Sep 20, 2026 · 1h 6m
Listen from 12:34
Listen at 12:34
Jessica Tarlov argues Democrats must fight beyond friendly media
Fighting with Fox News feat. Jessica Tarlov
The conversation tests whether Democrats can persuade skeptical voters by confronting difficult issues and political opponents where those voters already are.
- 1Jessica Tarlov says persuasion starts with trust and opening minds, not expecting voters to change identities overnight.
- 2The Fox News debate pits audience reach and direct persuasion against the risks of viral clips and hostile media incentives.
- 3Democrats need to address immigration, crime, the economy, and corruption directly while drawing sharper contrasts with Trump’s policies.
Don't miss
Tarlov makes the case that corruption can unite voters by connecting crypto schemes, government contracts, and personal enrichment.
The brief
Jessica Tarlov joins Tommy Vietor to discuss her role as the lone liberal voice on The Five, where four-on-one clashes coexist with unexpectedly collegial relationships.
Tarlov argues that political persuasion is incremental: Democrats should build trust, show up consistently, and understand voters who do not make politics their identity.
The central strategic fight is whether Democratic candidates should appear on Fox News, trading a large, mixed audience against hostile formats and clip-driven incentives.
The discussion turns to messaging on immigration, crime, policing, healthcare, the economy, and artificial intelligence, with Tarlov urging Democrats to acknowledge concerns directly.
The sharpest closing argument centers on corruption, including crypto schemes, government contracts, and personal enrichment as issues that could unite voters against Trump’s political machine.
What was said on this episode
26 statements · 17 positive · 6 negative · 1 mixed · 2 neutral
Two crypto coins generated 40% of Donald Trump's wealth since his presidency began.
“40% of Donald Trump's wealth has been accumulated since he became president because of 2 crypto coins.”
Listen at 4:51
Fox News is consistently ranked among the best workplaces.
“It's a really good place to work, and it's always ranked as one of the top places to work.”
Listen at 11:08
Criticism focused on style can indicate strong substantive performance.
“when people pick on you because of style, that you've just done really well on substance.”
Listen at 25:00
Donald Trump determines the country's trajectory for 330 million Americans.
“This is someone who is deciding the trajectory of our country for 330 million Americans.”
Listen at 26:37
Deaths of African children remain negative consequences of policy decisions.
“if there are African kids that are dead now, that still counts as a negative.”
Listen at 26:57
A bombing incident killed 140 girls and received little public discussion.
“And 140 girls are dead and we never talk about it.”
Listen at 27:22
Advocacy focused on opening minds is more successful than trying to change them.
“if you think about your advocacy or the kinds of arguments that you're making as being focused actually on opening minds versus changing them, you can be a lot more successful.”
Listen at 29:33
Jeanine Pirro is technically qualified for her government position.
“Jeanine Pirro is actually technically qualified for that job, right? She was a prosecutor and a legal analyst”
Listen at 34:03
Fox News has a large audience valuable to primary candidates.
“That's where the eyeballs are.”
Listen at 36:51
Democratic presidential candidates should appear on Fox News during primaries.
“I honestly, I think you would be insane not to do it in a primary.”
Listen at 36:53
A Fox News appearance can provide 25 minutes of airtime and several viral clips.
“Got 25 minutes of airtime, which is enormously valuable, right? 3, 4 viral clips out of it for each of them.”
Listen at 37:18
Building rapport helps political messages influence people over time.
“the little things that you say when they like you seep in.”
Listen at 38:31
Adversarial media appearances test the strength of political arguments.
“it pushes you to see what kind of weights your ideas can lift.”
Listen at 40:13
The 2028 election will not be decided within a liberal media echo chamber.
“I really— I don't think that 2028 is going to happen in a liberal echo chamber.”
Listen at 42:14
Even moderate Democrats need to attack opponents continuously.
“you need to be landing punches nonstop.”
Listen at 45:19
Male puberty creates a biological advantage in later women's athletic competition.
“there's an obvious biological advantage to someone who went through puberty as a boy and then is competing as a woman later on in life.”
Listen at 46:26
Democratic candidates should directly answer difficult questions about controversial issues.
“I don't believe in the liberal perspective or the Democratic Party perspective that you don't have to answer questions about that.”
Listen at 47:28
Kamala Harris's Bret Baier interview was better than her interview on The View.
“her Bret Baier interview was so much better than her interview on The View.”
Listen at 49:03
Voters respect politicians who consistently appear and engage.
“people just respect, honestly, the act of showing up.”
Listen at 50:07
Becoming a positive presence in voters' lives benefits electoral prospects and personal relationships.
“I think it's a real net positive for us electorally and for yourself personally.”
Listen at 50:31
Current immigration enforcement differs from what Trump allies promised.
“The way that immigration enforcement is taking place in this country is not what they promised.”
Listen at 58:08
Most people support law enforcement cooperating with ICE against criminal offenders.
“no one thinks that law enforcement shouldn't be cooperating with ICE to turn over people who are committing crimes on American soil.”
Listen at 59:13
New York City recorded its lowest murder level in decades.
“We had the lowest level of murders in the city in decades”
Listen at 59:46
Republicans remain behind Democrats on artificial intelligence while leading on several economic issues.
“plus up 49 on the economy, you know, inflation, cost of living, foreign wars, still down on artificial intelligence”
Listen at 1:00:42
Americans want government regulation of artificial intelligence.
“what Americans want is for you to tell them that there will be some sort of regulation.”
Listen at 1:00:59
Corruption has become a reliable winning issue in elections against Trump.
“The culture of corruption has finally hit, and that to me felt like what you can really bank in an election.”
Listen at 1:02:57
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
