Pod Force One

Host: Miranda Devine (New York Post)
Guest: Megyn Kelly
Episode Title: Megyn Kelly on "Race Hustler" Joy Reid, "Sleazy" Meghan Markle and her Bootstrap Success
Release Date: October 8, 2025

Brief Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation between Miranda Devine and Megyn Kelly, diving into Kelly’s career journey, her experiences in corporate and independent media, her evolving political ideology, the state of contemporary media, and candid opinions on prominent public figures like Joy Reid and Meghan Markle. The discussion is notable for its unfiltered, combative tone and directness, with Kelly offering trenchant critiques of “Wokeism,” the modern Democratic Party, and the mainstream media's decline—while also sharing personal stories of resilience and her guiding principles for success.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Megyn Kelly’s Bootstrapped Podcast Success

• Origins and Growth
  • Launched “The Megyn Kelly Show” during the pandemic amid social upheavals from her children’s playroom, starting with three staffers ([00:34]).
  • Now boasts 150 million monthly views, a top 10 podcast five years running.
  • Quote:

    “Five years feels like a blink...that tiny little desk in the corner of my children's playroom was doing a lot of lifting...the country was in the middle of a massive crisis.” ([01:08] - Megyn Kelly)

• Why She Loves Independent Podcasting
  • Complete creative and editorial control; no network bosses dictating content ([04:21]-[05:33]).
  • Quote:

    “I don't have a single investor...They don't control what I say, and if they tried to, I would fire them. There are no sacred cows. I can say how I actually feel about any subject, and I do.” ([05:33] - Megyn Kelly)

2. Transformation from Corporate Media to Independent Voice

• Corporate vs. Independent Media
  • Fox News offered relative freedom compared to NBC and ABC, but even Fox had its agenda.
  • “None of that compares to this medium [podcasting] where no one controls me.” ([05:33])
• Evolving Political Views
  • Shifted over time from Democrat to “real conservative,” credits Fox environment and legal background for shaping her viewpoint ([06:15]).
  • Quote:

    “Those cartoons all over X. I haven't moved my feet at all. The ground moves underneath me. I'm exactly where I used to be.” ([07:00] - Megyn Kelly)

3. Perspective on the Political and Cultural Landscape

• Critique of ‘Wokeism’ and the Modern Democratic Party
  • Sees a “turnaround” against BLM and progressive social movements.
  • Feels alienated by current Democrats: “I now believe you'd have to be ashamed to be a Democrat right now, given what they've become.” ([07:45])
  • Notes that many women, especially mothers, are leaving the Democratic Party due to “woke gender stuff.”
  • Quote:

    “The trans issue is a huge one...That’s when the uncomfortable feeling started...the children were just a total deal breaker. Like, now you have no moral choice but to speak up.” ([09:30] - Megyn Kelly)

4. The State and Future of TV & Podcasting

• Media Landscape Predictions
  • Cable news is “dying”; podcasting’s individualized, on-demand format is the future ([11:30]-[13:44]).
  • Describes a shift to trusting select voices for news instead of traditional appointment viewing.
  • Quote:

    “If you were betting real money, you’d be a fool to put it on either cable or broadcast news. That is not the future. This, what we're doing right now, is the future.” ([12:09] - Megyn Kelly)

• Influence and Industry Friends
  • Credits Ben Shapiro for inspiring her podcasting venture; helped “make” Shapiro and others by first featuring them on her Fox show ([13:44]-[15:05]).

5. Reflections on Her NBC Stint

• Experience at NBC
  • Calls the year at NBC “tumultuous and traumatic,” mismatched expectations, feeling set up to fail ([16:34]-[19:56]).
  • “When you’re dying death by a thousand cuts, the machete is a mercy.” ([16:34] - Megyn Kelly)
  • Felt targeted by internal leaks and negative press; only positive memories were of the studio audience and support from Kathie Lee Gifford ([20:02]).

6. Candid Opinions on Joy Reid, Don Lemon, and Left-Wing Podcasts

• Joy Reid:
  • Describes Reid as “an insane lunatic who's truly, honestly, extremely racist. She's never seen a white person who she likes...” ([21:00])
  • Predicts Reid’s independent career will fail because she’s “too toxic”. ([21:00]-[21:54])
• The State of Left-Wing Podcasting:
  • Most don’t succeed; left controls mainstream platforms, no need to branch out to independent media ([22:30]).
  • Exceptions: Pod Save America, the Midas Touch, Tim Miller.

7. Thoughts on Bari Weiss and Selling Out

• Bari Weiss’s Sale to CBS
  • Respects Weiss but would never sell her own platform: “No, I have enough money. I don't need money to go sell my soul, which is what it would feel like to me.” ([23:26])
  • Unconvinced legacy media can be reformed from the top down ([25:41]).

