Fox News viewers are accustomed to seeing host Jesse Watters nearly every weekday, making his recent absence from the network noticeable enough to generate questions from some of his loyal audience.
Now a photograph posted by someone very close to the popular host
has sparked a wave of criticism, with viewers questioning the explanation they were previously given for why he wasn’t behind the desk.
Watters, who hosts “Jesse Watters Primetime” and co-hosts “The Five,” told viewers that he would be away “on assignment,” but a social media post from his wife, Emma Watters, appeared to show that at least some of his time away included a family outing.
Emma posted a photograph Tuesday featuring Watters alongside his wife, his twin daughters Sophie and Ellie from his first marriage, and Jesse Jr. and Georgina, the two children he shares with Emma.
“LIV,” Emma captioned the photograph, apparently indicating that the Watters family was attending a LIV Golf event in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The seemingly innocuous family photograph quickly attracted attention from viewers who believed Watters should have simply said he was taking time away with his family rather than describing his absence as an assignment.
“Jesse you always say your [sic] on a big assignment! Why can’t you just say your [sic] going on vacation with your family!” one commenter wrote.
Another viewer joked that Watters’ time away from television was beginning to rival that of Washington lawmakers.
“Jesse, you take more vacations than the Senate,” the commenter wrote.
Others specifically pointed to Watters’ previous explanation and questioned whether the golf outing qualified as the assignment he referenced.
“Ahhh now I know why your husband wasn’t at work! He said it was an assignment…” one person responded.
“Thought you said you were on assignment? Not that you lying is a surprise,” another commenter wrote.
One viewer argued that there was no reason for Watters to avoid simply telling his audience he was taking a vacation.
“Jesse just say you’re going on vacation instead of an assignment, it makes it look so stupid, either that or you think you’re fooling millions and you’re not,” the commenter wrote.
“This looks like yet another vacation and definitely not an assignment, but
okay,” another person added.
The photograph does not necessarily establish that Watters wasn’t also performing work during his absence, but it was enough to fuel criticism among viewers already wondering when he would return.
The reaction also comes after Watters’ absence from “The Five” generated complaints last week when Fox News senior foreign policy correspondent Gillian Turner filled his seat.
Some viewers made it abundantly clear that Turner wasn’t their preferred substitute.
“Gillian is a terrible substitute on this show! ! ! Why do you continue to let her?” one viewer wrote.
“She does not do well on any show. Especially this one. Please listen to your viewers,” the commenter added.
Another viewer was considerably more succinct about Turner’s appearance.
“Gillian awful Turner on The Five. Switching channel,” the person wrote.
“No one wants to see or hear Gillian Turner on The Five,” another critic declared before accusing Turner of being a liberal who “pretends she’s a moderate.”
“Oh God! Gillian Turner @GillianHTurner is on @TheFive. Changing the channel,” another viewer wrote.
Watters remains one of Fox News’ most prominent personalities, simultaneously occupying the coveted 8 p.m. weekday slot with “Jesse Watters Primetime” and a seat on the network’s highly rated panel program “The Five.”
That popularity could also explain why what might otherwise be an unremarkable absence has generated such a strong reaction.
For some viewers, however, the complaint wasn’t necessarily that Watters appeared to be enjoying time with his family, Trending Politics reported.
It was that they would have preferred he simply call it a vacation.
