Fox News host Greg Gutfeld sharply rebuked co‑host Jessica Tarlov on Sept. 16, 2025, during a segment of The Five after she argued that political violence occurs on both the left and the right in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination.
Gutfeld told Tarlov that treating the killing as symmetric between the political directions was inappropriate and said the evidence and circumstances of Kirk's death made the situation distinct. "Why is only this happening on the left and not the right? That's all we need to know," he said, adding that Kirk was a household name who was shot in broad daylight in an assassination caught on camera and widely disseminated.
Tarlov, a Democratic political strategist, pointed to the June killing of Minnesota Democrat Melissa Hortman and her husband as an example of political violence that she said showed threats can arise on multiple sides. Gutfeld rejected that comparison, saying Hortman was not widely demonized prior to her death and characterizing the Kirk killing as a targeted political assassination that had been amplified across left‑wing communities. "Don't play that bullst with me," he said, pressing that the "both sides" argument "not only doesn't fly, we don't care. We don't care about your both sides argument. That st is dead."
The man accused of killing Kirk while he was debating college students at Utah Valley University is identified in court records as Tyler Robinson, 22, a white man who was living with a transgender partner, according to reporting. Police continue to investigate Robinson's motives. Authorities have said the shooting was captured on video and circulated widely.
Gutfeld also defended Kirk's public profile and the reaction to his death. In remarks the day after the killing, Gutfeld paid tribute to Kirk, calling him "the best" and arguing that assassination would only amplify his legacy. "Why was Charlie assassinated? It wasn't about his ideas, it is that he was so good at them," he said. Gutfeld invoked historical figures whose legacies grew after their deaths, saying Kirk's impact would likewise expand.
Tarlov's comments on The Five reflected concerns among some Democrats and commentators that political violence cannot be reduced to a single partisan source. Gutfeld's response exemplified a contrasting view among some conservatives that the circumstances surrounding Kirk's killing reflect a specific and growing threat from left‑wing animus.
The exchange on The Five follows days of intense debate across cable networks and social media over how to characterize and respond to political violence in the United States. Police and local prosecutors have said their investigation into the Utah shooting remains active; no official motive has been announced.
The discussion on The Five underscores how the assassination of a prominent conservative activist has prompted immediate partisan parsing of motive and responsibility even as investigators continue to gather evidence. Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment about the segment, and there was no immediate comment from Tarlov beyond her on‑air remarks.