‘Only You Would Laugh About Murder!’ Greg Gutfeld and Juan Williams Clash on Crime Rates

Tuesday’s edition of The Five featured an awkward exchange between cohosts Juan Williams and Greg Gutfeld during a discussion about mask-wearing, which the latter said “should be handled by us” and not the government.

He then turned to the subject of “the national crime wave” he says is happening in the United States.

Gutfeld: Lastly, what kills me about this is this isn’t the biggest pandemic problem, it’s the smallest one, which should be handled by us. We handle the small ones, government handles the big ones. What’s the big one? The national crime wave. Right? We have murders, we have assaults, we have grand larcenies, you could–are you laughing about it? Juan, only you would laugh about murder! Only you would laugh–

Williams: There is no crime – This is one of your [crosstalk] fantasies.

Gutfeld: Why don’t you read the stats? Ok, ok! That’s my fantasy. Are you gonna call it a fantasy the 500% increase in hate crime? Juan, that’s on you! If you think people suffering is funny, good for you. You’re on your own.

Williams: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

Crime did rise in big cities in 2020, including a 33% rise in homicides. CNN reported 63 of the country’s largest 66 police jurisdictions experienced increases in one or more types of violent crimes last year. In many places the elevated crime rates haven’t abated in 2021.

Vox has offered a variety of potential explanations for the escalating crime rates, some of which include unpredictable behaviors caused by the pandemic, depolicing, and overwhelmed hospitals that led to more deaths.

Regarding Gutfeld’s claim that hate crimes have risen 500%, he may be alluding to a report that just over 500 Asian Americans reported being the victims of hate crimes in the first two months of the year.

Watch above, via Fox News.