busy. They can't show up. Let me tell you something. It happened in the fall of 2008, and I was learning what a credit default swap was every single day.
RIVERA: But I'm sure you're sitting to the press corps.
(CROSSTALK)
KILMEADE: Well, that's criminal.
RIVERA: Didn't you at the story of the day was? I remember when Jimmy Carter was president and I was in Latin America covering his trip to South America. And somebody ran through the hallways at four in the morning, the story is Amy Carter. The story is Amy Carter. So, everybody wrote about Amy Carter that day. It says the press can be easily steered --
KILMEADE: Wow.
RIVERA: -- to cover the big meat --
(CROSSTALK)
KILMEADE: Not anymore.
WATTERS: Geraldo, you save --
PERINO: Yes.
WATTERS: -- me over and over it doesn't make your meat bigger.
RIVERA: They call me big meat.
PERINO: That's so clever.
WATTERS: They call me --
(CROSSTALK)
PIRRO: Can't just wait.
RIVERA: When defunding the police bites you, a liberal city mayor whining about the crime wave after cutting money to the cops.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KILMEADE (on camera): I did not pick the song. I'm just saying that. I know they don't ask --
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: You're just (Inaudible) the entire country.
KILMEADE: -- because I am filling in. You don't get to pick songs when you're filling. You reap what you sow.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed learning the lesson the hard way after defunding the police force by $120 million in 2020. We remember that. Now after a series of insane smash and grab thefts which are not slowing down all of the sudden, she wants to get tough on crime. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR LONDON BREED (D), SAN FRANCISCO: It's time that the reign of criminals who are destroying our city it is time for it to come to an end. And it comes to an end when we take the steps to be more aggressive with law enforcement, more aggressive with the changes in our policies. And less tolerant of all the (muted) that has destroyed our city.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KILMEADE (on camera): Where did this come from?
PIRRO: Yes.
KILMEADE: Nancy Pelosi who represents San Francisco can't seem to figure out what exactly is behind the crime surge?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PIRRO: It's absolutely outrageous, you know, obviously it cannot continue. But the fact is that there is an attitude of lawlessness in our country that springs from I don't know where. Maybe you do. And we cannot have that lawlessness become the norm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KILMEADE (on camera): You empty the prisons, you don't prosecute anything that doesn't result in the death of somebody else, and, of course, you defund and defame the cops. Here is their reforms. The tend to long crackdown was just one of four things they are going to be doing. The other three securing emergency police funding, amending our surveillance ordinance so law enforcement can interrupt crime in real-time.
Excuse me, put that down they weren't able to say that before. Disrupting the illegal street sales of stolen goods.
So, is this the beginning of a ripple effect, Jesse. Soon we will have a Philadelphia D.A. speaking out, mayor speaking out and then New York, we've got a new one coming in. And then Chicago and then Los Angeles. Is this going to be a ripple effect?
WATTERS: Every city will reach a breaking point. They'll reach it differently in different cities. Philly is reaching it very quickly. Otto von Bismarck, Brian famously said --
(CROSSTALK)
RIVERA: Von.
WATTERS: What?
RIVERA: Von.
WATTERS: Right. Von?
RIVERA: It was Von.
KILMEADE: It was Van Morrison.
WATTERS: I think I said Von.
KILMEADE: Yes.
WATTERS: Fools learn from their mistakes. Wise men learn from other people's mistake. London Breed is a fool. She's got a cool name.
RIVERA: Cool name.
WATTERS: Cool name sounds like a villain in a Batman movie. But she's like a fool, because everybody knows you defund the police and do what they do and you are going to have a crime surge. You can't keep doing this without expecting the same outcome.
I blame the San Francisco voters. You put a fool in office, a fool is going to do what a fools do.
KILMEADE: Right.
WATTERS: You know, you are going to vote for people that makes stupid decisions. They have destroyed a crowned jewel --
KILMEADE: Right.
WATTERS: -- of California. It is now basically San Francisco a tech Mecca surrounded by a filthy mode of degeneracy, lawlessness, criminals.
KILMEADE: And a 549 team.
WATTERS: And drugs. And you know what happened here, I think what really happened, a bunch of business people came and said, we're going to get out if you don't fix this.
KILMEADE: Got it.
WATTERS: And her poll numbers, obviously, are going to take a hit, and she's not going to be a national politician, if she's going to ruin this city. Look what happened to de Blasio, he tried to run for president, he got laughed out of the room.
