Why Megyn Kelly Stayed Quiet

Summary

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Episode Overview

Theme:
This episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, titled "Why Megyn Kelly Stayed Quiet," dives deep into recent divisions within the conservative movement—especially surrounding debates about Israel, free speech, and loyalty tests. Megyn Kelly joins Charlie’s team to discuss her role as an attempted peacemaker behind the scenes, her decision to stay publicly silent during recent controversies, and the fallout she experienced from peers and the media. The conversation also tackles smear tactics, generational shifts, the moral debate over marijuana, and the danger of ideological purity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Megyn Kelly’s Silence and Attempted Peacemaking

• Context:
  Megyn Kelly addresses why she refrained from public comment amidst growing conservative infighting, specifically involving Turning Point USA, Candace Owens, Ben Shapiro, and Bari Weiss.
• Role as Mediator:
  • Kelly reveals active behind-the-scenes efforts to broker peace:

    "We’ve all been talking for months, and then it graduated to... Erica called me and it was her, it was her idea to meet with Candace... and she said, will you please be a part of that with me? Like, will you go with me? And of course I said, yes, I'll go." (02:20 - 04:26)

  • She expresses relief she hadn’t attacked Candace Owens publicly, which enabled her to mediate credibly.

    "I was very happy that I hadn't gone scorched earth on Candace Owens because I was in a position where I would have been acceptable to her." (04:26)

• Outcome of the Mediation:
  • The anticipated livestream fell through due to security concerns, but Erica and Candace held a private meeting in Nashville. Kelly describes initial impressions as positive, but wonders about future stability:

    "Now, will that hold what's more fragile, the Gaza peace, fire or this situation?... My only goal all along has been to try not to take sides." (05:24 - 06:36)

2. Public Smears and Friendships under Fire

• Personal Attacks:
  Kelly discusses the emotional impact of being maligned by longtime friends and former collaborators:

  "It's annoying to me to be attacked by people who don't know what they're talking about... to see people who I consider like long term friends go out and publicly call me a coward." (02:20)

  • She calls out Bari Weiss and Ben Shapiro for criticizing her in public forums without any personal outreach:

    "Who wouldn't call me? These guys, they actually know me. I'm in both of their cell phones. They have my number." (11:17)

• Notable Quote:

  "Only cowards take to the national stage or X to attack their friends without so much as a phone call to discuss it." — Megyn Kelly (09:46)

3. Israel Debate & Fracturing of the Conservative Movement

• Polarization Around Israel:
  Panelists reflect on how lines are being drawn in the conservative movement—often testing allies’ loyalty to Israel and pushing people toward extremes:

  "It's... deeply wrong that we would ever divide America over a foreign country. I do think there is a contingent within the pro-Israeli group that is Israel First. They really are. They're proving it every day." — Megyn Kelly (13:30)

  • Kelly laments purity tests and the “moral blackmail” being deployed, likening it to the left’s BLM movement:

    "It's not enough that you're not a critic. ...But then he also wants to condemn and excommunicate people who aren't critics of the critics. ...Who will be standing when Ben is done with us?" (07:42)

• Smears and Media Narratives:
  • The group explores how accusations (e.g., antisemitism) become weaponized against dissenters, how media latches onto misleading narratives, and the challenge of correcting public perception.

    "That's the anatomy of a smear. ...You could write a similar article that. The making of an anti Semite. That would start with these bullies trying to censor, harass, misrepresent, strong arm." — Megyn Kelly (22:24 - 23:34)

• Generational Shifts:
  • Blake notes increased questioning about Israel among young conservatives, predicting a rise in overt antisemitism on the right.

    "I was telling him, charlie, this is going to be coming. There's going to be a huge wave of more overt antisemitism on the right among young people." (25:22)

4. Advice on Navigating Friend Group Divides

[Audience Q&A | 27:31 - 29:13]

• Advice for Young Women:
  • Kelly counsels empathy and inquisitiveness, even across divides:

    "If you can give them a couple of points, you're going to advance the conversation, they're going to like you more, they're going to trust you more, and you can make inroads with them better, as opposed to just being like, well, I disagree." (28:35)

5. Debating Israel & Media Bias

[Audience Q&A | 29:22 - 31:44]

• Engaging the Other Side:
  • Kelly urges studying both sides’ arguments, staying cautious about propaganda, and trusting balanced sources like RealClearPolitics:

    "The best way to argue your side is to prepare the other sides first. ...Honestly, you have to be very careful about the media on Israel because there are manipulations both ways. It's a very heavy propaganda game here." (30:33)

6. Under-discussed Cultural Problems: Marijuana’s Impact

[Audience Q&A | 31:44 - 34:59]

• Panelists highlight rising marijuana use—its potent modern forms, links to mental illness, and its underrecognized role in mass violence.

