'The Five' on Gov. Cuomo harassment allegations, eviction moratorium for landlords

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'The Five' criticize Chris Cuomo for failing to cover brother's latest scandal

CNN anchor remained silent on the state attorney general's report; reaction from 'The Five'

This is a rush transcript from "The Five," August 4, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GREG GUTFELD, FOX NEWS CO-HOST: Hello, I'm Greg Gutfeld with Katie Pavlich, Geraldo Rivera, Jesse Watters, and she won a gold medal for doing a floor exercise on gold medal, Dana Perino, THE FIVE.

You never know when you really need a dose of patriotism until you get it into your system and then it's like, wow! That felt pretty awesome. We're referring to an American Olympian getting a ton of attention for all the right reasons.

Tamyra Mensah-Stock making history in Tokyo after becoming the first Black American woman to take home a gold medal in wrestling. But unlike some other athletes who have used their platforms to protest America she has no problems praising our country. Tamyra saying, quote, "I love representing the U.S. I freaking love living there. I love it. And I'm so happy I get to represent USA." She then went on to give this emotional response at a press conference.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAMYRA MENSAH-STOCK, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST WRESTLER: I'm very happy and I keep trying not to cry but it keeps happening.

UNKNOWN: What does this mean for the popularity of the sport and for all the young girls out there that are going to see you and feel inspiration?

MENSAH-STOCK: It means that they see someone like themselves on that podium. Just because you're a female it doesn't mean you can't accomplish the biggest of goals and being an Olympic champ is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my entire life. And I can say it's well worth it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: So obviously, the sheer positivity coming from that young woman is welcomed relief. And we all know it's that attitude that will carry her throughout life. People might mock the power of positive thinking but I dare you to find a failure among anyone who employs it. Obstacles become adventures and setbacks become challenges.

Contrast that with the activists' persona which dictates any expression of glee or gratitude is viewed as counter to their mission. Everything must be part of the great struggle against perceived depression caused by the evil country you represent.

But last night this great athlete reminded everyone why the Olympics is so special. It should be the greatest time of your life for you and your country and I'm saying that as someone who hates the Olympics. I'll just stare.

So, Katie, now, that's like old school Olympics, like you remember growing up. Happy, happy athletes, happy winners, patriotism. Everybody is adorable.

KATIE PAVLICH, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I just love the wholesome goodness and gratitude that she showed to her coaches, to her own hard work and her work ethic, to her ability to take on challenges and overcome them. I feel like we live in a time now where people think taking challenges is beneficial to people when really, challenges allow us to overcome adversity and achieve great things.

I love it. She's a small-town gal from Texas. And her dad is an immigrant from Ghana who came here somewhat recently and believed in the dream of America for himself and for his family. And to watch his daughter take home a gold medal to represent the United States of America is amazing.

And I think it is what everybody really needed and I just love everything about her and I hope that she gets to go back again. This was her first Olympics. Also, impressive to go in and win gold the first time. So, congratulations to her and thank you giving us all some optimism and gratitude.

GUTFELD: Yes. Something fun to talk about. Jesse, isn't it -- does it strike you as sad that she's accomplished more than your short life so far than you will in your number one entire life?

JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS HOST: Just a number one best seller --

GUTFELD: That's it. That's what I wanted you to say.

PAVLICH: She will. She will.

WATTERS: That. Maybe she will. And I heard she might be doing a little Fox in a few days. I can't wait for that interview.

DANA PERINO, FOX NEWS CO-HOST: Yes, I'm excited. Tomorrow morning just going to be on with me on America's Newsroom tomorrow. That will be one o'clock --

(CROSSTALK)

WATTERS: There it is.

PERINO: -- in Tokyo, but we're so excited to have her for sure.

WATTERS: I'll be watching that because she's just brimming with exuberance and it's contagious for anybody that watches that and what I've noticed, the people that are happy are also patriotic. It takes happiness to be patriotic because happiness is a key component according to Mois (Ph).

GUTFELD: Yes, that's French for me.

WATTERS: Is being grateful.

GUTFELD: Yes.

WATTERS: And when you're grateful you're living in the moment and you appreciate the blessings of everything around you and there is nowhere, where the blessings are as plentiful as the United States of America. So people that are grateful express that and that's inspiring to other people who are watching at home. We don't want to feel guilty when we watch the Olympics. We could just watch CNN if we wanted to feel that time. Did you notice --

(CROSSTALK)

GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT-AT-LARGE: Read the New York Times.

WATTERS: -- how this story, a black female gold medal winning wrestler hasn't been covered on CNN and MSNBC or CBS. Now why do you think that is? She checks all the boxes. She's black. She's female, gold medal winner. One box she doesn't check. She's not patriotic. So, they can't put that story on because that story doesn't jive --

(CROSSTALK)

GUTFELD: You mean unpatriotic.

WATTERS: -- with what they usually sell.

PAVLICH: She is patriotic.

