Fox News viewers slam Jesse Watters as ‘stupid’ and ‘not funny’ following explosive Amish remark
Fox News host Jesse Watters has once again sparked backlash after his controversial remarks about the Amish community.
He made the disappointing comments during the Monday, September 7 episode of The Five, when Watters and co-hosts Greg Gutfeld, Jessica Tarlov, Dana Perino and Kennedy answered questions from fans.
Viewers called out Jesse Watters for his remarks about the Amish community
Gutfeld asked the panel to reveal something they believed as children that embarrassed them in hindsight. Watters quickly offered an unexpected confession and said, “Uh, I believed in the Amish. And then I realized they didn’t exist.”
Even his co-hosts were confused and then Watters attempted to explain, “No, no. It’s like, when you are in Philly growing up, you think like, Amish, these are real people that don’t believe in electricity and live out in the middle of the state.”
He added, “Then I realized it’s just not true. There’s no such thing as the Amish!”
Gutfeld praised Watters’ take and joked about how the Amish would not complain. “You know what’s great about this, is you’re not going to get a letter or a complaint from the Amish on this,” he said. “You picked the one group that will not be writing in, this will never reach them. Very smart Jesse, I don’t care what anybody says.”
However, viewers did not share his enthusiasm and a critic on X called the comment “stupid & not funny,” questioning why The Five devoted part of its Labor Day episode to “mindlessness.”
One viewer claimed to live in Kansas and said Amish communities still exist there, while another pointed to Amish communities in southern Maryland (via The Mirror US).
Moreover, Watters grew up in Philadelphia, which is 60 to 75 miles away from one of the largest Amish and Mennonite neighborhoods, settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Jesse Watters has faced backlash over other controversial moments
Watters’ latest controversy adds to his long list of moments that have put him under scrutiny. In 2016, his man-on-the-street segment from New York’s Chinatown drew accusations of racism (via The Wrap).
Watters was accused of mocking Chinese Americans and leaning into Asian stereotypes. In the same year, he was also criticized for his segment about Italian Americans and once again, the Amish community in Pennsylvania.
The host was scrutinized again in 2015 for asking insensitive questions to homeless people at New York’s Penn Station. In 2017, he was accused of making inappropriate s**ual innuendo about Ivanka Trump.
These instances and people being upset about them did not stop Watters and he has continued making such jokes and statements well into 2026.