  "Today's pot is not the pot that we grew up with back in the 80s. ...One of the things we're seeing in these mass shootings is marijuana comes up over and over." — Megyn Kelly (31:44 - 33:15)

  • Kelly and panelists connect drug use to broader cultural decline and loss of personal agency:

    "When you use hard drugs, or maybe just a lot of THC... it's a highway to hell, that it opens you up to dark forces because you lose control of the things that God gave you to control your mind and your heart and to keep bad things out." — Andrew (34:38)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Megyn Kelly on Smeared Friendships:

  "It's annoying to me to be attacked by people who don't know what they're talking about... to see people who I consider like long term friends go out and publicly call me a coward." (02:20)

• On Refusing Moral Blackmail:

  “He just hated moral blackmail. If you want to make the argument that he's wrong, he'd listen to that. But that argument of, you should feel strong armed into not associating with him. He just despised that.” — Blake, referencing Charlie Kirk (07:34)

• On Israel Fracturing the Movement:

  "The pro Israel advocates, like, the most loud and outspoken ones, are the ones who are tearing the movement apart." — Megyn Kelly (14:40)

• On the ‘Anatomy of a Smear’:

  "That's the anatomy of a smear. ...The making of an anti Semite. That would start with these bullies trying to censor, harass, misrepresent, strong arm. This is no way to get people over to your side. It is BLM, and they really need to listen to me because I have an unblemished record on support for Israel." — Megyn Kelly (22:24 - 23:34)

• Advice for Peacemakers:

  “Inquisitive without judgment, I think is the way to handle it. Love yeah, yeah, love, thank you.” — Megyn Kelly (29:13)

• On Marijuana’s Dangers:

  "Marijuana is already posing a serious problem. ...It's a highway to hell, that it opens you up to dark forces because you lose control of the things that God gave you to control your mind and your heart and to keep bad things out." — Megyn Kelly & Andrew (33:15 - 34:38)

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Key Timestamps

• [01:10] – Megyn Kelly joins to discuss the affordability crisis and her recent silence.
• [02:20 – 06:58] – Kelly discusses mediating the Erica-Candace conflict and explains her behind-the-scenes efforts.
• [09:44 – 11:17] – Kelly on betrayal by Ben Shapiro and Bari Weiss.
• [13:29 – 14:40] – Kelly on the Israel debate dividing conservatives.
• [16:15 – 18:50] – Israel loyalty demands, antisemitism smears, and purity tests dissected; both Kelly and Kirk reflect on their history as ardent Israel supporters.
• [22:24 – 23:34] – The “anatomy of a smear” and how false antisemitism charges were laundered through mainstream media.
• [25:15 – 26:13] – Blake explains the growing skepticism toward Israel among young conservatives.
• [27:31 – 29:13] – Audience Q1: Megyn Kelly’s advice to young women on handling group conflict.
• [29:22 – 31:44] – Audience Q2: On civil conversations about Israel and checking biases.
• [31:44 – 34:59] – Audience Q3: Marijuana’s evolving cultural and psychological dangers.

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Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is candid and intense, heavily focused on loyalty, trust, and navigating public life as a high-profile conservative. Panelists are unapologetic, sometimes blunt, and the exchanges often have an undertone of shared frustration. There is also warmth and humor—especially in moments of mutual support or self-deprecation.

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Summary for Non-listeners

This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to understand the current fractures among American conservatives, particularly around Israel, the weaponization of accusations (like antisemitism or cowardice), and the deeper toll these conflicts have on personal relationships. Much of the episode’s value lies in Megyn Kelly’s raw openness—her honesty about how she’s been treated, her attempts to broker peace, and her ongoing struggle to chart a principled path through ideological and friendship minefields.

The conversation also scrutinizes the media’s role in creating (and recycling) damaging narratives, the unique pressures facing young conservatives, and an often-overlooked moral issue: the normalization and dangers of high-potency marijuana.

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Transcript

[Charlie Kirk]

My name is Charlie Kirk. I run the largest pro American student organization in the country, fighting for the future of our republic. My call is to fight evil and to proclaim truth. If the most important thing for you is just feeling good, you're gonna end up miserable. But if the most important thing is doing good, you will end up purposeful. College is a scam, everybody. You gotta stop sending your kids to college. You should get married as young as possible and have as many kids as possible. Go start a Point USA College chapter. Go start a Turning Point USA High School chapter. Go find out how your church can get involved. Sign up and become an activist. I gave my life to the Lord in fifth grade. Most important decision I ever made in my life, and I encourage you to do the same. Here I am, Lord.

[Andrew]

Use me.

[Charlie Kirk]

Buckle up, everybody. Here we go. The Charlie Kirk show is proudly sponsored by Preserve Gold, the leading gold and silver experts and the only precious metals company I recommend to my family, friends, and viewers.

[Andrew]

So, Megan, you know what we're gonna talk about here? It's of course, the affordability crisis.

[Megyn Kelly]

Yeah, let's do that.

[Andrew]

Yeah. I mean, like, you know, thank you for joining us and making the time. You are in demand. You went from one thing to the next. The next. You had a delay getting here. So I. I just want to give Megyn Kelly serious kudos that she still showed up for all of you and for this podcast. God bless you for that.

[Megyn Kelly]

I would not have missed it, of course. Love you guys. Thank you. Love you guys.