WATTERS: Right. They sell the story of black athletes who are unpatriotic. They sell stories of black athletes that maybe didn't pass a drug test. This story is not that. This is all beautiful, all patriotic and they are not sharing that with the audience and that's something to think about and why hasn't Joe Biden been saying anything about the Olympics? Why is that?

If President Trump were president right now, he would be tweeting, he would be galvanizing us to watch. It would be unifying. He would be like, you know, on Twitter, big win for the female rowers in Tokyo. The precision and beauty and power that they dip those oars into the water. They will have a big celebration back at the White House with the also beautiful first lady Melania. Go USA. I miss that.

(CROSSTALK)

PAVLICH: He would know the medal count for sure. He would know the medal count.

WATTERS: I miss that.

PAVLICH: It's like, you know the medal count.

GUTFELD: That was almost verbatim of what he would write. Were you writing them for him?

WATTERS: Yes, that was --

RIVERA: Yes, I'm deeply impressed.

GUTFELD: Geraldo, doesn't it, kind of -- it reminds me of Mary Lou Retton. Remember her?

RIVERA: Sure.

PERINO: Perfect 10.

RIVERA: You know, can I just speak more broadly referencing Mary Lou Retton who was a great champion.

GUTFELD: How dare you.

RIVERA: I'm an old fashion patriot and I think you and Katie both made a very eloquent presentation in that regard. I also believe in the first amendment. I think people have the right to protest. They can use any platform that they have access to. They can, you know, they have total freedom, but I as an old-fashioned person, you can tell by my mullet, I really feel that the Olympics is not the appropriate stage to be negative about your country.

The reason I love the Olympics, one of the reasons, aside from the superb athleticism, is that it's the old fashioned patriot -- there is the flag of Mexico and, you know, the -- this country -- pick a country, France, and this, and Africa, and where is that country Cote d'Ivoire and all of this, I mean, Ivory Coast, however you say it.

But I think that using the Olympics as a stage to make a political point is a cheap shot. And I really believe that, for instance, the woman soccer team, and how they started their run, there were so many Americans that I knew were cheering Sweden in the three zip rout of the American soccer team, I know that's a very controversial statement and I apologize if I offend you, but I detest people grabbing the opportunism of that stage and cheapening it.

I don't even like the kneeling at the football games. I also saw that that knocked off from the NFL from its -- from its momentum.

GUTFELD: It's a distraction. It would be like us on THE FIVE all of a sudden throwing a football in the middle of a political discussion which I think we should do. So, people used to, I believe.

PERINO: Yes, it's the same.

GUTFELD: Dana, what are you going to ask her?

PERINO: Well, so there's a few things. I think that the adversity point is a really good one. And just to clarify. So, her father actually died when she was in high school.

GUTFELD: Right.

PERINO: And it was on her way -- his way -- he was on his way back from one of her events, and she almost quit the sport altogether but then she said she was inspired to pick herself back up. She said she loves getting beat up and she loves beating people up.

But that she also talks about how nervous she was. She tells her coaches, I'm nervous, I'm scared, I'm freaking out here. Help me out. And so somehow, she was able to take all of those nerves and all of that anxious energy and transform it into something that is absolutely incredible. She knew how to bite the medal.

WATTERS: That's the move.

PERINO: She knew how to bite the medal. The other thing is, with her prize money she's going to buy her mom her mom's dream, which is to have a food truck.

GUTFELD: Yes.

PERINO: I think she should call it gold medal barbecue because apparently, Greg, it's barbecue that she's a specialist in.

GUTFELD: Well, she's Texas. I mean, it's got to be barbecue.

PERINO: It's got to be barbecue.

GUTFELD: What else is it going to be? It's not going to be a sushi truck.

PERINO: Yes. So --

GUTFELD: But that would be my dream to own barbecue truck but I wouldn't have any customers.

PERINO: You wouldn't but she's going to have a lot of customers.

GUTFELD: Yes.

PERINO: And it's going to be great to talk to her. She is fully her authentic self and I think all of us could learn a lot from that.

GUTFELD: Excellent. Well that was fun and upbeat just like our next block. The next stage in the Cuomo scandal, could be criminal charges and why is the governor's q-tip love and brother all of a sudden silent?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WATTERS (on camera): The creepy Cuomo fallout keeps getting worse for New York's disgraced governor. He could now face criminal charges, multiple D.A.'s in the state are launching investigations into Cuomo's actions who is accused of sexually harassing 11 women. Cuomo is defiant as ever despite mounting pressure from Democrats to step aside.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I think he should resign. I'm sure there were some embraces that is totally innocent but apparently, the attorney general has decided that there were things that weren't.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: I continue to believe the governor should resign.

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): He absolutely should resign.

SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY): The fact that there are 11 women coming forward is deeply, deeply disturbing. I do believe he should resign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATTERS (on camera): And what about q-tip loving Chris Cuomo. The CNN anchor completely ignored the massive scandal last night on his show. That's after the New York A.G. said Chris, got, quote, "got confidential state intel and helped to write a response to one of his brothers' accusers."

