Gutfeld Flat Out Asks Tarlov In Heated Debate About El-Sayed, ‘You Want More Muslims In Positions of Power?’

The Five cohost Greg Gutfeld attempted to ensnare cohost Jessica Tarlov in some kind of “gotcha” moment Thursday when he asked her, “You want more Muslims in power?”

Tarlov had just finished describing Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a practicing Muslim, as “a man of faith.”

She said:

We didn’t play the sound of this. Abdul [told opponent Mike Rogers that] “to bring into question my commitment to the constitution is beneath you. I’m proud of America. I’m proud of our Constitution that guarantees us all the right to pray as we choose, to pray.” He just started a faith ad which I think everyone should take a look at where he talks about being a man of faith and it’s important to have more people in political office who are people of faith.

Gutfeld interjected, “And you support this? You want more Muslims in positions of power?”

Tarlov answered in the affirmative and told Gutfeld that “all Muslims aren’t part of the Muslim Brotherhood.”

Gutfeld responded, “I’m aware of that. It’s a shame their leaders tend to be linked to things.”

Gutfeld was raised in the Catholic Church, but is irreligious. It’s unclear if his issue is with El-Sayed’s suggestion that more people of faith should hold political office, or if Gutfeld specifically takes issue with the idea that a Muslim man should be elected.

The Pew Center reported in 2025 that Christians currently make up 87% of the voting members in the Senate and House of Representatives. That gives members of the Christian faith outsized representation, as the Pew Center also reported approximately 62% of Americans identify as Christian.

Another 6% of the members of Congress are Jewish; Buddhists account for 0.6%, and Muslims account for another 0.8%.

The First Amendment of the United States guarantees the rights of citizens to practice any religion of their choosing — or to not practice at all. El-Sayed was born in Michigan in 1984.

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