[Andrew]

Megan, so I do want to give you a chance to just kind of people didn't understand the role you were playing behind the scenes, and I understood it, and I wasn't at liberty to explain what you were doing behind the scenes, but I actually think I want to say thank you because there was very few people that could have filled that role that you were attempting to play, and you were holding your fire, even though your audience was, like, demanding you weigh in on certain things and you didn't. You were disciplined and professional. So I know exactly what you did and why you did it, and I want to vouch for you as a third party that understood why you were, you know, remaining out of the fray, and you took a lot of heat from that. What was that like? You know?

[Megyn Kelly]

So thank you for that. Well, it's annoying to me to be attacked by people who don't know what they're talking about. Right. So it's one thing if you have your doubts, like, why isn't she saying this about that? Or this about the other thing. And then maybe you reach out to me and say, is there another reason? Like, is there something. I don't know, but to see people who I consider like long term friends go out and publicly call me a coward when you, you and I both know how much we've talked behind the scenes about how to handle this problem. What are the options? What do we all think is the best option? You too, Blake? We could do this. We could do this, we could do that. Let's try this. Maybe we'll do a baby step this way. You know, we've all been talking for months, and then it graduated to, you know, it was ramping up. And then Erica called me and it was her, it was her idea to meet with Candace and she said, I want to do it. And I originally said, are you sure you want to do that? Like, you know, Candice said, one word from you will silence this. And maybe you just have to give her a word. Maybe if you just send her a note or a letter, try, try peace. Like, maybe. Maybe Candace wants an off ramp potentially. I don't know. I don't know Candace that well. I know her a little. I've gotten to know her a little better over the past few months, so. But Erica really didn't want to do that. She thought it was important that it be like an in person meeting and that she allow herself to be subjected to whatever questions Candace had. And she said, will you please be a part of that with me? Like, will you go with me? And of course I said, yes, I'll go. And at that moment, I felt it was. I was very lucky that I hadn't been leading attacks against Candace because, I mean, obviously I disagreed with her on all the things she said about you guys in Turning Point. I said that on my show many times. I mean, I made very clear to everybody I don't agree with these theories, and this is what I think happened, and all the evidence suggests it is this man and whatever. But I was very happy that I hadn't gone scorched earth on Candace Owens because I was in a position where I would have been acceptable to her. And sure enough, she and I had a text exchange shortly after mine with Erica where she was like, I'm glad it's you. Yes, I'll do it. And I just, just, excuse me, just saw Erica backstage and she said, you can say whatever, you can tell everybody what's happened. But the original plan was that we were going to have a live stream on the day you guys were going to do the live stream in Arizona was the first plan. Erica, Candice, and yours truly as more of a facilitator. Those. Those two were gonna do it, and I was gonna be there just to keep everybody within the lines.

[Andrew]

And.

[Megyn Kelly]

And then Candace said she was facing a security threat out here in Arizona and that she couldn't. She wasn't going to come. And Erica said, I'll come to you. Which I was surprised Erica said that, you know, because if Erica didn't really want to do this, she easily could have been like, okay. I offered, but she was like, no, I'll come to Nashville.

[Andrew]

Try it again.

[Megyn Kelly]

So I was like, wow. Like, Erica's strong. She's like, she's to going. Going through a lot right now, and she's got her kids, and she had just come off of, like, Charlie's book tour was in the middle of it, so it was like, a lot. And I will say to her credit, Candace actually wound up saying okay to that, though. They. The. The live stream idea died, and they wound up deciding that they would just meet the two of them, since they weren't going to put this out on the airwaves for public consumption, which was fine with me. And I thought that was a good idea. And look, I mean, it's up to them to talk about, you know, what did and did not happen there. But my. The initial impression, I think it's fair to say, from both women was that it went well and that it ended in a much better place than where it started. Now, will that hold what's more fragile, the Gaza peace, fire or this situation? I know Eric is not going to do anything. The question is, where's Candace going to take it? And I've seen what she's doing this week. I really don't know. My only goal all along has been to try not to take sides in, not the turning point thing, but in the Israel battle that's happening in the conservative movement, such that I can make room for people who are upset with Israel and not fans of Israel's behavior and still, you know, have room for the people who are ardently pro Israel, as I have been, as Charlie was for all those years. And then that morph, like, it started off like an insistence that I condemn the people who are anti Israel into an insistence that I condemn every single iteration of what they were saying forevermore. And then it felt too BLM for me, and I was like, I'm out.

[Andrew]

It reminds me of what Russell Brand said from stage where he was just like, I'm so against, like, authority. Like, I have to rage against it. And it was like, there is a thing, you know, Tucker's kind of like that too. When you tell Tucker he can't talk about something, he's going to talk about it. Like, do. If you want him to talk about it, just do the reverse psychology with Tucker. You cannot talk about UFOs. And then the guy's gonna just go all in on UFOs for like a year and a half.

[Blake]

That was Charlie, too, where people would say, don't have Tucker at the event. And I remember him saying, I might have to invite him twice now.

[Andrew]

He just got two speeches. Yeah, we're gonna do two speeches.