Greg, yesterday, you brought up Ralph Northam. As everybody knows how the black face scandal --

GUTFELD: Right.

WATTERS: -- and everybody called on him to resign, even Democrats. And he didn't do it and now he's still sitting in the governor's office.

GUTFELD: I think this is -- I think this is different because he's got the hard left after him. He's like King Kong right now at the top of the building swatting at the plane, still clutching a woman. He's -- I don't think he's going to last.

But I go back to what Geraldo said. I mean, who replaces him? The people -- I mean, we might be going from the outer circle of hell to the inner circle of hell if we get Letitia James or if De Blasio. I mean, imagine, these are people that have no compassion about victims of crime.

WATTERS: So, we have to want him to hold on?

GUTFELD: I don't know. I don't -- no, I want -- he's got to go. I mean, 11 women, and, I mean, we should just sit back and let the process take care of it.

PERINO: Yes.

GUTFELD: It's obvious Chris Cuomo is just really lucky that he doesn't have to ever cover big ugly stories. Right? He can play with a q-tip but he can't talk about the nursing homes. You know? He can talk about how his bro is single and ready to mingle but he can't talk about hsi brother's crimes with women. It's likely oddly convenient.

I would say that CNN could have -- they should have him on as a guest. CNN should have Chris Cuomo on as a guest. Therefore, he doesn't run the segment and they could ask him questions.

WATTERS: I should create a conflict of interest with regard to January 6 so I just never have to talk about it. I'm sorry, I have a conflict. I can't talk about it. Dana Perino, from a public relations standpoint, --

GUTFELD: Relations standpoint.

WATTERS: -- can you please give Chris -- not Chris. Please give Governor Cuomo a grade on how he's done thus far?

PERINO: I would say f if it was for integrity but you've got to say, like, he's just basically going to hold on. He's going to be Godzilla, gorilla?

GUTFELD: King Kong.

PERINO: King Kong. Godzilla the other one. All right, King Kong. You know, there is a possibility that they just drag -- he drags this thing out as long as he can. He doesn't care that he doesn't have a friend in the world. He doesn't care that it's -- it's like one of the things that he did that is so egregious is changing the rules so that that state trooper that he had his eyes on would then be added to his detail, and then he harassed her in front of everybody and her boss did nothing about it while he was doing it.

GUTFELD: Well, I don't know that.

PERINO: That's like, I think that's one of the most egregious things. She's one of the 11. And she didn't want to come forward but she did because she thought it would be the right thing to do. So, everyone else is doing the right thing and he's doing the wrong thing. So, he doesn't care if he doesn't have a friend in the world.

The other thing that's different with Northam is that, Governor Northam apologized.

WATTERS: Right.

PERINO: And then powered through. This guy is just a complete jerk. And I don't think it's a great idea to keep showing, you know, we keep showing the video he put out of how he just kisses everybody and everything is fine. It's like no big deal. Like, no.

WATTERS: There it is.

PERINO: Like, yes. I don't think that that's the right thing to do although, you know, maybe from a P.R. perspective, maybe it was smart.

WATTERS: Is that Rahm Emanuel?

PERINO: They put out this video and they -- then we just keep playing it.

GUTFELD: He always looks like he's trying to suck a pimple.

PERINO: That's disgusting, pimple doctor.

WATTERS: All right.

PAVLICH: Yes.

WATTERS: Geraldo, if this moves forward with impeachment how long will a process like that going to last?

RIVERA: Well, impeachment is his big peril but I have to say Andrew Cuomo is no Harvey Weinstein when you look at these charges.

WATTERS: Yes.

RIVERA: Look at them, look at them fairly.

GUTFELD: That's a low bar.

PAVLICH: Wow, come on.

RIVERA: You use disgusting and disgraceful, you know, makes me puke and this guy is a -- you know, he didn't rape anybody. I mean, I just want to say that --

(CROSSTALK)

PAVLICH: That does not --

RIVERA: -- it is interesting to me that everyone has seized on the sexual assault and nobody mentions the nursing home. Nobody mentions these hundreds and hundreds of people who died arguably because of executive decisions made in Albany. Nobody talks about it. They have a press conference. We lost 15,000 people. They get two reporters to show up.

Sexual assault, they get 300 jumping all over each other asking, did he put his hand on her elbow? Did he smooth his mustache -- wait, he doesn't have a mustache but -- I just think that --

(CROSSTALK)

WATTERS: Katie, it is --

RIVERA: -- it's so hypocritical.

WATTERS: -- it is a point that this scandal is more devastating politically than the other scandal where people died as a result.

PERINO: And he hid data to cover it up.

RIVERA: Yes.

PAVLICH: And with that, there was this kind of these people being engaged together. So, the New Jersey governor made some of the same decisions. The Democratic governor in Michigan made some of the same decisions. So, they all kind of wanted some immunity from the Justice Department which apparently, they were happy to give them.

But on the resignation of Andrew Cuomo, I don't know if he'll resign. I don't think he will. I think he's going to stay and this is all up to the Democrats to hold him accountable.

