President Donald Trump wasted no time firing back after Fox News contributor Jessica Tarlov claimed on *The Five* that his approval rating had fallen into the mid-30s, unleashing a blistering Truth Social post that quickly became one of the day’s biggest political stories.
The clash began during the April 16 edition of Fox News’ popular roundtable program, where Tarlov, the show’s lone liberal panelist, argued that Trump’s political standing was far weaker than Republicans believe.
“And what do people think of him now?” Tarlov asked during the discussion. “He has a 35% approval rating in most polls.”
She went on to criticize several of the president’s policies, claiming Americans opposed his tariff agenda, disagreed with military action involving Iran, and had little interest in his proposed White House ballroom project.
The comments apparently caught Trump’s attention while he was aboard Air Force One.
Within hours, the president responded on Truth Social in trademark fashion, delivering a scathing personal rebuke of the Fox News commentator.
“I am watching one of the Least Attractive and Talented People on all of Television, Jessica Tarlov,” Trump wrote.
The president didn’t stop there.
“Her voice is so grating and terrible, I had to ‘turn her off!'” he continued, accusing Tarlov of repeating Democratic talking points and presenting what he described as “fake” polling without being challenged by the other panelists.
Trump also rejected the suggestion that his approval numbers were sinking.
“I have among the best Poll Numbers I’ve ever had,” the president wrote before adding, “Why shouldn’t I? ALL THE COUNTRY DOES IS WIN.”
He concluded the post by calling on Fox News to remove Tarlov from the network.
“GET HER OFF THE AIR,” Trump declared. “SHE IS BAD FOR OUR COUNTRY!”
The president’s Truth Social message also broadened into criticism of several other prominent conservative media personalities, including Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, and Candace Owens, whom he accused of abandoning the MAGA movement.
Tarlov responded later that evening on X, declining to engage with Trump’s personal criticism while defending the polling figures she had cited on air.
“Guess I’ll take this opportunity to mention that my numbers are far from fake—Trump really is that unpopular,” she wrote.
She also used the moment to promote her upcoming book, *I Disagree*, encouraging followers to preorder it.
According to Tarlov, the approval figures she referenced were based on national polling conducted by organizations including *The Economist* and YouGov.
Trump, however, has long argued that many national polls systematically underestimate his support, pointing to previous election cycles in which surveys significantly undercounted Republican turnout.
That skepticism toward mainstream polling has become commonplace among many conservatives, who note that numerous polling firms struggled to accurately measure Trump’s support in both 2016 and 2020.
The exchange also drew Candace Owens into the conversation after Trump mentioned her in the same Truth Social post.
Owens shared a screenshot of the president’s comments and jokingly asked followers if anyone could send her the television segment that prompted what she described as the “meltdown.”
Her response quickly circulated online, adding another layer to the increasingly public disagreement among some prominent conservative voices.
The latest clash is far from the first between Trump and Tarlov.
Earlier this month, the president criticized the Fox News analyst during both Truth Social posts and a call-in appearance on *The Five*, where he said he was “not a fan” and again questioned why the network continued featuring one of his most vocal critics.
For Trump’s supporters, the latest exchange was another example of the president refusing to let hostile commentary—even on a traditionally conservative network—go unanswered. They argue that Tarlov routinely presents Democratic talking points while dismissing the administration’s policy successes on issues ranging from the economy to border security.
For Tarlov and her allies, the dispute centered on polling and whether Trump simply dislikes hearing unfavorable numbers discussed on Fox News.
Regardless of which side viewers take, one thing remains certain: when Donald Trump believes he’s been unfairly criticized, he rarely stays silent for long—and his response almost always dominates the political conversation.
