Overview
- During the closing segment of The Five, which aired Tuesday, Watters said he thought serving fudge to Vice President JD Vance would be “too gay” and offered a pickle cake instead.
- A clip of the exchange went viral on X and other platforms within hours, with many users calling the remark homophobic and noting the irony of choosing a phallic-associated pickle as a substitute.
- Vance laughed on air, thanked Watters and was on the program to promote his new memoir, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith.
- News outlets reported that Fox News had not immediately responded to requests for comment about the segment, and the moment has been framed against Watters' earlier controversial comments about masculinity.
- The incident renews scrutiny of Vance's past statements opposing transgender rights and downplaying same-sex marriage while raising questions about how networks police casual discriminatory language and how public reaction might affect future coverage.