PERINO: That's true.

PAVLICH: They are in charge and if they want to really put their money where their mouth is when it comes to Me Too, and women's rights and sexual harassment in the workplace, they would impeach him.

Now, the White House, President Biden said yesterday that he should resign but when they were pressed again today about whether he should be impeached because he is looking like he's not going to resign they won't go as far as saying that Democrats should act to impeach him.

And then an interesting and ironic and awful terrible thing based on the nursing home issue, today Jen Psaki was asked if he should still be in a leadership position on these COVID calls for all the Democratic governors every week with the White House and she said that she doesn't want to hurt the people of New York by removing Andrew Cuomo from a position of leadership to run the COVID response --

(CROSSTALK)

PERINO: Just to resign.

PAVLICH: -- but not just for New York, but for the other states as if he hasn't done all of this damage including --

(CROSSTALK)

PERINO: Right. That's a great point.

PAVLICH: -- putting thousands of people back into the nursing homes. And so, they are kind of using that as a shield rather than taking responsibility for it, and it's one thing to say he should resign but it's another to call for action if he refuses.

WATTERS: Jen has had a tough week. All said. Dana won't say it, but I'll say it. You got a tough week, Jen.

Next, Democrats can't seem to keep their COVID messaging straight. Former President Barack Obama adding more fuel to the fire by scaling back his massive birthday party.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAVLICH (on camera): Democrats in the White House can't stop causing confusion over COVID, thanks to mixed messaging on vaccines and how the effect -- how effective they are.

Former President Obama is now scaling down his 60th birthday bash from over 500 people to just family and close friends, that's despite the fact that all attendants would have been vaccinated and news like that causing some Americans to ask what's the point of getting the shot if they can't get back to normal.

So, Jesse, most importantly, how did they decide who not to -- who to disinvite?

WATTERS: I would love to be at that moment going through the list. Let's see, Rahm hasn't donated to the library, got to cut him. Have Valerie cut him, we don't want to get involve. I just love that Barack Obama, most powerful man in the world Democrat, caved to the mob. I love it.

And my sources, Katie, tell me, Michelle is not happy about it. Michelle wanted to double down and invite more people but Barack said no, no, no, we have to do this. Katie, he had 500 people outside all vaccinated, and the media said, no, you can't do that.

Are you kidding me? He's following the science. He just wasn't following the script. Because the script says we need to keep the fear card down. We need to make sure everybody is nervous and scared, so we can control them and regulate them, and that's what happened with Barack.

Lallapaloosa went off, they had a 100,000 people all vaccinated, all outside for four straight days. He can't have 500 guests on the coastline. That's crazy, Fenway Park, no masks, no vax mandates, full capacity, 35,000. Everybody is there, no one is complaining but he can't do that? I love that he caved. I love it.

PAVLICH: So, Dana, when this scandal sort of bubbling up earlier in the week, you were saying that he was doing actually the right thing by having a party?

PERINO: No, he was and then he caved. So, I wish that he would have -- I wish for himself that he would have been able to have the birthday party that he wanted. You only turn 60 once so maybe they can have a do-over later on. I also think that the party cancellation sends a signal that we are in retreat --

WATTERS: Yes.

PERINO: -- on the virus and we're not. If you actually look at the science and you're being rational and using common sense. The perception is reality. Unfortunately for him, they caved to the mob. I wish that they hadn't.

PAVLICH: So, Greg, what about this perception that a majority of Americans now think the worst is ahead of us on the virus and that comes from Dr. Fauci?

GUTFELD: Yes. You know, just to point out, we were -- we -- one of us bashed him for throwing a party.

WATTERS: No.

PERINO: No.

GUTFELD: So, I was like, you know --

(CROSSTALK)

WATTERS: I wanted to go.

GUTFELD: I think what happened was, he canceled it because it was leaked. It became -- I don't think he would have -- he would have done this if it wasn't for the press. But I also think he canceled it for a really good reason. He's not just one of the most beloved humans on the planet. He's the most beloved black American in the world.

So, should you, a role model, throw a giant party when 70 percent of blacks in New York aren't vaccinated? And can't go to that party? And can't go to restaurants, right? They can't go to any entertainment venues according to De Blasio because they aren't vaxed.

So, when 70 percent of blacks aren't -- in cities, I don't know how it is nationwide but that's a super high number, he probably watched THE FIVE and realized more work needs to be done and I need to encourage everybody out there to get vaxxed. That's the way I'm looking at it.

PAVLICH: So, Geraldo, I mean, the reason why there was some outrage over this is because the White House is saying one thing about gatherings, while President Obama was maybe doing something else and Democrats have been very keen on going back to mandates even though we're supposed to be moving forward with our regular life if you get vaccinated. So, there is a mixed message here in terms of what people are supposed to do.

RIVERA: Well, I remember, yes, there is. I remember crying when he got elected. I was so deeply affected by it. I'm deeply touched by it.

GUTFELD: We were crying, too.

