Jesse Watters Addresses Backlash Over ‘Inappropriate’ Comments About Kamala Harris

Fox News host Jesse Watters was in damage control mode on Tuesday night (August 27) as he addressed the backlash to what many deemed to be “inappropriate” comments about Vice President Kamala Harris.

Watters claimed his words had been “misconstrued” and that he never intended it to be sexual in nature. “There’s been some attention to comments I made on the show yesterday about VP Harris,” he said. “People are misconstruing my comments to mean something inappropriate.”

He continued, “I wasn’t suggesting anything of a sexual nature. I was expressing my opinion that vice president Harris’ current leadership style could be an issue if elected.”

Watters: There has been some attention to comments made on the show yesterday about vp Harris. People are misconstruing my comments to mean something inappropriate. I wasn’t suggesting anything of a sexual nature. pic.twitter.com/fq831nuktD

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 27, 2024

Watters made the comment on Monday’s (August 26) episode of The Five while the panel was discussing Harris’ foreign policy and the United States’ Afghanistan withdrawal in August 2021.

“What is her foreign policy? This is where the president has the most impact,” Watters asked, referring to the woman who could become the first female president in US history.

“We don’t know who she is. We don’t know what she believes,” he added. “She’s going to get paralyzed in the situation room while the generals have their way with her.”

Watters’ co-host, Jeanine Pirro, immediately jumped in, saying, “I don’t like that. Take it back.”

Fellow co-host and former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino also disapproved of Watters’ remarks.

“Figuratively… Have their way with her, control her…not in a sexual way,” Watters responded, attempting to walk back his comments.

Later in the show, Watters brought the comment back up, joking that his mother would “probably go on MSNBC tonight” and say, “‘my son, Jesse Watters made a joke about Kamala Harris being manhandled by generals in the situation room’… I can see my mom doing that.”

Watters’ comments received immediate backlash from viewers and fellow political commentators on Monday.

“Jesse Watters needs to [be] fired immediately,” wrote one social media user.

Another added, “Jesse Waters should be fired for this. Even the two women on this panel were appalled.”

When even Fox Hosts can’t abide the intentional misogyny against @KamalaHarris by the dumbest and most obnoxious man on Fox, Jesse Watters. The brain worms that have “their way” in this boy’s head… https://t.co/tqnUWWmx3M

— Barbara Comstock (@BarbaraComstock) August 26, 2024

Former Republican congresswoman Barbara Comstock also slammed Watters’ remarks, writing, “When even Fox Hosts can’t abide the intentional misogyny against @KamalaHarris by the dumbest and most obnoxious man on Fox, Jesse Watters. The brain worms that have “their way” in this boy’s head…”

She added, “Nobody “misconstrued” Jesse Watters crude remarks about ⁦@KamalaHarris. This is not ok.”