Fox News host Jessica Tarlov offered rebuttals to several points made by Vice President JD Vance during a recent rally in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio. Vance's remarks touched on the accessibility of homeownership, the upcoming election, and what he termed "fraudsters and criminals" within the Democratic Party.
During the rally, Vance stated, "We got a lot of work to do, but we’re finally seeing that American dream of homeownership become accessible again to our young people." He also posed a choice for voters in November, asking, "Do we demand that our government serve us and our children rather than fraudsters and criminals? Do we demand that the American president fight for the American people first?"
Tarlov, described as the sole liberal on the panel show "The Five," challenged Vance's assertions. Regarding homeownership, she countered that "the average age of homeownership just hit 40 years old in this country. Mortgage rates are up. Construction is down." Tarlov linked these economic conditions to "the war in Iran," suggesting it impacted fuel and shipping costs.
Tarlov also addressed Vance's characterization of political opponents. She cited a CNN-SSRS survey indicating that 66% of U.S. adults disapprove of Donald Trump's job performance, with 70% disapproving of his handling of the economy. According to the survey data Tarlov referenced, "70% of Americans say Donald Trump isn’t focused on lowering costs, doesn’t care about people like me, and 70% say that he has businesses influence how he makes political decisions."
Tarlov further asserted that Trump "has made $2.2 billion," suggesting that "JD Vance is describing his own government." Public disclosures from June indicated that Trump made over $1 billion in cryptocurrency ventures in the previous year, with nearly $600 million from World Liberty Financial, a company he co-founded. His total earnings from these ventures were reported to be at least $2.2 billion.
Another co-host, Greg Gutfeld, reportedly defended the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency, an agency known for reducing federal spending and downsizing agencies like the Department of Education.