Fox News’s “The Five” host Jesse Watters on Tuesday, as part of his ongoing “Mom Texts” segment, read aloud messages from his mother, Anne Watters, ribbing him for sounding like an “old white guy” who shows “such disdain for diversity.”
Watters’s mother specifically narrowed in on his remarks about four progressive freshman congresswomen known as “the squad”: Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), all of whom are women of color.
“I hope your Squad criticism can be just a tad more measured today…perhaps try not to communicate such disdain for diversity,” Anne Watters wrote. “Please don’t sound like an old white guy who lacks understanding of otherness. Love you so.”
Anne Watters also said her son’s “sweeping statements” about strangers were making him sound like former Sen. Joe McCarthy (R-Wis.), known for his “red scare” hunt for communists within the U.S. government in the 1950s.
“Jesse — stop making sweeping statements about individuals you don’t know. YOU are sounding like Joe McCarthy — an individual you clearly need to undertake some research about! Weren’t you a history major??” she texted him.
It is unclear which remarks from the “Watters’ World” host his mother was responding to.
“I don’t think you have any idea how strident and screaming you are!” Anne Watters wrote in another message. “You are struggling honeybun!”
Anne Watters is a child psychologist and Democrat who has spoken out about her son’s political opinions.
“Quite obviously my opposition to Jesse’s politics and delivery can be fierce. Indeed, he has always been a challenge,” she told The Philadelphia Inquirer last year. “But this next statement should be self-evident: I love him constantly and unconditionally.”
Watters said the segment “humanizes” him with his critics.
“People on the left in the media enjoy watching me take a ribbing from my mother,” he told the Inquirer. “It’s just a lighthearted, authentic, mother-son relationship I chose to disclose to the audience just to lighten the mood … People can relate to it.”