[Blake]

And it was just.

[Megyn Kelly]

He.

[Blake]

It was what he said he hated moral blackmail.

[Megyn Kelly]

Yes.

[Blake]

If you wanna make the argument that he's wrong, he'd listen to that. But that argument of, you should feel strong armed into not associating with him. He just despised that.

[Megyn Kelly]

No, it's like, it's not enough that you're not a critic. Like, you're not. Okay, so somebody like a Ben Shapiro doesn't like the critics of Israel or whatever his latest point is. Now he's trying to say it's all about Erica, but it's about Israel. So he doesn't like the people who are critics of Israel. But then he also wants to condemn and excommunicate people who aren't critics of the critics. They also need to go. So who will be standing when Ben is done with us? Truly? Like who? It'll be Ben and Bari Weiss. It'll be great.

[Andrew]

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[Charlie Kirk]

Each episode will make you recognize the power of your faith and how God can use your life to impact our world today. The Culture and Christianity podcast is informative and encouraging. You could find it on YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes. Alan Jackson Ministries is working hard to bring biblical truth back into our culture. You can find out more about Pastor Alan and the [e-mail]. charlie.

[Andrew]

I did notice a tweet that you put out about an hour and a half ago whenever people watch this, so I don't know when that will be, but were you talking about something that. And I said this backstage. I was like, that is exactly what Charlie would have said. And. And you said something about, you know, friends should pick up the phone and call you if they have a problem instead of sneak attack. And I didn't know exactly who you were directing that at, if it was Ben or Barry or both. You want me to read it?

[Megyn Kelly]

Both.

[Andrew]

Okay, fine.

[Megyn Kelly]

Yeah.

[Blake]

We got only cowards take to the national stage or X to attack their friends without so much as a phone call to discuss it. And also didn't tag me because she is afraid. Laughing emoji. Laughing emoji. Laughing emoji.

[Megyn Kelly]

I was retweeting a. A tweet by Barry Weiss which reads.

[Blake]

Oh, I can get that too.

[Megyn Kelly]

Yeah, it's attached.

[Blake]

It was, Barry said, only cowards tolerate conspiracy theorists. Ben Shapiro delivered a barn burner tonight at TP usa. Read the whole thing in the Free Press, and I think it's just a link to his address.

[Megyn Kelly]

Okay, so let me just tell you something. Bari Weiss, over the past five years, has been like a good friend of mine. I have advised her in her many legal battles she's had. I have advised her on her failed nonprofit that she tried. I have constantly been there to help her through any sort of tumultuous thing that came her way. We've had drinks together. Like, I know Bari Weiss. Ben Shapiro has been coming on my show since 2011. Nobody knew who he was. I literally helped make Ben Shapiro's name for him. So I have a lot of very positive experiences in the well with both of these folks. And they know that I've been very pro Israel. So. What in the actual.

[Andrew]

11 year olds. 11 year olds. Good job.

[Megyn Kelly]

I've been censoring. I know. Charlie doesn't. No.

[Andrew]

You know, Charlie used to always say that. He would say. He'd say, I always remember there's 11 year olds listening. And I love that. It's such a guiding light for me. No, but yes. Keep it.

[Megyn Kelly]

So, yeah, So I very much felt like, this is so out of line. This is so uncalled for. Who wouldn't call me? These guys, they actually know me. I'm in both of their cell phones. They have my number. Who wouldn't Just call me up and say, is there something else going on here that I need to know? Right. Like, what's going on? Nope. It's more fun to go out on the stage and call a dear friend and Ben couch it with, oh, she's a friend. With friends like that and call them a coward. Okay. Take it up with Erica.

[Andrew]

You know, I did this earlier. I'm not going to do it again. I asked the audience, you know, did you appreciate the Ben Shapiro approach? And about half the hands went up. And I said, do you appreciate the Tucker approach? About half the hands went up.

[Blake]

Sometimes the same hand.

[Andrew]

Yeah, it was like this. Yeah. What are these? It is very interesting when you look at the divisions on the right, you know, and that's why I started this conversation by praising that you were trying to be a peacemaker, that you were trying to hold your fire and you were actually trying to do the right thing, where you. You were strategically doing something which people interpreted as cowardice. You were actually playing a long game to help bring peace to a situation that was pretty volatile. And that's why I want people to know that why you did what you did, why I did not personally take offense, why I was, you know, all that thing, all those things. And. But the divisions are, are real. And they do tend to come down along this. A lot of this is the Israel. It's the neocon. It's the Israel issue. And, you know, it's funny, I got a press inquiry going about that. We just celebrated one of the hostages on stage, and they were at the. The music festival, 505 days in captivity. They're like, well, with all the Israel stuff, you know, and I was like, wait, are you conflating a foreign policy debate with whether or not it's okay for somebody to be held hostage for 505 days? Why, why have we lost our ever loving minds about something that's a leftist statement.

[Megyn Kelly]

The leftists refused to celebrate when Trump got the hostages out. It was like those emotional videos of the hostages being released. Like, if you can't celebrate that, you've lost your grip on humanity. But there's no question Israel is dividing the conservative movement right now. And may I just say, for the record, I strongly object.

