Fox News’ The Five took a strange turn on Friday when Democratic strategist and co-host Jessica Tarlov tried to rationalize the spectacle of anti-ICE protesters dressing up as inflatable animals at demonstrations across the country.
The discussion stemmed from viral footage of an individual in Portland dressed as an inflatable frog during ongoing protests outside the city’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. The odd display has reportedly inspired other activists to follow suit, donning costumes ranging from unicorns to Pikachu at “No Kings” rallies nationwide — events protesting what organizers call the Trump administration’s “inhumane” immigration enforcement policies.
As Tarlov defended the protesters’ creative approach, fellow co-host Joey Jones was less than convinced. “Then why are they always dressed like a furry, screaming about boys and girls?” Jones asked. “They are ridiculous.”
Jones went on to argue that if the activists hoped to be taken seriously, they were undermining their message by appearing in cartoonish outfits. “If you want to make an intellectual argument,” he said, “dressing up like a unicorn and running out there and screaming every time is not the way to do it.”
Tarlov pushed back, insisting that there was an intellectual basis behind the costumes — claiming they were meant to highlight the peaceful nature of the protests and counter what she described as false narratives from federal officials. “It is an intellectual argument to say, [DHS Secretary] Kristi [Noem], ‘You’re making it up about what’s going on here at that ICE facility, because I’m dressed as Pikachu and posing no threat,’” she replied. “They arrested a guy who was singing.”
“His voice was terrible, Jessica,” co-host Jesse Watters quipped, prompting laughter around the table.
The Portland demonstrations, which began earlier in the summer, have seen escalating tensions between protesters and law enforcement. President Donald Trump responded by deploying National Guard troops to the city and other Democrat-led jurisdictions where ICE facilities have faced repeated attacks.
Authorities have since arrested and charged dozens of rioters linked to the far-left group Antifa, whose members have been accused of targeting ICE officers and vandalizing federal property.
While Tarlov stood by her defense of the demonstrators’ unconventional tactics, her explanation left many viewers — and even some of her co-hosts — scratching their heads.