Jesse Watters sparked online mockery after telling JD Vance that fudge was “too gay” and offering pickle cake instead during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Five.”
For a few seconds on air, Jesse Watters turned a holiday snack into a fight—and the clip jumped off the screen and into social media by Tuesday night.
Vice President JD Vance appeared on Fox News’ “The Five” as part of a larger press tour for his new book, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith.” But it was Watters’ wrap-up joke—delivered right as Vance was about to leave—that became the moment people couldn’t stop replaying.
“Because it’s National Fudge Day, for the VP – but I thought it would be too gay – so, I did pickle cake instead,” Watters said in the viral exchange. “I’m not sure if I got it right.”
Watters’ co-hosts moved quickly to keep the tone light. Greg Gutfeld playfully scoffed in disgust, while Dana Perino offered Vance a smile and thanked him for appearing on the show.
“And enjoy your pickle cake,” Perino added.
Bret Baier then stepped in from behind the anchor desk, quipping, “We should’ve offered the pickle cake mid-interview with the vice president.”
Watters’ line—paired with the switch to pickle cake—was accompanied by wide online reaction on X. Many critics zeroed in on the choice of language, while others mocked the idea that a dessert could be treated like an identity label.
One critic wrote, “He didn’t have to say or do like… any of that.” Another said simply, “SO weird.”
Some pointed to what they saw as the joke’s internal mismatch. A third user called out the irony in a comparison that ended with “picks a phallic object as the replacement.” Another asked a sharper question about the framing itself: “Fudge has a sexual orientation now?. Are there any other foods we should consider suspect?”.
Others kept it blunt, writing, “IT’S FUDGE. IT’S CHOCOLATE. EVERYONE LOVES CHOCOLATE,” adding that the hosts were “way too obsessed.”
While Vance appeared unbothered by Watters’ remark, the moment still drew intense attention online after the Tuesday appearance. Fox News representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The clip continues to circulate with its own punchline intact: National Fudge Day acknowledged, then replaced—pickle cake offered in its place.
Jesse Watters JD Vance The Five Fox News National Fudge Day pickle cake X social media backlash book Communion Finding My Way Back to Faith