8. Coping with Charlie Kirk’s Assassination and Security Concerns

• Personal Impact
  • Details how Charlie Kirk’s assassination (at a university tour event) nearly derailed her own speaking tour, but ultimately strengthened her resolve ([26:41]-[30:19]).
  • Praises Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin for supporting her with security at a vulnerable moment ([27:49]).
  • Quote:

    “There is zero part of me that could not do it...It's just very clear to me. I'm doing it. So the only real question is, how do we make it safe?” ([28:10] - Megyn Kelly)

  • Observes a renewed audience determination to not be cowed by threats or violence.

9. Building Resilience and Family Influence

• Impact of Her Father’s Death as a Teen
  • Inspired her to make bold life choices—leave law, exit her first marriage, pursue journalism ([32:01]).
  • Advice:

    “You should always take risks, even if you're not a courageous person...Just keep going is the only thing you have to do when you fail.” ([33:10] - Megyn Kelly)

• Motherhood and Boys
  • Raising two boys made her more protective of men’s rights, less dogmatically feminist ([34:37]).
  • Critiques cultural neglect of boys and men: “All of society's ills being blamed on them...Meanwhile, they have none of the advantages.” ([36:11])

10. Meghan Markle and Harry: Relentless Critique

• Meghan Markle’s Behavior
  • Dismisses Markle as callous and self-serving, referencing her conduct at Paris Fashion Week and the Uvalde tragedy ([37:46]-[40:05]).
  • Predicts divorce for Meghan and Harry—“It's really just a question of when, not if.” ([40:55])
  • Quote:

    “Who would do that? Like, there's seriously something wrong with her. The callousness of that behavior—it speaks volumes.” ([37:46] - Megyn Kelly)

11. Megyn’s Secret to Success

• Work Ethic
  • Emphasizes relentless hard work and willingness to “do every menial task” ([41:18]).
  • Quote:

    “Just as hard as you think you're working, work harder, and don't say no to any menial task. Do them all. Don't whine or complain. Lose the word unfair. Just double down on how you can solve other people's problems instead of asking anyone to solve yours.” ([41:18] - Megyn Kelly)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Authenticity in Media:

  “It's the most authentic form of communication there is.” ([03:55] - Megyn Kelly)

• On the Changing Political Landscape:

  “I haven't moved my feet at all. The ground moves underneath me.” ([07:00] - Megyn Kelly)

• On Left-Wing Podcasting:

  “And that will conclude the list of left wing podcasters who really have a meaningful presence.” ([22:28] - Megyn Kelly)

• On Resilience:

  “Just keep going is the only thing you have to do when you fail.” ([33:10] - Megyn Kelly)

• On Meghan Markle:

  “Who trolls their spouse over their dead mother?...There is no chance this marriage is going to last.” ([37:58], [40:55] - Megyn Kelly)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |--------------|----------------------------------------------| | 00:34 | Launching the Megyn Kelly Show | | 04:21-05:33 | Why podcasting trumps legacy media | | 06:15-08:03 | Evolution from Democrat to Conservative | | 09:30 | The “trans issue” and Democratic Party loss | | 11:30-13:44 | Media’s future: Podcasting over Cable | | 13:44-15:05 | Ben Shapiro’s role in her podcast journey | | 16:34-19:56 | Year at NBC: Failure, betrayal, lessons | | 21:00 | Unfiltered critique of Joy Reid | | 22:30 | Why left-wing podcasters mostly fail | | 23:18-25:41 | Barry Weiss’s CBS sale - would Megyn sell? | | 26:41-30:19 | Responding to Charlie Kirk’s assassination | | 32:01-33:10 | Father’s death and resilience | | 34:37 | Raising boys and men’s rights | | 37:46-40:55 | Meghan Markle critique, Harry predictions | | 41:18 | Kelly’s formula for success |

Tone and Style

Megyn Kelly is blunt, combative, and acerbic, offering frank takes on personal hardship, the media industry, and headline-grabbing figures. Miranda Devine steers the conversation with pointed questions, highlighting both Kelly’s resilience and willingness to confront controversy head-on.

In Summary

This episode delivers a rollicking, gloves-off tour through Megyn Kelly’s career, worldview, and media philosophy. Listeners receive an insider’s blueprint for media disruption, hear Kelly’s unapologetic takedowns of rivals, and learn the values she attributes to her success: grit, willingness to fail, and relentless hustle. Her voice, both confessional and confrontational, illuminates the shifting battlefield of American journalism and politics.