Public opinion and media debates around Jesse Watters—discover key moments of controversy.
Jesse Watters is an American conservative political commentator and television host on Fox News. He gained prominence through his "Watters' World" segment on The O'Reilly Factor, known for man-on-the-street interviews. In 2015, "Watters' World" became a standalone show. Watters became a co-host of The Five in 2017 and, in 2022, began hosting his own program, Jesse Watters Primetime, on Fox News.
1974: "Kung Fu Fighting" Song
In October 2016, the 1974 song "Kung Fu Fighting" played in the background of the Watters' World segment that was widely considered racist toward Asian Americans.
October 5, 2016: Watters Issues "Non-Apology" on Twitter
On October 5, 2016, Jesse Watters posted a "non-apology" on Twitter regarding a segment of Watters' World that was criticized for being racist towards Asian Americans, stating that the segment was meant to be tongue-in-cheek and that he regretted if anyone found offense.
October 2016: Criticism for Racist Segment
In October 2016, Jesse Watters faced criticism for a segment of Watters' World that was widely regarded as racist towards Asian Americans due to its stereotypes and insensitive portrayal of Chinese Americans in New York City's Chinatown.
January 2017: False Claim About Podesta's Password
In January 2017, Jesse Watters falsely claimed that John Podesta's password was "password", regarding the theft of Podesta's emails by Russian hackers. PolitiFact rated Watters' claim as "False."
April 2017: Controversial Comment About Ivanka Trump
In April 2017, shortly after becoming a co-host on The Five, Jesse Watters made an on-air comment about Ivanka Trump that was criticized as lewd, resulting in Watters being absent from the show for two days.
2018: Divorce Filing
In 2018, Noelle Inguagiato filed for divorce from Jesse Watters after he admitted to an affair.
July 2020: Criticism for Comments on QAnon
In July 2020, Jesse Watters received public criticism for his comments during his show about the QAnon conspiracy theory movement. Watters later released a statement clarifying that he doesn't support or believe in the group.
December 2021: Advocates Confronting Dr. Fauci
In December 2021, Jesse Watters advocated for attendees at the Turning Point USA's AmericaFest conference to aggressively confront and question Dr. Anthony Fauci about his alleged funding of gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
November 2, 2023: Controversial Comments About the Muslim World
During the November 2, 2023, broadcast of The Five, Jesse Watters made controversial comments about the Muslim world during a segment on the Israel-Hamas war protests, leading to condemnation and calls for an apology.
January 2024: Promotion of Taylor Swift "Psyop" Theory
In January 2024, Jesse Watters presented a theory to his viewers, without evidence, suggesting that the relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce was a "psyop" directed by the U.S. Department of Defense.
August 27, 2024: Criticism for Comments on Kamala Harris
On August 27, 2024, Jesse Watters made comments about Vice President Kamala Harris on The Five, leading to immediate criticism and a subsequent on-air clarification where he stated his comments were misinterpreted.
January 2025: Expresses Desire for Military Invasion of Canada
During a broadcast in January 2025, Jesse Watters expressed a desire for a military invasion of Canada amidst discussion of Donald Trump's comments about turning Canada into the America's 51st state.
