Jesse Watters Stirs Uproar with “Money Honey” Remark: A Trump-Style Excuse, a Fox News Rift, and a Question of Respect

Fox News host Jesse Watters has never been a stranger to controversy, but his latest slip of the tongue may prove harder to laugh off. On Monday’s edition of The Five, Watters leaned into nostalgia—only to find himself dragged into a storm of criticism after reviving a nickname from the 1990s that veteran financial journalist Maria Bartiromo has long despised.

The remark itself was brief but sharp enough to spark outrage: “Maria Bartiromo was there and everybody called her ‘Money Honey,’” Watters said, recalling his early days as an intern at the New York Stock Exchange. He then added with a grin, “Later, we worked together at Fox News. Isn’t that great?”

What sounded to Watters like a lighthearted anecdote quickly collided with modern standards of respect in the workplace. “Money Honey” was once a media-created moniker that reduced Bartiromo—one of the most pioneering women in financial journalism—to her looks rather than her groundbreaking reporting. While some cable insiders once embraced the catchphrase as branding gold, Bartiromo herself has reportedly loathed it for decades, seeing it as an insult that trivialized her career.

The Trump-Style Defense

What happened next only added fuel to the fire. When called out for the remark, Watters shrugged it off by invoking none other than Donald Trump. “The spirit of Trump lives on,” Watters said with a smirk, suggesting that political incorrectness and unapologetic bravado should excuse his language.

But in a post-#MeToo media landscape, that defense feels thin. Critics argue that Trumpian bluster doesn’t shield one from accountability—especially when directed at a colleague in the same newsroom. Instead of brushing off the insult, Watters may have inadvertently deepened it by signaling that offensive humor is fair game if wrapped in nostalgia or bravado.

Fox News’ Unspoken Tensions

The remark also reignited questions about Fox News’ workplace culture. While the network has faced high-profile lawsuits in the past over allegations of harassment and misconduct, it has also tried to rebrand itself as a more disciplined, professional newsroom. Watters’ offhand comment—followed by his smug self-defense—cut directly against that narrative.

Behind the scenes, insiders say Bartiromo has kept her distance from the controversy, but her silence doesn’t erase the sting. Known for her fiery interviews with Wall Street heavyweights and politicians alike, Bartiromo built her reputation by breaking barriers in a male-dominated field. For her, the label “Money Honey” has always been a reminder of the double standard women face: where accomplishments are overshadowed by nicknames that reduce them to caricatures.

Social Media Backlash

If Watters expected the moment to fade, Twitter (or rather, X) had other plans. Viewers pounced on the clip, calling it “cringeworthy,” “sexist,” and “outdated.” One user wrote, “Imagine reducing a trailblazing journalist to a nickname from the ’90s—and then excusing it with ‘Trump.’ Unreal.” Another added, “Jesse Watters thinks he’s being funny. All he’s doing is proving he doesn’t respect women in his own newsroom.”

The backlash wasn’t limited to the left. Even some conservative commentators questioned why Watters would dredge up a nickname that Bartiromo has so publicly disliked. “It’s not clever, it’s not edgy, it’s just lazy,” one commentator said.

Nostalgia vs. Respect

The clash reveals a deeper cultural tension at Fox and beyond. Can old nicknames and inside jokes survive in an era where respect and equality are supposed to be non-negotiable? For Watters, the answer seemed obvious: yes. For Bartiromo, and for many of today’s viewers, the answer is a resounding no.

To some, Watters’ remark was more than a gaffe—it was a reminder that women in media still face uphill battles to be recognized for their work rather than their appearance. And when a male colleague resurrects a belittling nickname in 2025, it doesn’t feel like nostalgia. It feels like regression.

What Comes Next?

Fox News has not publicly commented on the matter, and Bartiromo herself has remained silent. Watters, known for doubling down rather than apologizing, shows no signs of backing away. But the episode raises uncomfortable questions for the network: How do you balance star personalities with professional respect? And how many more Trump-style excuses can it afford before its credibility suffers?

Ultimately, Watters’ “Money Honey” remark may be remembered less for the laughter it failed to earn than for the shadow it cast over Fox News’ culture. In trying to joke about the past, Watters exposed how much of it the network—and America—still hasn’t outgrown.