RIVERA: For a different reason, much different reason. But, you know, I tried to get interviews with President Obama in his second term. I mean, he was giving interviews to the dog food channel and saying no to me, and I'm still irked by the last time I was on Martha's Vineyard. And it was a very big party.

President Obama was in office, his second term. And it was Alan Dershowitz's 80th birthday. I may have told this stuff before. But it was his 80th birthday party. He was celebrating 50 years at Harvard and his 30th book.

President Obama was literally next door. In other words, you could see him through the bushes. He was invited to the party and he didn't come and Alan told me that he didn't come because I was there. I was at the party, a Fox News guy at the party.

So, when I heard that this party was canceled, I must admit that I -- in a very petty, small-minded way, I said ah. But I withdrew that and I wish he had the party -- I wish he had celebrated the fact that we are over the hump, the fact that everybody is vaccinated. And that goes with my rule. You know, show me your ID your proof and your full access forever. Let him have his party. And maybe next time he'll me.

WATTERS: To be fair though, Geraldo, a lot of people don't go to parties that you're at.

RIVERA: That is true.

GUTFELD: Did you talk to the Bushes when they were there?

RIVERA: The Bush is at Martha's Vineyard.

GUTFELD: You said you saw them.

WATTERS: He's behind the bushes.

GUTFELD: You said he was behind the bushes?

WATTERS: He's standing behind the bushes.

PAVLICH: All right. I'm going to make sure Geraldo gets an invite next time. All right, Democrats in a major panic after a top campaign official warns of a coming red wave.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RIVERA: Democrats sounding the alarm about the potential of a big red wave in the 2022 midterm elections if the party does not find its way and reset its message after all that defund the police nonsense that was, you know, made so public by the Squad. House Democrats campaign chief warning behind closed doors that if the midterms were held today, Republicans would win the majority in Congress.

One Democrat who attended the meeting told Politico "the polling looked pretty dismal to me." What are you thinking? What are you thinking?

PAVLICH: Well, we are still a very long way away from 2022.

RIVERA: So, do you think like Jesse said, don't jinx it?

PAVLICH: Yes, Jesse does not want to jinx it. But I will say that in 2020, Republicans came a lot closer to winning the House than everybody thought that they would, or most people anyway. So, there's a very slim majority with Democrats. I think the slimmest majorities in decades in the House for Nancy Pelosi. And regardless of that, they've tried to push through a lot of really far left-wing ideas, and also in the senate being 50-50, they've taken advantage of that.

Now, when it comes to what the issues are, inflation, obviously is a big one. Crime is up. When you have 42 percent of people saying that they don't think -- that Democrats can't be trusted on the economy, that's a big problem for Democrats given these factors. And when you're talking about people's livelihoods and crime, and Democrats not being trusted with that at all and defunding the police and having to kind of crawl back from going in on the deep end with activists who were totally on board with defunding the police, that's going to be a hard message for them to go. So, yes, they got to work on it.

RIVERA: There are also, you know, within the Democratic Party, even because they're so liberal and everything else, people have a false impression. I think, within for instance, in the Hispanic community, as in the African- American community there's a lot -- bless you -- there's a lot of conservatism, conservatisms, whatever it is, a lot of conservative people within these liberal groups.

One issue, which is pretty local is about Israel and, you know, support for Israel. The Squad, because -- in many ways, I agree with them about the Palestinians being even-handed and so forth, but the Jewish community is very, very suspicious. Like in Cleveland, we just had an election for the ages. I think it broke all the records in terms of the money that was spent on the election. Shontel Brown, the Joe Biden Democrat against Nina Turner, the surrogate for Bernie Sanders.

So, there was this clash. But Nina Turner had in the past said things about Israel, that they call them to question her loyalty to Israel. Shontel Brown went to Israel a couple of years ago and supported the Jewish state, you know, with a great emphasis.

Anyway, yesterday was the election -- the Tuesday was the election.

GUTFELD: Longest question ever.

RIVERA: The turnout was very low 13 percent or so. The Jewish turnout was more than double that. Don't these issues count? And don't the Democrats have to remember who their constituents are?

WATTERS: They do, Geraldo.

RIVERA: Do you remember the question?

WATTERS: No. Joe Biden has a messaging problem and a management problem. The message was during the campaign, we have to defeat the virus, and then the economy will recover. We have defeated the virus and the economy is recovering. But Joe Biden is acting like none of those things are true.

He's acting like we haven't beaten the virus. He's hyping up Delta. We're back and forth on masks. And oh, I don't know, are we going to open the schools, Geraldo. And then on the economy, if the economy is so great like he's bragging about, then why are we giving more free rent to people? Or why are we spending trillions more in stimulus?

RIVERA: That's very popular, by the way.

WATTERS: And all -- and all of the so-called wage gains that are happening are offset by high gas prices and inflation. But the management also is terrible. On the border and in inner cities, Democrats control both, and we have a border crisis and a crime wave. And Black Americans don't like that, Hispanic Americans don't like that, suburban women don't like that, white males. That's unpopular across the board. And when you throw critical race theory into that mix, that is an uphill climb.