KILMEADE: And he will get laughed at out of his governorship too. So, Dana, just one, is this a one-off one speech at it? Or do you see something happening beyond it.
DANA PERINO, CO-HOST, THE FIVE, FOX NEWS: Like if something happened, there was a straw that broke the camel's back. So, it wasn't when the Walgreens were being looted for the last year or two that we've been showing that. It was when the high-end stores started getting looted. And so, I assume these are the business owners and also some of her donors probably saying, the city, you're going to lose everything if you don't do something.
GERALDO RIVERA, CO-HOST, THE FIVE, FOX NEWS: You mean, that cop got shot.
PERINO: But she's got a problem and that the prosecutor is the one he's in under a recall. But that doesn't happen for another several months. And even if it would pass, I don't know if it would. So that's really the problem that she needs to fix. Last thing, I would say is many of these - often you have seen women politicians, when they get into the position of something being tough, that they like want to curse like that to sound tougher, and I think that it actually diminishes their power and their dignity.
KILMEADE: Very good point. Just real quick, for specific for you judge. I watch William Bratton one hour ago on this channel, and he said, I don't care about the mayors, I don't care about the police chiefs, I only care about the DAs.
JEANINE PIRRO, CO-HOST, THE FIVE, FOX NEWS: Well, that's exactly the point. And as a former DA myself, what I can tell you is when this mayor said that she - she basically said I hope that our DA will prosecute. She said, we expect law enforcement to react the way it should and I hope the DA will prosecute.
As the mayor, she's got some skin in this game and she can force the DA in ways that you and I can't figure out to prosecute and make no mistake, lawlessness begets lawlessness. What's going on around the wharf in San Francisco, where fentanyl is killing kids. They're not necessarily overdosing, but they're dying, because it's murder. And in addition to that, they're selling stolen goods and counterfeit goods, you've got all of that crime in that area, then it's only going to get worse. And I really believe, number one, she's either stupid to have signed on to defunding the police a year ago or she is only into the ideology so much that Left-wing ideology that she doesn't care about the people of her city.
KILMEADE: Right.
PIRRO: So, she either believes that all police are racist, serial murderers, or she doesn't give a damn about the people--
KILMEADE: But she seems to have change her mind, Geraldo?
RIVERA: Or she changed her mind sincerely because she understood finally--
PIRRO: Sincerely, how long it took, a year.
RIVERA: Take sometimes--
PIRRO: 456 people were killed in San Francisco.
RIVERA: I think when I interrupt to Dana, I think that it was when that security guard, the cop - ex-cop got shot outside one of those stores when the gang looters were there. But the number one job of government is to keep people safe. Whatever her aspirations, remember listen, Kamala Harris, the DA of San Francisco also - whatever - and she was a crime buster. She was a real buster when she was the DA there.
PIRRO: Well, not really.
RIVERA: She had a very good reputation. The city was safe. They weren't all the homeless around. So, I'm OK with London Breed as Jesse points out, greatest name in politics. I'm OK with her being born again. Let her be born again, and let them all be born again. And--
KILMEADE: You want to see action.
RIVERA: I want to see - I want to see people being held responsible for the crimes they commit against society; society being saved from people who are degenerate and dysfunctional and greedy.
KILMEADE: And you know finally I just know Republicans have so much - they have so much money flow into their party. They never take a run, a serious run to these DA positions, they don't take runs at the mayor positions. All I hear about is every major city, well, there's no infrastructure for the Republicans to run. So, therefore people have no choice. But unfortunately, I'd have to leave it there, maybe because it was such a great point. I have dumbfounded the whole panel.
RIVERA: Well, you can scratch it out.
KILMEADE: Right, thank you. Up next, dot dot dot billionaire Elon Musk destroy Senator Elizabeth Warren in a response you have to see.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PIRRO: The richest man in the world, Elon Musk not taking crap from liberal Senator Elizabeth Warren, after she tried to call him out on Twitter, let's change the rigged tax code, so the Person of the Year will actually pay taxes and stop freeloading off everyone else. Musk getting right back with a link to the time when Warren claimed phony in the narrative, and adding this comeback quote, please don't call the manager on me, Senator Karen.
Alright. Well, that's an interesting back and forth between the senator and the richest man in the world who's worth what $252 billion, who's right and who's wrong there?
