Fox’s The Five Gets Heated as Co-Host Gets Fact-Checked On Air: ‘Just Take The L’

Tuesday’s edition of The Five got a bit tense when cohost Richard Fowler said a pending bill in the Iowa legislature would ban the teaching of sexism, slavery, and racial segregation in public schools.

“The bill in Iowa,” said Fowler, “bans the teaching of the following topics: sexism, slavery, racial segregation.” He was immediately interrupted by cohost Jesse Watters.

WATTERS: That’s not true.

FOWLER: Did you read it?

WATTERS: That is not true.

FOWLER: Did you read it?

WATTERS: I haven’t read the bill.

FOWLER: Ok then.

WATTERS: I will bet that you cannot find anything in the bill that says we will not teach slavery in school in Iowa. I guarantee you, Richard, that they have not prohibited the teaching of slavery in history class in the state of Iowa. I guarantee that’s wrong. And I say that with no knowledge of the bill.

Fowler maintained that those topics are “prohibited from the curriculum.”

Watters concluded the segment by saying, “We will find out the truth about the bill in Iowa, and then we will tell you as soon as we find out.”

Later in the show, Watters gloatingly declared, “Fox News alert. I was right. Richard was wrong.”

“The definitive answer is that Iowa Republicans did not – I repeat, did not – submit a bill banning the teaching of slavery in schools in Iowa.”

“Did they not ban the teaching of slavery?” asked Fowler, who modified his remarks to say the measure in question would ban the teaching of slavery and sexism in trainings for employees in public school settings.

Fowler said that “the bill is poorly written.”

“Poorly read, too,” Watters retorted, telling Fowler, “Just take the L.”

Though not specified during the segment, the bill in question seems to be House File 802, which would ban instruction that contends that Iowa is a “fundamentally or systemically racist or sexist” state during diversity and inclusion trainings. It does not ban the teaching of sexism, slavery, and racial segregation in school curricula.

The Iowa bill is part of a wider effort by Republicans in state legislatures across the country to address Critical Race Theory, the teaching of which Florida and Texas have banned in public schools.

Fowler and Watters shook hands after the fact check.

Watch above via Fox News.