RIVERA: Dana, Dana, Jesse didn't answer my question.

GUTFELD: Oh, don't repeat it.

WATTERS: I don't even remember the question.

RIVERA: What about the importance of remembering your constituencies? And isn't the fear of the Squad's radicalism and lack of loyalty to groups like the Jewish Americans, isn't that --

PERINO: Sure. I'll just concede.

RIVERA: Thank you.

PERINO: That is an important point. If I -- and then I'll make another one. And I think that the Democrats really do benefit from having Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney as the head of their congressional arm for this cycle because he's at least willing to tell them the hard truth. And he did the polling, he put it out there, they leaked it out and says, like, everybody on notice that this nonsense could cost us the majority. And he wanted everybody to know that.

On top of that, President Biden's numbers have gone down in the Quinnipiac poll that just came out today. In May, he was at 49 percent approval. Today, August 4th, he's at 46 percent. That's about where President Trump was. So, he's lost quite a bit of ground on that front. And so, the president who is in power in his first midterm in the first term, he usually loses seats. The Republicans have three other things going for them, redistricting. That's probably going to give them five to six seats. Recruiting, excellent recruiting, and Kevin McCarthy puts a lot of emphasis on that. And fundraising, nobody's going to be short of money.

My last point is this. The Republicans now have yet another issue, because what the Biden administration did yesterday to landlords all across the country that owned 23 million rental housing units all across the country just found out that they were going to get screwed again. So -- and they can't get the help that the federal government gave out because the states don't know how to get it to them. So, there's an opportunity there for Republicans can figure out a way to message to them and to get to them. They might be able to get those votes too.

RIVERA: The Republicans, you know, still influenced in a very profound way by President Trump in the southern part of Ohio. A guy named Mike Carey, who was a lobbyist, Greg, for the coal industry was one of many candidates. I can't remember how many. But Trump did --

PERINO: 11.

RIVERA: 11 candidate. Trump went down, they did a rally, and the guy that Trump anointed, one -- so he still has some potency.

GUTFELD: Yes, there you go. I predicted that yesterday on the show. For those of you who didn't watch, you'll never be able to prove that. Party out of power always comes on strong, right?

PERINO: Yes.

GUTFELD: There's always red waves and blue waves, whatnot. But the red wave is based on the crime wave. It's based on the wave of CRT and other denigrating education trend, And the wave of class warfare that we're seeing as well with this landlord stuff --

RIVERA: And the border.

PERINO: Spending wave too. That's a big deal.

GUTFELD: And the spending wave. There's a lot of waves. The red wave can only happen though if Americans pull themselves out of this deep rabbit hole called the smartphone, because I really do believe the excesses of the left took hold because we were ambivalent and distracted by so many things, that everything that we hate and we should hate in hardcore left politics has been able to sneak in right under our noses because we -- our nose was too busy in this.

RIVERA: But you got to show up. If you don't show up, then there's no wave.

GUTFELD: There's no wave.

RIVERA: A little --

GUTFELD: Wave it goodbye.

RIVERA: Wave it goodbye. "THE FASTEST" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PERINO: Welcome back. It's time for "THE FASTEST." Here we go. First up, could this be the must-have item to get people back in the office? It's called a kneeling chair. And it apparently encourages a more natural posture by forcing people to squat and kneel at their desk.

WATTERS: Greg, just say it. Say it. What would a sexist say?

GUTFELD: I know. You know what a sexist would say? I'd like to put that in my fun room. I wouldn't be working on that thing is what a sexist say.

PERINO: Yes, you would never say that though.

GUTFELD: I would never say that. I think that --

PERINO: Would you sit on that chair?

GUTFELD: No, I would just use an office chair that they provide me.

PERINO: I have sat one of these. I quite liked these. Have you tried it, Katie?

PAVLICH: I never tried it. It looks like a massage chair.

WATTERS: Yes.

PAVLICH: So, maybe at lunch you can have someone come in and help you out.

PERINO: No, I think it makes you sit up -- it makes you sit up straighter. It's good for your -- good for your posture.

WATTERS: You're not allowed to get massages here. Trust me.

PAVLICH: It's good for your posture.

GUTFELD: That's going to be on Pornhub in a month.

PAVLICH: Oh, my God.

WATTERS: What's that, Greg?

GUTFELD: I don't know.

RIVERA: But we do have a sedentary lifestyle. It's true. And we spend too much time sitting. If you have an Apple watch, it tells you to get up, jerk.

PERINO: It's a good idea.

GUTFELD: You know what you need? You need a reverse so your back is up like this because everybody's down like this.

PERINO: Yes, so you can be --

(CROSSTALK)

RIVERA: I found the button -- the button today that lifted my desk. I had no idea. It stand up. The desk go up.

GUTFELD: That was invented for -- well, nevermind.

PERINO: OK. I think -- could we go on to the next one because this is like really good? All right, you know Greg loves ribs. Who doesn't know that? But will he like these. This is a new trending social media recipe. It's called corn ribs, and has people frying and seasoning ears of corn in order to make them taste like smoked meat.

