Jesse Watters, a Fox News anchor, generated backlash on March 23, 2026 after stating he did not consider former Vice President Kamala Harris “hot,” while participating in a panel conversation regarding physical appeal and Democratic presidential contenders.
The comments occurred during the episode of “The Five,” as the panel analyzed a Bulwark piece that proposed that Democrats desire more physically appealing candidates on their tickets. Emily Compagno, a co-host, started the discussion by showing a clip from “Andy Cohen Live” with guest Jennifer Welch, who expressed she “wants a hot president.”
Dana Perino, former White House Press Secretary, first complimented Harris’ looks, describing her as “an objectively beautiful person.” Perino additionally wondered why female Democrats weren’t advocating for women candidates, inquiring, “Where is the girlhood?”
Watters subsequently interrupted, “I have to disagree with Dana. I didn’t think Kamala was hot,” Watters stated during the broadcast. When challenged, he reinforced his position: “I don’t know. I mean, she was okay. But if we’re talking hot, she’s not hot.”
Fox host Greg Gutfeld offered mild resistance, saying that Harris “was attractive,” while Perino explained she had described the former Vice President as “beautiful,” not “hot.”
Jessica Tarlov, a Democratic Party political strategist who co-hosts the show, rejected the whole discussion as “ridiculous.” She observed that Democrats are merely “talking like normal people” and mentioned other high-profile Democratic women she found attractive, including AOC and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
This segment represents the most recent in a series of controversial statements Watters has delivered about Harris. In 2024, he suggested the former vice president would become paralyzed in the Situation Room while the generals took advantage of her. His co-hosts Jeanine Pirro and Dana Perino immediately denounced the comments on air. Watters subsequently maintained his words were not intended to be sexual, though he stopped short of a full apology.
The conversation occurs as Harris increases her involvement in Democratic politics after her 2024 presidential campaign defeat to President Donald Trump. The former Vice President intends to participate in fundraisers for the North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia state parties the week of April 13. She will subsequently give a keynote address at the Arkansas Democrats’ annual Fisher Shackelford Dinner in Little Rock on April 25, 2026—her first major keynote speech since the 2024 election.
These April events come after her speech on March 20 at the National Women’s Law Center annual gala in Washington, where she continued positioning herself as a voice for Democratic causes.
Harris’ geographical selections for the April tour reflect aspects of her 2020 campaign strategy. Her team then pursued what they called a “Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strategy,” hoping to win delegates among heavily Black primary electorates in Southern states to counter expected weaker showings elsewhere. That campaign ended with Harris dropping out over a month before the first contest.
The former vice president is currently completing a six-month national tour promoting her campaign memoir, “107 Days.” She passed on entering the California governor’s race when the book was published in September 2025, saying she wanted to take a break from government. Harris has recorded ads for the Democratic National Committee and for Virginia Democrats’ ballot proposition scheduled for April 21. She endorsed Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Texas Senate Democratic primary and has been in touch with recent primary winners, including James Talarico, Juliana Stratton in Illinois, and Scott Colom in Mississippi.
The Fox News segment attracted swift condemnation, with critics charging the network with diminishing political dialogue to remarks on women’s physical appearances. The incident also revived discussion about how media coverage treats female politicians differently than their male counterparts.
Watters proceeded in the segment to offer wider commentary about television’s influence in politics, observing that before TV, politicians were “old fat guys with no hair, with like mutton chop sideburns.” He then made controversial comments suggesting Democrats had shifted from seeking diverse representation to prioritizing physical attractiveness, calling it “progress.”
Speculation continues about whether Harris will mount another presidential bid in 2028, but she has not made a formal decision. Even other potential Democratic hopefuls are quietly seeking information about her intentions. For the moment, the former vice president seems focused on backing Democratic candidates in upcoming contests and staying engaged in the party through speaking engagements and fundraising as the 2026 midterms approach.