[Andrew]

Yes.

[Megyn Kelly]

I'm sorry. But you may say it's deeply wrong that we would ever divide America over a foreign country. I do think there is a contingent within the pro Israeli group that is Israel First. They really are. They're proving it every day. And, you know, this is some of what I'm going to talk about tonight, but I don't see it that way at all. I'm not. The people who are my enemy are the people who shot Charlie Kirk. It's the people who want all of us dead because we're at a Turning Point convention. It is not someone who doesn't like Israel or Bibi Netanyahu or even somebody who has some negative associations with not Jewish people writ large, but with the Jewish activists who are a bunch of bullies. I understand the criticism against them because I've been on the receiving end of it. Notwithstanding the fact that I've never said one word against Israel, not one word. It's my failure to condemn as if I am mother of the Internet. I mean, it's ridiculous. So I really think these. The pro Israel advocates, like, the most loud and outspoken ones, are the ones who are tearing the movement apart.

[Andrew]

Yeah. It was interesting because there was a lot made after Charlie was assassinated about the meeting in the Hamptons. Like, it became this, like, oh, it all went down at the Hamptons, and that's why Charlie's dead. And, you know, it's funny, I talked to Charlie, and he was like, I was kind of boring, whatever. And I talked to all the team. Nothing like, exceptional, really. That exceptional happened, at least in Charlie's mind. And I asked him, I was like, what was the whole point of the Hampton scene? He was like, oh, it was an intervention. I was like, for them on you or you on them? He's like, oh, yeah, for me on them. I needed to tell, like, my Jewish friends, like, they're. They're causing more damage than they are good. And they're driving people away. And I. And you know, and then another thing that went viral was you and Charlie's conversation on your show right after that. Yeah. Where he was just, like, so annoyed at the moral blackmailing. And it's like, we are. We are your friends. You know, you don't.

[Megyn Kelly]

He found it repulsive.

[Andrew]

Yeah, he did.

[Megyn Kelly]

That's a strong word.

[Andrew]

And I. And, you know, and I try and have a sensitivity for it, and I sympathize with it because, you know, just like you, I have been pro Israel my whole life. I've never really even questioned it. You know, I like them better than the other guys, you know, like, as an American, I mean, you know, we have similar enemies. You know, I love the Holy Land. I love, like, that my Lord and Savior walked there, you know, and that they are good stewards of a lot of those holy sites. But, you know, when you get To a point where you're like your friend, your, your friends have gone through this traumatic situation October 7th. You try and have sympathy for that and understand that it's been a traumatic experience, but, you know, we have to find a way through here, a third way through. And I think that's what Charlie was doing. He was trying to fight for a larger conversation that more people could feel a part of.

[Megyn Kelly]

Both of us were. And that's why when he came on that show, you and I have talked about this many times, but when he came on my show on August 6, which was post the intervention, we were not planning on discussing Israel. I'm trying to get my exact timing right, because he came on once a month. So I think that was the August 6th one. We were not planning on discussing Israel at all. I just knew, I knew from seeing him at the Student Action Summit where we had a backstage exchange, that he had had it. And I was feeling the same. I was like, this is very annoying. I had said almost nothing about Israel. Literally. I'd gone on Piers Morgan and said, I think it's time to wrap it up for them because their approval rating is plummeting. Like the popularity of Israel and Netanyahu in America. They've already lost the liberals, they've lost independence. They're starting to lose Republicans, especially the young people, which is who Charlie spent his life surrounded by. So he knew too. And for that, the brigade turned and they were very, very angry that I said at the Steven National Summit that Epstein, if he was being controlled by anybody, any sort of foreign intelligence service, it was probably Mossad. Anti Semite. That's an anti Semitic, literally. Benjamin Netanyahu just sent out a tweet saying that within the past 20 days, is he anti Semitic? So it's like both of us were feeling, this is insane. Like, if they'll do this to two ardent advocates who have been on their side openly and avowedly for two years now, since 10, 7, not to mention before that, then they'll do this to anybody. And it really did cause me to start looking harder at some of the claims that they've been throwing out of anti Semitic. And to your point, Andrew, I'm going to say something else. And this is their fault. This is their fault. I've also been somebody who's knee jerk supported Israel my whole life. And then I got to Fox and you had to. It was not a question like, you must support Israel. Which was fine because that was my natural inclination anyway. But it's only now that I'M starting to reevaluate. Do I support Israel? Like, what is it about Israel that I support? Why have I been so knee jerk defensive of them? Is there another side to consider? Have I been intolerant of people who have a different argument on this? And do I need to do some soul searching on my certainty about what white hat warriors they are? And I'm telling you, it is not Hamas or the Palestinian protesters on Columbia campus who got me to start thinking that way. It is the bullies who are trying to censor speech on our side about this issue.

[Andrew]

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[Blake]

And it really is something about it being used as a weapon because I remember one that was very upsetting to Charlie. It was in 23, remember where he just. Charlie speculated, did they have reason that they should have caught the attack on.

