‘The Five’ Co-Host Takes Break After Trump Attacks Her
A familiar face on one of cable television’s most-watched programs has temporarily disappeared from the studio following a very public attack from President Donald Trump.
The timing quickly attracted attention, although the reason for her absence appears to have nothing to do with the president’s criticism or her future at the network.
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Fox News liberal commentator Jessica Tarlov stepped away from “The Five” for a tropical vacation in Hawaii shortly after Trump blasted her in a Truth Social post.
“I can’t stand Jessica Tarlov of THE FIVE,” Trump wrote. “A real loser!”
Trump’s attack followed comments from Tarlov during an episode of “The Five” in which she argued that stronger gun-control laws could potentially prevent some future mass shootings.
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Tarlov acknowledged that legislation could never completely eliminate violent people or prevent every attack.
“You will never be able to stop all of the lunatics,” Tarlov said.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Tarlov over her liberal commentary despite her position on a network populated by some of the president’s most prominent supporters in cable news.
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Tarlov serves as one of the rotating liberal voices on “The Five,” regularly putting her opposite conservative co-hosts including Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters and Jeanine Pirro.
That role frequently produces contentious exchanges, including recent arguments between Tarlov and Gutfeld in which the two talked over each other as their political disagreements intensified.
Trump’s latest criticism added another powerful voice to the list of conservatives who regularly take issue with Tarlov’s arguments.
But anyone wondering whether her disappearance from television immediately following Trump’s attack represented something more significant appears to have a much simpler explanation.
Tarlov, 42, traveled to Lanai, Hawaii, with her husband, hedge fund executive Brian McKenna, to attend a friend’s wedding.
She shared photographs from the trip on Instagram over the weekend showing the couple enjoying their time away from Washington’s political battles and cable-news arguments.
“Quick getaway to the most beautiful place on earth with my favorite guy,” Tarlov wrote alongside the photographs.
One image showed Tarlov wearing a green-and-white striped midi dress featuring a banana-leaf pattern as she posed alongside McKenna against a tropical backdrop.
Another showed the couple making faces at the camera, while a video included in the post captured them swimming near a waterfall.
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Tarlov and McKenna have been married since May 2021.
The vacation comes as Trump’s occasional frustrations with Fox News continue to spill into public view despite his generally close relationship with many of the network’s conservative personalities.
Trump has repeatedly attacked Fox polling he considers inaccurate or unfair and has criticized individual commentators when he believes their coverage or analysis works against him.
Tarlov’s job practically guarantees that she will occasionally find herself in that position.
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As one of the program’s liberal panelists, she is tasked with defending Democratic positions and challenging conservative arguments before an audience containing a substantial number of Trump supporters.
That has made Tarlov a frequent target of criticism from MAGA viewers who disagree with her political commentary.
Trump himself has now made his opinion unmistakably clear with his declaration that he “can’t stand” the Fox personality.
The president’s criticism and Tarlov’s subsequent absence could easily create the impression of a larger shakeup at Fox, particularly as viewers have recently noticed other prominent personalities taking time away from their programs.
But there is currently no indication that Tarlov’s trip is connected to Trump’s criticism or that she is planning to leave Fox News.
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Instead, her social media posts indicate she simply took some personal time away to attend the wedding and vacation with her husband.
That means Trump’s latest Fox News target is expected to eventually return to the same seat that has made her one of the network’s most recognizable liberal commentators, Trending Politics reported.
For the moment, however, Tarlov has traded arguments with Trump supporters and her fellow “The Five” panelists for beaches, waterfalls and a Hawaiian getaway.
NBC NEWS ANCHOR QUITS ON LIVE TV -LEAVES CO-HOSTS IN STUNNED SILENCE
NBC NEWS ANCHOR QUITS ON LIVE TV - LEAVES CO-HOSTS IN STUNNED SILENCE
A long-time NBC News anchor stunned his viewers Monday evening live on-air just moments before the end of the program.
Joseph Olmo revealed mid-broadcast that he is leaving NBC Washington.
“Well, before we go tonight, I’ve got just one more story for you,” he told viewers.
“After almost ten years in broadcasting, tomorrow night I will hit the streets of the DMV one final time as a local news reporter,” he added.
Olmo has covered the U.S. capital region for about seven years with NBC4 and Telemundo 44, the Daily Beast reported.
“You can cover the world, but nothing compares to being a local news reporter. Because think about it. Who else would tell you about all the things happening where we live?” he said.
“To watch all these moments in person and then share what I see with you has been so cool,” Olmo, a native of Annapolis, Md., added.
Olmo then suggested he wanted to pursue other dreams and interests.
“In life, you are often encouraged to dream big. But what happens when you have several dreams?” he said.
“I firmly believe our time here is way too short to get to the end and wonder what if I had tried that?” he noted further.
He went on to express gratitude for colleagues and other journalists.
“Whenever you watch us on TV or online, remember one means many,” he said.
“You may see one person on at a time, but there are hundreds of people who get us here,” Olmo noted.
“And to my entire NBC 4 family, I say thank you for letting me be part of this accomplished team. And to everybody who watches us, thank you,” Olmo concluded.
Meanwhile, Fox News is making a major change to the lineup of its highest-rated program, filling a permanent seat that has been vacant for more than a year.
The move also means one familiar Fox personality will be leaving her longtime position on another popular daytime program.
Emily Compagno has been named a full-time co-host of The Five and will officially join the permanent lineup beginning September 8, Fox News announced.
Compagno will join Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, and Jesse Watters, while Harold Ford Jr., as Jessica Tarlov will continue sharing the program’s rotating liberal seat.
The move should be familiar to viewers because Compagno has regularly appeared on The Five as a rotating co-host.
She will fill the permanent seat previously occupied by Jeanine Pirro, who left Fox News in May 2025 and later became U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Compagno’s promotion also means she will leave Outnumbered, where she has served as a co-host since 2021.
Fox has not yet selected her permanent replacement, saying rotating Fox News personalities will occupy the seat until a new co-host is named.
Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott praised Compagno while announcing the decision.
“Fifteen years later, The Five remains a powerhouse and appointment viewing for millions of Americans,” Scott said.
“Emily is a highly accomplished host whose energy and talent have made her a standout across FOX News Media, and we are thrilled to officially welcome her to the show.”
Compagno said she was honored to officially become part of a program she has frequently joined over the years.
“I couldn’t be more honored to join The Five, a team I have long admired and have been fortunate to work alongside over the years,” Compagno said.
“Having an official seat at the table on what I truly believe is the most fun show on television is an incredible privilege.”
Compagno’s promotion comes as The Five continues posting enormous ratings for Fox News.
The program celebrated its 15th anniversary in July and averaged 3.6 million viewers during the second quarter of 2026, according to Fox.
