A sharp on-air dispute erupted between Fox News personality Greg Gutfeld and his co-panelist Jessica Tarlov during late March and early April 2026, representing one of multiple confrontations as President Donald Trump’s plummeting poll numbers generate growing strain at the conservative network.
The continuing conflict between Gutfeld and Tarlov has become more severe as Trump’s polling figures persist in their decline, fostering an uncomfortable atmosphere among Fox commentators charged with supporting an administration encountering substantial public approval difficulties.
Gutfeld, the host of “Gutfeld!” airing weeknights at 10 p.m., has repeatedly clashed with Tarlov, a liberal panelist who offers opposing viewpoints on Fox broadcasts. Their exchanges have become progressively sharper as the channel manages its reporting on Trump’s struggling survey results.
The strain becomes especially uncomfortable considering Trump’s personal obsession with survey information. In a March 27 guest spot on “The Five,” the president openly attacked Fox News’ survey division, stating, “I hate Fox polls. Honestly, whoever does your polls are terrible.” Trump additionally asserted he had discussed with Fox Corp chairman emeritus Rupert Murdoch about changing the network’s survey firm—but Murdoch had not followed through.
Trump’s hostility toward Tarlov intensified during late March and early April. In his March 26 phone call to “The Five,” with Tarlov not present, Trump informed the group he was “not a fan” of the Democratic analyst. “I think your show would be better without her, but who am I to say that?” he said. Subsequently, on the evening of April 6, Trump posted on Truth Social to address Fox leadership directly, stating: “Take Jessica Tarlov off the air. She is, from her voice, to her lies, and everything else about her, one of the worst ‘personalities’ on television, a real loser! People cannot stand watching her.” The reason for the message remained unclear, given that Tarlov had not participated in that night’s broadcast. Tarlov replied via social media, expressing she was “so bummed” to miss the show, noting she “definitely would’ve said he’s even inflating his numbers to 42 percent.”
The remarks arrived one day following a Fox News survey revealing his disapproval rating hitting 59 percent, the peak of both of his presidential terms, with total approval standing at merely 41 percent.
The president’s survey difficulties have worsened significantly since initiating the Iran war in late February 2026. Based on the Silver Bulletin, Trump’s approval score fell beneath 40 percent for the first occasion in his second presidency in early April, with his net approval dropping to -16.9. A CNN survey published April 1, 2026, discovered his economic approval had fallen to a professional-low 31 percent, while approximately two-thirds of Americans indicated his actions had deteriorated economic circumstances.
The falling figures have placed Fox personalities in a challenging situation. Some have recognized the administration’s political obstacles, while others have minimized or criticized the survey results, occasionally conflicting with the president’s own grievances about negative statistics. Sources report tensions between Gutfeld and Tarlov have brewed for months, with their philosophical disagreements progressively entering personal areas.
Tarlov, who has participated frequently on “The Five” for multiple years, functions as one of the program’s limited liberal contributors. Her readiness to question conservative narratives has transformed her interactions with Gutfeld into must-see television for some—and a source of dispute.
Gutfeld completed his studies at the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in English in 1987. He developed his professional path through political humor and libertarian analysis. Newsweek labeled him the “King of Late Night” after “Gutfeld!” exceeded all broadcast and cable late-night shows in audience size, including CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.”
During the first quarter of 2026, “Gutfeld!” attracted three million viewers each night at 10 p.m., comfortably surpassing its late-night rivals. The program showcases recurring contributors, including Fox News panelist Kat Timpf and comic Tyrus.
Gutfeld additionally serves as co-host of “The Five”, which broadcasts weekdays at 5 p.m. and stands as cable news’ top-rated show. The program continued its record streak as the most-watched cable news broadcast for 18 straight quarters in the first quarter of 2026, drawing nearly four million viewers.
Prior to his broadcasting profession, Gutfeld served as a staff writer at Prevention magazine and held the position of editor-in-chief of Men’s Health. He subsequently became editor-in-chief of Stuff magazine, expanding circulation from 750,000 to 1.2 million subscribers. He additionally oversaw Maxim magazine in the United Kingdom and wrote for the Huffington Post from its 2005 inception until 2008. He became part of Fox News Channel in 2007 as a contributor, presenting the late-night program “Red Eye” from 2007-2015 and “The Greg Gutfeld Show” from 2015-2021.
As President Trump and Vice President Vance near the halfway point of their first year in office, these survey obstacles have persisted in commanding attention both on and off screen at Fox News, the channel that assisted Trump in achieving his original political breakthrough a decade earlier.