[Andrew]

He went on Patrick David's podcast and speculated.

[Blake]

He just speculated.

[Megyn Kelly]

He was like, he didn't say it was an inside job, but he was like they're so good. Yeah.

[Blake]

Someone that, yeah, like how did this happen? They need to find it out. Or did someone, you know, downplay it or ignore something and he gets denounced as an anti Semite by someone in one of those op eds. And it was, I strongly suspect that that attack, it was someone who already just didn't like Turning Point. They didn't like Charlie's position on the rnc.

[Andrew]

They didn't three of them that did it yes. And their names will not be mentioned because it's not worth.

[Blake]

Yeah, it's not worth it. But they just saw this as some sort of opportunity to attack Charlie. And to use an attack that severe in such a cynical way was very reckless.

[Megyn Kelly]

Without looking at all Charlie's prior history of supporting Israel, going to Israel and so on.

[Andrew]

Well, and we had Young Jewish Leadership summits. We sent students to Israel to experience the Holy Land. Mostly Christians, by the way. And then what happened is this is how these lies get laundered. So these tweets go out in 2023, 2024, at the RNC there, you know, these New York Times journalists have to pump out like six stories a day. Eight. And when they're used to doing like one a week, Right. So they're not doing their normal fact checking. The New York Times, it was a Jewish writer out of Chicago. Forget his name, actually, off the top of my head. But he puts out like a headline, maybe 450 words story. Charlie Kirk, long known to have anti Semitic whatever, is speaking at the rnc. One of Israel's biggest supporters is labeled in the New York Times as an anti Semite. Then what happens? Charlie gets up to the stage at the rnc, starts giving his address. It's a huge moment for Charlie and cnn. Jake Tapper, they cut away from Charlie's speech and Jake Tapper goes, well, puts out the New York Times article and goes, Charlie's long had a reputation and a history of vile anti Semitism. And it's like, all fake. It's all fake. And I'm on the phone going, like, what? You know, and I'm. My job is to, like, yell at the reporter and like, you know, Dennis Prager and actually Mark Levin, God bless them both. They, they. I forced the New York Times to basically take their quotes and say, this is BS and garbage. But the damage was done from three. Three bad faith tweets to his 2024 RNC speech. And all of a sudden he's labeled as this. And he's like, what does a guy got to do to not be just like, you know, you know, labeled with the scarlet letter here?

[Megyn Kelly]

Yeah, no, it's the anatomy of a smear. Yes, but I, like, look, I sound so trite, but truly, almost all of my closest friends are Jewish. Just so. I mean, I've been living on the Upper west side of Manhattan for the past 10 years. And I really believe that there is a serious objection, even amongst a lot of Jewish Americans to. To the bullies. Because you could write an article like this, that's the. That's what you just told us, is the anatomy of a smear. But you could. You could write a similar article that. The making of an anti Semite. That would start with these bullies trying to censor, harass, misrepresent, strong arm. This is no way to get people over to your side. It is blm, and they really need to listen to me because I have an unblemished record on support for Israel. I do. Not to mention American Jews, of whom I was extremely defensive. I wanted all those guys deported at Brown and Colombia. All these people who are visa holders out there protesting. Globalize. The Intifada. Get out. Get out. We don't want anti Semites here. But they need to look internally. These bullies who are running this coalition.

[Andrew]

It's the black square from blm. You're right. If you didn't post it, then you're a racist. And there is an element of that with the identity politics of it all when we're discussing Israel.

[Megyn Kelly]

I mean, you remember Charlie's tweet that you put out? Not his tweet. Your internal message, the one that you gave to the FBI.

[Andrew]

Oh, okay. Well, we're going there.

[Megyn Kelly]

But it said in there.

[Andrew]

What do you mean? I have no idea.

[Megyn Kelly]

I'm not revealing anything. Andrew already revealed this a while ago. But it said something like. And look, it wasn't perfectly phrased, but it said something like, these Jewish donors are behaving like, so according to stereotype or something like that.

[Andrew]

Yeah.

[Megyn Kelly]

Which I know that's not polite. He was loosely talking, by the way.

[Andrew]

This is too private.

[Blake]

It's a private conversation.

[Megyn Kelly]

But I know what he was trying to say. He was like, you're doing the thing that people stereotype you for doing that most of us defend you against. To me, that's what he was saying.

[Andrew]

Well, and there was a larger conversation that, you know, Charlie was toying with this idea of, like, maybe. Maybe we just. We're defending Western civilization. You get to be a part of that. That was kind of one of the ideas we were throwing out. But, you know, the. The issue was, you know, Charlie is not Jewish, and he would go to some of these campuses and, you know, you're wrestling with young people over these ideologies and these ideas. And he would get 50 to 60% of his questions at some campuses on this one issue, he made Blake read, like, 48 books about Israel just to, like, arm, like, with fat.

[Megyn Kelly]

Like, you're basically Jared Kushner now.

[Blake]

That's what we were doing the night before was we were. We were war planning, if you get all these questions about it, because we just knew it could be an absolute bombardment on that.

[Megyn Kelly]

Were you seeing young conservatives start to ask more questions?

