"Take that back!" Fox News man disparages Harris - female colleagues step in

Fox News man Jesse Watters says something about Kamala Harris that makes his female colleagues intervene. It was all just a misunderstanding, the presenter defends himself, but the "provocateur" is known for sexism.

Presenter Jesse Watters is known for his conservative views and is therefore popular on Fox News. His own political talk show "Jesse Watters Primetime" is one of the most watched on the US channel. It is completely in line with Trump.

It's obvious that Watters doesn't leave a single good thing to say about the Democrats in general and Kamala Harris in particular. But in the program "The Five", which he hosts with other Fox News celebrities, the 46-year-old went a step too far on August 26: It was even too much for his colleagues. Or rather: his female colleagues.

"Let's talk about foreign policy," Watters begins, because this is where a president would have the greatest influence. "What is her foreign policy? As commander-in-chief, you have a lot of room to maneuver. We don't know who she is. We don't know what she believes in."

And then comes the sentence about the Situation Room in the White House: "She'll freeze in the Situation Room while the generals work on her." (Editor's note: "to have one's way with someone" is ambiguous and can be translated both as "to get along with someone" and as "to tamper with someone")

"I don't like that: take that back"

This prompts his co-hosts to intervene, even though they too are outspoken Harris critics. "Jesse Watters," says Dana Perino, reprimanding his full name. "I don't like that: take it back," demands Jeanine Pirro.

"Have it good with her, control her - not sexually," justifies the father of four. "Now F-16s are being sent to Ukraine, and Ukraine invades Russia, and you have her as your commander-in-chief? That's crazy."

Watters' comments were met with a hail of criticism on social media. "Remember when racism went up to 11 [from 10] during the Obama years?" one X user wrote. "Get ready for the same thing to happen with sexism." "The bottom line is," summarizes another, "He would never say that about a man. It's as simple as that."

"Jesse is a provocateur"

Remarkably, the ex-wife of Kamala Harris' husband Doug Emhoff also intervenes: "There are many things to worry about, but not about Kamala being mistreated in the Situation Room," she comments dryly.

The strong reactions force Watters to confront the matter the following day on his primetime show. "There was some attention because of comments I made on last night's show about Vice President Harris," he says. "People are twisting my comment to mean something inappropriate. I didn't suggest anything of a sexual nature."

But Watters has a reputation for making patronizing remarks about women, writes the Washington Post. According to the paper, he has already claimed that female journalists sleep with their sources "all the time" and that men who choose women "change into women".

The US newspaper asks a former female colleague for a categorization. "Simply put, Jesse is a provocateur who intentionally says offensive things to make others feel uncomfortable," explains ex-coworker Donna Brazile. "There are over 85 female generals in US history, and many are still serving. Maybe one day Jesse will dub them properly."