Greg Gutfeld didn’t mince words on Tuesday when he torched Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge over her response to a wild street brawl that went viral over the weekend. On The Five, Gutfeld called out what he saw as selective outrage and demanded accountability.
The chaos erupted early Saturday morning at the corner of Elm and Fourth Streets, where disturbing footage showed multiple people being punched, kicked, and stomped in the street. One woman appeared to be knocked out cold. Five suspects have been charged so far — and police say more arrests are coming.
But instead of offering clarity, Chief Theetge seemed more concerned with blaming social media. “You’re not getting the whole story,” she said, pushing back against viral clips. She insisted the incident had been distorted by “mainstream” media and online commentary, claiming it made law enforcement’s job harder.
Gutfeld wasn’t having it. “If you’re going to say what we’re seeing isn’t real, then tell us what is,” he fired back. “Don’t just hand-wave away the facts because the optics are ugly. If context matters so much, give it to us.”
He slammed the double standard. “Context only seems to matter when it protects certain narratives. You never heard anyone ask for ‘context’ with the Covington Catholic kids. Daniel Penny got charged without context. George Floyd’s drug levels? Ignored.”
Theetge noted that police arrived six minutes after the first 911 call came in. But Gutfeld questioned why her first instinct was to scold the public instead of explain what actually happened. “Don’t lecture people about context just to protect your department or city’s image,” he said.
According to FOX19, the brawl reportedly began after an intoxicated man returned to the scene and made racial comments, sparking the confrontation. The violence escalated quickly — with at least one person stomped repeatedly and others throwing punches in multiple directions.
Theetge says up to 100 people may have witnessed the melee, and more charges are likely. Still, Gutfeld says that doesn’t justify dodging the reality caught on camera. “Social media didn’t make this fight happen — it just made sure we saw it.”
In typical Gutfeld fashion, he ended with a sarcastic jab: “Next time, maybe the context is that some people were just looking for an excuse to riot. And now we’re all supposed to feel bad for noticing.”