[Andrew]

Oh, that's all it was. That was 50 to 60% of the questions.

[Blake]

So sometimes it was, it was really big. I just remember very shortly after I started with Charlie, I was telling him, because he'd already had that. The griper experience in 2019 where they. With spamming, but I think he had compartmentalized that. And shortly after I started, I was telling him, charlie, this is going to be coming. There's going to be a huge wave of more anti overt antisemitism on the right among young people. Because that's just. That's clearly what the trend is headed towards. And he took that to heart. I saw him bring that up in conversations with people and he was trying to give them a heads up. And that's what would cause a lot of this anger, is he would come to them in love and say, guys, you have a huge problem coming and you need to adjust your strategy or you're going to be caught really badly off guard. And unfortunately, I think a lot of them didn't take that advice. And we're seeing his warning come to pass.

[Megyn Kelly]

Totally.

[Andrew]

Good conversation is about showing respect. It's how we create a space where people are able to share their ideas and to be heard. Charlie knew that TikTok has always strived to build that kind of place that thrives on respectful connection, where curiosity fuels connection and we can share what's on our minds and learn from each other. When ideas meet respect, good things happen. On TikTok, you can find a mechanic explaining the why behind a problem most of us wouldn't even know how to name. Or a father sharing a lifetime of knowledge with his viewers. Viewers who listen, Discuss and respond. TikTok turns connection into community through small acts of understanding. You can feel it in the comments, in the thank you from a stranger halfway across the world. TikTok is a place where respect opens the door for discussion and discussion helps us build something real.

[Charlie Kirk]

Portions of our program are sponsored in part by TikTok.

[Andrew]

Should we take a few questions? I love this conversation, but I would love to. Do we have a microphone?

[Blake]

Let's get a few.

[Andrew]

And Daisy, you're gonna tell me when we need to wrap her because she's got to get to. What's that? Oh, you did? Yeah, let's.

[Blake]

We don't have too many so let's just let. Let's just let him get it to Megan, and hopefully we can get through 2, 3.

[Andrew]

First question for Megan, please. Over here.

[Megyn Kelly]

When all your friends and people you work with are fighting with each other, do you. When you. And you stay out of it, but you also stand for what's right, what is some advice that you have for a young girl to do the exact same thing? Oh, that's sweet. Thank you for asking that. I mean, I think you can. And what I've tried to do from the beginning on this, I think you can show empathy for both sides in their positions. And, you know, in the case of the Israel divide, that was kind of easy for me because I knew. I knew people on both sides, like Glenn Greenwald and Ben Shapiro are diametrically opposed on this issue and have been for a long time.

[Andrew]

Both Jewish.

[Megyn Kelly]

Both Jewish. And they both come on my show regularly for years. So I know them very well. And so I could listen to Glenn talk about Israel in a way that I didn't really agree with at all. But he's so smart that I. And I love him. He would educate me. You know, I'd learned some things about Israel. I was like, oh, that's actually not great. Okay, that's good to know. And then I talked to Ben, and he'd have good defenses on these things, and we'd go back and forth, but. So I think you have to make space. I'm sorry, I hate that phrase for both sides. It's very Hoda Copy.

[Andrew]

But she didn't say safe space.

[Megyn Kelly]

No, exactly. They're all bad. Anyway. Show some empathy. Like, actually try to listen to the friends about their grievances. And it doesn't have to be. It doesn't. That's not talking about the other friends behind their back. That's you really trying to understand what the grievances are. And I generally am of the feeling that when you're talking to people, even if it's people you oppose ideologically or what have you, if you can give them a couple of points, you're going to advance the conversation, they're going to like you more, they're going to trust you more, and you can make inroads with them better, as opposed to just being like, well, I disagree. Well, you did the. You cheated with her boyfriend. You're terrible. Like, maybe it's more like, why? Why would you do that? Like, what was it?

[Charlie Kirk]

What.

[Megyn Kelly]

What made you, you know, like, inquisitive without judgment, I think is the way to handle it. Love yeah, yeah, love, thank you.

[Ashley]

I had a second question or a question. So I have a friend that I go to college with. He's been, you know, he's very involved. He's a geopolitician, you know, but he's also a liberal. He has been criticizing me for my support of Israel and he's been bringing up history lessons such as the USS Liberty, USS Liberty, I believe, attack that happened, and told him, like, why are we supporting Israel? Literally they're trying to take out Iran and then including with, trying to control Gaza and trying to, and you know, their attack back on Gaza after what God sure, Hamas did to Israel. And I told him, you know, I disagreed with him, but then all of a sudden how can I, you know, and we can have civil conversation, but when it comes to, when it, when it comes to trying to criticize Israel or try to like be soft on the issue, but then when it comes to Hamas, like he tries to justify, not justify it, but like be light about it.

