Fox News liberal Jessica Tarlov says President Donald Trump sent her a customized “Trump 2028” hat for Christmas, but the gag gift did not exactly win her over.
Tarlov, a Democratic strategist and rotating co-host of “The Five,” revealed the gift during an interview with Jack Cocchiarella on MeidasTouch while promoting her upcoming book, “I Disagree.”
The book focuses on how to argue without blowing up relationships, a subject Tarlov knows well from sitting across from conservatives every week on Fox News.
But when it comes to Trump personally, Tarlov said she has no interest in getting charmed up close.
“When people say that about Trump, like ‘Oh, you’d be so charmed.’ I’m just not interested in it. I think it’s a lot safer, frankly, to stay away from it,” Tarlov said.
She then described the Christmas gift from Trump, which played directly into his yearslong tease about sticking around beyond his current term.
“For Christmas, for instance, he customized Trump 2028 hats for me, and you know said something like, ‘Thank you for your great support.’ And I get it that it’s funny for a cheap laugh,” she said. “I happen to think that he will do everything in his power to be able to stick around as long as possible … So I’m not really interested in palling around or playing nice.”
The hats have become a classic Trump troll, aimed squarely at critics who melt down over his third-term jokes and 2028 branding.
Trump’s official store began selling “Trump 2028” hats in 2025, even as legal experts and Trump himself have acknowledged the constitutional limits on another run.
Jessica: For Christmas, Trump customized a Trump 2028 hat for me. It said something like, “Thank you for your great support.” I get that it’s for a cheap laugh. I happen to think he will do everything in his power to stick around as long as possible, so I’m not really interested… pic.twitter.com/fAgZOTlTss
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 26, 2026
For supporters, the merchandise is a joke and a political middle finger.
For critics, it is another reason to panic.
Tarlov made clear she falls into the second camp.
She contrasted her view with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decision to meet with Trump at the White House on Nov. 21, 2025.
“Now on the Mamdani choice to do it, he got himself billions of dollars of investment in New York — that is worth a photo op, especially when he wasn’t even smiling,” Tarlov said.
Tarlov argued Mamdani was able to sit down with Trump without backing away from his own political views.
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“He [Mamdani] didn’t compromise his morals or go back on anything he had said about the president — even said it to his face,” Tarlov said.
As for whether she would ever do the same, Tarlov said she might not be able to hide her reaction.
“Maybe if I could go in and do that, but I would just look sour and sullen, and I’m not good at faking a smile, frankly,” she said.
Tarlov’s comments come ahead of the Sept. 15 release of “I Disagree,” which she has described as a book about staying true to her values while navigating heated political and social conversations.
When announcing the book earlier this year, she said it was inspired by the question she hears most often about her role on “The Five.”
“So what is I DISAGREE about? It’s my answer to the question I get the most: How do you do it?” Tarlov wrote.
She said the book explores how she works to “stay true to my values, find common ground where it’s available, and communicate across political and social divides,” whether around a holiday table or in front of millions of television viewers.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to forge a path toward better politics and, crucially, better relationships,” Tarlov wrote.
The irony is hard to miss.
Tarlov is selling a book about disagreeing without losing relationships, while saying she wants to keep Trump at arm’s length even after he sent her a joke Christmas gift.
Donald Trump got his cheap laugh.
Tarlov got another book promo anecdote.
And the “Trump 2028” hat did exactly what it was designed to do.
It got people talking.