KILMEADE: Well, put it this way. She does not like wealth, he's playing by the rules. It's not like he is cheating. He's playing by the rules. What he does is take his money and does things like we all should do. Get a space program, like we all should do. Come up with an electric car that according to Jesse's latest stats that you provide me, burns clean, I think isn't that the goal for everyone. All he does is innovate and hire people and create industry.
When it comes to paying taxes, you go ahead and invest rather than pay out that money. So, to me It's the same game. So, she wants to change the rules to stop innovation This is capitalist against socialist. Let's vilify the rich. This is back to her earlier block.
PIRRO: That's right. And you know what Dana, one of the things that capitalist versus the socialist, is she saying, there's an article that says that must pay 68,000 in 2015, 65,000 in 2017, and none in 2018. Now, I don't know if that's accurate, or it isn't accurate, but it may be and then people have to scratch their head and say, wait a minute, I'm glad he's an innovator. But you know, I'm working hard and paying 40 percent of it.
RIVERA: Senator Warren has made a good point.
PERINO: Yes, it's one of their best arguments. Right. And I think that one of the reasons that you saw Biden continually say that the rich need to pay more, heck a lot of Republicans say that too. But that would require a change in the tax code. And that means people have to get together and try to do that. She's very much a bully on these types of things. And when she comes out swinging, she never really gets any push back. But all of a sudden, you have Elon Musk, who says, you know what, I'm not going to take it anymore. And he's funny, right? And then, though the humor, the lightness of it, drives even more coverage.
And so, between her being in the news, and Hillary Clinton being in the news this week, it's like, old times.
PIRRO: Hillary Clinton was a goldmine for me on Saturday night.
KILMEADE: She's on a roll again,
PIRRO: I hope so. I really do.
KILMEADE: Send her a thank you note.
PIRRO: No, not her. But then Jesse, look, here's the bottom-line, if the top 1 percent pay $163 billion, or don't pay then taxes, we're missing that from them. But they paid the mounting share, the largest share of taxes, that's equivalent to the lower 90 percent. How much more can we tax them?
WATTERS: Not much more, because I plan on being in that top percent at some point and then I'll probably lose it and go back down to the other person. But that's America, you go up, you go down. And that's part of the game. I love when members of Congress complain about the tax code, when they write the tax code.
PERINO: Exactly.
PIRRO: Yes.
WATTERS: She's been in the Senate for 10 years, rewrite the tax code. Not only that, the Democrats gave Tesla what $5 billion in taxpayer subsidies to make Elon, the richest man in the world. And now she's complaining after giving them all that money. Come on, they're always complaining about something. He has a $15 billion tax bill that's due next year. So, we just had to sell a bunch of Tesla's stock to get that $15 billion. And what they do, send the shares of Tesla way down, that takes your 401(k) down, probably Liz Warren's pension probably came down, all the Tesla employees, they lose money. So that's the game, but she probably thinks it's a badge of honor to get dunked on by this guy.
PIRRO: You know, Geraldo, she talks about a rigged tax code. And Jesse's point is a good point. And that is, they complain about it, but they don't change and she has this support. But is it a rigged tax code?
RIVERA: I think it is. And I have a couple of things, first of all, Elon Musk is the most charming rich person on earth, I think, he richly deserved the Time magazine cover. I loved him on Saturday Night Live. He's very, very--
WATTERS: Geraldo, why don't you go to space.
RIVERA: I would love to go to space.
WATTERS: There it is.
RIVERA: And Senator Warren reminds me of Mrs. Foley (ph), my English teacher in West Babylon High School, in the Suffolk County. When she came into the room, we were terrified she was going to pick on you. But she's absolutely right. I mean, there should be minimum corporate tax and minimum personal tax on people who make over a certain amount of money. It's just essential fairness, but it will never happen because Washington is a corrupt town run by lobbyists, as soon as you try to do anything innovative, anything that's truly helpful to the people like prescription drug prices for example. It gets stymied by creeps who are bought off.
PIRRO: OK, well said. The Fastest is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WATTERS: Welcome back, everybody. Everybody hates that song apparently, but now it is time for The Fastest. I loved it. First up, the pandemic can't end soon enough, outgoing National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins serenading the American public with this pretty cringy song. Watch.
(VIDEO PLAYING)
WATTERS: Jeanine.