[Megyn Kelly]

You should go read the Hamas charter and your argument is going to get a lot better. Yeah, I think you should do what we used to do in the law, which is the best way to argue your side is to prepare the other sides first. Like go, go study what it is about the anti Israel side that, that he's attracted to, that you think is powerful when he makes points. Learn it, understand it, and then go back and study the pro Israel side and you'll be much better equipped to have these arguments and maybe you'll change your mind somewhat too. That's fine too. But honestly, you have to be very careful about the media on Israel because there are manipulations both ways. It's very heavy propaganda game here. I trust real clear politics. I go there every morning and they'll have op EDS from both the left and the right, including on Israel. And that's one place that won't corrupt your beautiful mind. So maybe start there.

[Andrew]

Yeah, but he's raising a good point about the moral inconsistencies that are applied to Hamas vs Israel. Israel is definitely held to a much higher standard, I would say, than Hamas. And that's because specifically on the left, because they look at the world through an oppressor, oppressed lens. And so if they qualify you as the oppressed, then basically you can do whatever you want and you're not guilty of anything.

[Megyn Kelly]

That's right. Hi, Megan, my name's Ashley and I just want to thank you for being here. I have a quick question. What cultural issue do you think conservatives should Be talking about more, but we just aren't. Well, I hate to say it, given what's happening this week, but. Pot, marijuana, Amen. I really do. I think, like this. I'm totally against, like, making it more accessible, and I understand Trump is trying to make it allegedly more. More accessible for people who need it for medical purposes, but today's pot is not the pot that we grew up with back in the 80s. Though I've never tried pot. Do you believe it? Yeah. Never tried a drug of any kind other than alcohol. There we go.

[Blake]

Neither the body nor the mind.

[Andrew]

Yeah, listen, it was. No, actually, I was in Nevada.

[Megyn Kelly]

Tell us everything.

[Andrew]

What'd you do? No, I was on a basketball party, one of those again. And. And totally, I went total paranoid. Yeah, I hated it.

[Megyn Kelly]

Oh, that doesn't sound.

[Andrew]

Oh, it was terrible. Terrible experience.

[Megyn Kelly]

Well, that was. Marijuana is like going to. It's already posing a serious problem. And we. One of the things we're seeing in these mass shootings is marijuana comes up over and over, and it comes up. You probably haven't even heard that because it's like a footnote to the reporting. Nobody's, like, giving that credence as possibly one of the factors playing in. And they should just read Alex Berenson and what's in today's marijuana.

[Andrew]

He was here today debating why he's against weed. And actually, anytime this debate would come up, we'd bring Alex Berenson on.

[Megyn Kelly]

He's phenomenal on this issue, as always. Turning Point is ahead of the curve. They're on it for you. But, yeah, that would be my answer.

[Andrew]

Yeah. No, and by the way, even with the story with Tyler Robinson and Lance Twiggs, assassin of Charlie, Alleged. I guess I don't know if I'm legally supposed to say that or whatever, he did it, but the point is, you know, they were just sitting around an apartment, like, vaping thc, just constantly, just. And so you imagine how the potency of it and the psych. What do you call it? The psychosis. Yeah. Psychotropic effects of THC and that high dosages. I mean. And if you're young and you're using a lot of pot and a lot of weed, it can really impact the rest of your life. It can really lead to some very terrible things. So I love that answer.

[Megyn Kelly]

Look at those videos of that Ascension school shooter. The most disturbing things I saw this year.

[Blake]

Oh, those are awful.

[Megyn Kelly]

Awful. You know this school in Minneapolis where this shooter killed children going to their. Their Christian school and into the church and he's showing all. All these demons in his photos. He sees himself as a demon, like.

[Blake]

Giggling to himself and everyone.

[Megyn Kelly]

He's smoking weed. In every video, he's smoking weed. And it's like no one. No one talked about it. Like, okay, it's supposed to. Supposed to pretend it's just like a. Like half a glass of Chablis, which it's not.

[Andrew]

I mean, I'm a. I'm a complete believer that when you use hard drugs, or maybe just a lot of thc, which is a hard drug, actually, when it's at those dosages, that it's a highway to hell, that it opens you up to dark forces because you lose control of the things that God gave you to control your mind and your heart and to keep bad things out.

[Megyn Kelly]

Can I just add one other thing? The guy who started the psychedelics clinic at Johns Hopkins University and was the godfather of psychedelics, all this, the MDNA and all the stuff that people take, ketamine, he told me in an interview we did that if there's any history of schizophrenia in your family, any. And it can go way back and we don't know. And you go in, even in a controlled setting, which he said is the only way you should ever do one of those drugs. Some people do it for cancer, depression. There are good reasons to try it. You can have a psychotic break from which you never return. Yeah, you never return. It's very dangerous what these people are playing with. And that Lance Twigs, like, I think that one of the reports was that he had mushrooms in there.

[Andrew]

Lsd, black market, hrt, hormone replacement therapy. The guy was. Yeah.

[Megyn Kelly]

All of that must be looked into.

[Andrew]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, this was uplifting. Megyn Kelly. Give it up for Megyn Kelly, everybody.

[Megyn Kelly]

Thank you. Thanks for having me. Thank you for having me.

[Charlie Kirk]

For more on many of these stories.

[Andrew]

And news you can Trust, go to charliekirk.com.