All right, so we're going to get -- yes. Is it good?

WATTERS: It tastes meaty.

PERINO: It tastes like meat?

RIVERA: It tastes like -- it tastes like chicken.

PERINO: It tastes like meat. The corn tastes like meat. These are done in the air fryer, Katie.

PERINO: So, they're very healthy. I don't think they count as meat. There's all these conspiracies to try to get people to eat things that are not meat and called the meat. And I don't think that -- this looks like corn to me.

PERINO: This is -- they make salted butter with fresh cilantro and air fry the corn at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes in case you want to try this at home.

RIVERA: Do I have any on my teeth?

GUTFELD: I don't know. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to my corn.

PERINO: Yes?

GUTFELD: It could go in and go out the same way.

PAVLICH: Greg, you're the rib expert though so does this count as a real rib.

GUTFELD: No, it doesn't. It doesn't. I have ribs Monday and Tuesday and we'll probably have ribs tonight. It's a great new place, Morgan's, Lower East Side.

PERINO: All right.

GUTFELD: I am addicted.

PERINO: OK. All right, all right. So, that's how the corn went?

RIVERA: You're still won't get addicted.

PERINO: Finally? Here's a question. Hey, how's it going? Well, it turns out some people have forgotten how to make small talk because of COVID. Thanks to Zoom, we ignore body language and instead just talk at each other without any back and forth. And this is even hurting the dating scene, Jesse.

WATTERS: Well, I've been reading a lot of books about men and women and the differences between the two.

GUTFELD: There are no differences.

PERINO: You have been?

WATTERS: I have. And women like to talk about themselves. So, all you have to do is you ask a woman a question, and she will just talk. And then you ask another question, and she will just talk and talk and talk. That's what these books have been saying, Dana.

RIVERA: What made you an expert?

PERINO: And so, this is --

WATTERS: So, small talk is easy if you're a guy. You just asked questions.

PERINO: OK, that's your advice?

WATTERS: It's what the book's advice was.

PERINO: Book's advice. Are you reading any of those books?

GUTFELD: No, that's true. If you don't have anything to say, just ask questions.

PERINO: But that's not gender specific.

GUTFELD: Well, I'm not going to go there, because a sexist would say it is.

PERINO: OK, because that would be rude, right?

GUTFELD: You know what the problem is in our job? Talking, small talk or big talk takes the same amount of effort. So, it's like I don't like small talk because I feel like I'm on the -- I'm on the clock when I'm talking which is why I'm often very quiet otherwise.

WATTERS: No you're not. You're always talking.

PERINO: When are you quiet?

WATTERS: What are you talking about?

RIVERA: You're always smoldering. I see a smolder.

GUTFELD: Well, that's the gas.

PERINO: Katie, what do you think about people finding their way back to small talk?

PAVLICH: You know, it depends on the situation. Some people don't like small talk. They don't like to be in --

PERINO: Small talk is great at the dog park.

PAVLICH: OK, but there's this weird thing happening where people don't talk to each other --

PERINO: They talk to your dog.

PAVLICH: And look at each other, and they don't even talk to the dog, but they let the dogs talk to each other and then they keep walking. And I find that bizarre. Because they're this close to each other, and they don't say hello. It's very weird.

WATTERS: I know what you mean by that.

PAVLICH: Oh, do you do that?

WATTERS: Oh, yes. Because Rookie goes and starts sniffing another dogs, you know what, I'm next to this guy, and he's holding a leash and I'm holding the leash. What do I say?

PAVLICH: You should say, how is it going? How is it going?

RIVERA: I love you.

WATTERS: How am I going to make small talk?

(CROSSTALK)

RIVERA: At my age, there's no small talk because the conversation is always the same. Well, how are you? Hold my elbow. Everybody hold my shoulder. Oh, my back, oh, my back, and I'm so sick and I'm taking 16 medicines.

PERINO: Try the dog park. If you're having a hard time, just go to the dog park, give it a shot.

GUTFELD: And if the dog sniffs your dog, just say, I'll have what he's having.

PERINO: Exactly. "ONE MORE THING" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GUTFELD: Time now for "ONE MORE THING." I get to go first. Let's do this. Greg's nutrition news with 50 percent bioflavonoids. You know, today is my favorite day. It's in celebration of a berry. Do you know what berry it is?

WATTERS: No.

GUTFELD: The watermelon, which is a berry.

PERINO: Oh, I like watermelon.

WATTERS: It's a berry?

PAVLICH: I thought it's a melon.

GUTFELD: And to celebrate, take a look at these animals enjoying the watermelon. Here we have an elephant getting a watermelon. It's quite amazing. Look how tiny the watermelon. Isn't that amazing how happy he is? It's like a big grape to him. Then we got lemurs. I think we have lemurs. There's the lemur enjoying his first watermelon. Look at his --

PERINO: He looks a little skittish (INAUDIBLE)

GUTFELD: -- his eyes are bulging. And then we've got a bear enjoying a watermelon. And I've got 20 slides of these so -- a lioness, there it is. That's better than a human head, I hear. And of course, bats enjoying it upside down because that's what they like to do.