PIRRO: I have nothing to say. That's so disgusting. I feel bad I had to listen to it again.
RIVERA: Not disgusting.
PIRRO: That was beautiful. I'm sorry. He should be at Lincoln Center this summer.
WATTERS: It was melodious. You've got to give him that, but not a good focus right now.
RIVERA: There was just a sweetness to it, naivete too.
KILMEADE: I ruined your life; how can you say that. I destroyed children. I want you sheltered in place and I blame anyone who's not vaccinated for everything.
WATTERS: Dana, do you think anybody in the White House communication shops calling the director about this?
PERINO: No, I don't. I also think that there's one thing to learn, if you're going to pull something like this off, if you watch any of the awards or the contest shows. You have to pick a song that's up beat?
WATTERS: Yes.
PERINO: And that's how you win.
WATTERS: Yes, that was a little sad for many, many reason.
KILMEADE: He wouldn't win The Voice. Well, here's the problem.
RIVERA: Was that Judy Garland.
KILMEADE: Did he architect - is he the architect? Is he Anthony Fauci's boss? Isn't he?
PIRRO: NIH, yes.
WATTERS: Fauci doesn't have a boss.
PIRRO: That's why I don't want to watch him.
KILMEADE: So, this is how he congratulates himself for leading the world in per capita deaths. What's the song? This is unbelievable. I have no use for this. Totally, tone deaf. I can't wait for him to retire.
RIVERA: We have to have a little comic relief.
KILMEADE: I'll take Kevin James, Dave Chappelle. I don't need him.
PERINO: He needs a nap.
WATTERS: Alright.
PIRRO: OK.
WATTERS: Let's move on. Up next.
RIVERA: Kevin James played in my golf course.
WATTERS: Turns out - of course he did Geraldo, so did Spike Lee probably. It turns out your average TV hosts just as smart as any other surgeon or rocket science--
RIVERA: It's not what it said--
WATTERS: That is true. A new study reveals the brains of doctors and scientists and engineers are no different than those of any other profession. Who did this study? I feel like it wasn't scientists, doctors or engineers.
KILMEADE: So, the whole theory is, we're just - the average person is just as smart as a rocket scientist and a brain surgeon. So, this is true, but--
RIVERA: Anybody could do it.
WATTERS: It's like those us weekly spreads like they're just like us, celebrities.
PIRRO: It does not supposed to be that way, it's not.
KILMEADE: Well, we want them to be smarter.
PIRRO: Why?
KILMEADE: I want someone operating in my brain that's smarter than me.
WATTERS: I'm not going to say it.
PIRRO: Doctor.
KILMEADE: Right, you are?
PIRRO: I'm a doctor of laws.
KILMEADE: That said, you want a Jewish doctor?
PIRRO: No, my God.
WATTERS: Well, you do.
PIRRO: Jurist doctor.
WATTERS: Definitely.
KILMEADE: Right.
WATTERS: Dana?
PERINO: Yes. Save you, save us. I was relieved when I read this.
WATTERS: Yes.
PERINO: Because I thought OK, well what they're basically saying is that we have - we all have the same type of brain, but they have better use of the skills in that part of the brain than we do.
KILMEADE: They work--
WATTERS: You let me down--
KILMEADE: And they're better man.
PIRRO: Is that how you figured it out?
PERINO: I just read the article.
PIRRO: Yes.
WATTERS: So, did we, Dana. One More Thing is up next.
PIRRO: OK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PERINO: Well, it's time now for One More Thing. I'll go first. You might remember in September; I accidentally spilled the beans that Jessica Tarlov is going to have a baby.
PIRRO: I remember.
PERINO: Now, she has had said, baby, Cleo Markie McKenna was born December 11th, weighing eight pounds seven ounces, she was, she will not be surprised to hear, the tallest baby born at Mount Sinai that day.
PIRRO: I'm sure.
PERINO: She said they're both doing well. Jessica's mom brought her a sandwich (ph) to the hospital. And Cleo's middle name Markie is an honor of Jessica's late father, Mark, who of course died last - just a few months ago in July. And Brian and Jessica, they're certainly overjoyed. She's got Jersey hair, which is great. And the other thing that that was quite sweet as I checked in with Jessica today and she said that one thing that she thinks pretty neat is that Cleo moves her arms and her legs just like she did when she was inside the womb. So, there's really special connection.