PERINO: I like the elephants a lot.

GUTFELD: This is much better than Andrew Cuomo's kissing video, don't you think?

PERINO: Yes, we should just run this instead of that.

GUTFELD: Yes, exactly.

RIVERA: Subtly intercut.

GUTFELD: Yes. Dana?

PERINO: Well, the Weston County Junior Rodeo took place over the weekend in New Castle, Wyoming. I sponsor the women -- junior girls all around saddle. And guess what, yet again, my cousin Emeree, she won. Her horses named Trouble. They won two of the events. And that's her on her horse right there in the barrels. This is what she said. And there's a message in here for Jesse and Greg. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMEREE TAVEGIE, COUSIN OF DANA PERINO: Hi, Cousin Dana. My name is Emeree Tavegie and I'd like to thank you for sponsoring the junior girls on saddles. I was lucky enough to win two of them on my horse name Trouble. See you guys at the rodeo. We'd like to see Greg and Jesse step up and sponsor the senior boys saddle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO: And I'm dying -- my fondest wish is to get everybody to get to go there.

WATTERS: Should we step up?

PERINO: Emeree is 11, her brother Colin is 13.

GUTFELD: Yes, sure, I'll sponsor.

PERINO: No, you don't have to sponsor. I can sponsor.

RIVERA: Yes they do. No, but I want everybody -- I want -- I want to take THE FIVE to visit Newcastle, Wyoming.

GUTFELD: Is that where I get the horse afterwards, like I own the horse.

PERINO: There's going to be a contest to see if you can win it. Yes.

GUTFELD: Oh, wow.

WATTERS: We're in.

PAVLICH: Congrats to her. That's awesome.

WATTERS: We're in.

PERINO: Good job, Emoree.

GUTFELD: Jesse?

WATTERS: 36 years ago this week, this song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know I wish that I had Jessie's girl. I wish that I had Jessie's girl.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO: 30 years.

WATTERS: Now, it took 19 weeks for it to hit the top spot. It won a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. And it's my anthem. Speaking of hitting number one, How I Saved the World also, number one. I'll be signing books in Northfield, New Jersey tonight. And I'm going to shoot up there right after the show, Books and Greetings. Come say hi. I'll sign your book. And if you can't make it, I'm going to be announcing more of these book signings because they're a big hit. They're a big hit. People love it.

RIVERA: I can't wait.

GUTFELD: Yes, yes. All right, Katie.

PAVLICH: All right, so this is causing quite a stir in debate on the internet. Fall is coming but it's still summer. And cup of noodles is introducing a pumpkin spice ramen.

WATTERS: In August?

PAVLICH: Fist of all, in August, but also at all. So, you know if you like pumpkin spice, you may be like it and everything. If you hate it, you think this is a crime and that people should go to prison for even producing this thing. Some people are recommending that you eat this with whipped cream to get the full pumpkin experience.

GUTFELD: Just eat a pumpkin.

PAVLICH: But a survey showed that 65 percent of adults aged 25 and older actually hate pumpkin spice, so this market may be limited. But if you're in the 35 percent, you're going to have to wait because it actually doesn't come out until October which is good. Because everything pumpkin should be banned until fall actually arrives.

WATTERS: Feeding Frenzy, should we book it?

PAVLICH: You should?

WATTERS: Let's book it.

PAVLICH: Let's try it.

WATTERS: Johnny?

GUTFELD: All right. It's disgusting. Geraldo.

RIVERA: Now, for the latest edition of Geraldo's news with Geraldo. I got some new art in my pool room.

GUTFELD: Oh, look, you shaved.

RIVERA: I'm naked in the shot with my headband.

PAVLICH: Oh, gosh. Wow.

RIVERA: But if you look behind me, see that new sculpture there?

PERINO: Yes.

RIVERA: It's called Stargazer from Louis Shanu (PH), South African artist. I got it at my friend Karen's gallery. Let's see the shot of me in the pool again.

WATTERS: Oh, Geraldo.

PAVLICH: You blow paint through a straw Hunter in your pool house?

RIVERA: Notice I have my red white and blue bandana, the only clothing I'm wearing in this shot.

PERINO: Wow, OK.

RIVERA: It's in the honor of our Olympic team.

PERINO: All right, Joe Biden.

GUTFELD: This is amazing.

WATTERS: Oh, my God.

GUTFELD: You still don't learn anything from that Twitter incident, have you?

RIVERA: I was getting -- I was thinking of actually putting that shot in there.

WATTERS: Or from the Cuomo scandal.

GUTFELD: All right --

WATTERS: Leave that sculpture alone, by the way.

GUTFELD: I believe we're almost through. Thank God. Thank God we have Evil Shannon Bream.

RIVERA: Why is she evil?

GUTFELD: Hang around her. Shannon?

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