PIRRO: Yes.
PERINO: Congratulation.
KILMEADE: Well, I have to take the word of it.
PERINO: Jesse.
WATTERS: Fact-checking a baby--
KILMEADE: Just saying, I want to be right.
WATTERS: Alright. Never been wrong. Alright, feeding frenzy. Here we go. Kraft Mac and Cheese is going to be introducing a flavor boost seasonal flavor package for their full-size mac and cheese boxes. We have comforting flavors for the winter season. Cheesy Pizza, Tangy Buffalo and Creamy Ranch. I know Brian wants the Creamy Ranch. So, they're not going to be in stores for another two weeks. So, let's give this a try. I'm going to go pizza. Alright.
KILMEADE: Alright.
WATTERS: I'm going to go pizza. Come on, guys. Let's go.
PERINO: Judge said there's a lot of--
RIVERA: I'm going to have dinner.
WATTERS: Come on, guys. One bite.
PIRRO: I want some--
PERINO: Oh, the pizza is delicious.
KILMEADE: Do you want some ranch. This is ranch.
PERINO: That's good.
WATTERS: The pizza is good.
PERINO: The pizza is good. Really good.
WATTERS: The pizza is really good.
PIRRO: It is good?
WATTERS: Every pizza flavor is very good. So, check this out.
PERINO: I saw this advertising in TV and I thought this is, I like this idea.
PIRRO: I'm not on mac and cheese--
PERINO: Good job.
(CROSSTALK)
KILMEADE: I don't know if it's your sponsor. Not good.
PIRRO: OK. One more thing. I found the cutest video of a dog that plays lazy fetch. OK, it's a new way of playing fetch. So, meet Hudson. He's three and a half year old golden retriever who lives in New York City and he likes to play lazy fetch with his owner. He lies down on the floor. haphazardly catches tennis balls in his mouth before lazily pulling the ball back to his mind.
WATTERS: This dog is going to have a weight problem.
PIRRO: Yes. Look at it.
RIVERA: That's a lazy dog.
PIRRO: Put in his mouth and then he'll push, look at he takes that--
RIVERA: I wanted to know how they invented that game.
PIRRO: Well, that's it.
PERINO: That's like the opposite of Percy's energy, right.
PIRRO: Yes.
PERINO: Alright. We have Geraldo.
RIVERA: Alright, this is Geraldo's Geraldo news with Geraldo. Tonight, featuring Geraldo's daughter Sol. Another episode of her great YouTube food channel SolFood drops today, has dropped now, you can go onto YouTube, search YouTube SolFood, S-O-L Food.
WATTERS: Awesome.
RIVERA: She is working with a wonderful genius--
PIRRO: Lebanese.
RIVERA: Tina Chamoun, Tina Chamoun, you know Tina Chamoun.
PIRRO: No, but I know the food.
RIVERA: She has 33 Lebanese restaurants; you would love that.
PIRRO: She has 33?
RIVERA: She has 33 restaurants in the Cleveland area, including Taza, the high end one. They're making tabbouleh, they're making kafta, all things that Judge Jeanine loves.
PIRRO: I make them.
RIVERA: You make them--
PIRRO: I make kafta, tabbouleh, hummus, all that.
RIVERA: Tina Chamoun, and Sol have this great, great video tonight. There's two-part Lebanese food. She's doing all the ethnic restaurants in the Cleveland Ohio area and my genius daughter.
PERINO: Brian's getting little anxious.
RIVERA: Alright.
KILMEADE: Alright, so here we go. I'm going to try to make history on Friday night. Is there something to do on Broadway in Nashville? The answer is usually no, not anymore. Redneck Riviera, John Rich has decided at 8:15 at night where everyone is usually going home after happy hour. I'm going to be signing the President Freedom Fighters before - have been done. Then I'm over to Ohio to go to Joe-Beth Rockwood over in Cincinnati and then to Dayton, the W.H.O. listeners are hosting me there, briankilmeade.com. The President Freedom Fighter number eight in the country.
WATTERS: You're selling books at the bar.
KILMEADE: Right.
WATTERS: I think that's going to go really well.
KILMEADE: Book a shot. I'm going to try any type--
WATTERS: Brian has promised.
PIRRO: Fabulous.
WATTERS: He'll buy a shot if you buy a book.
(CROSSTALK)
PERINO: That's it for us.
(CROSSTALK)
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