The Megyn Kelly Show

Episode: Arrested For Posts, Epstein Victims Speak, and Sick Trump Health Reactions
Host: Megyn Kelly (with Batya Ungar-Sargon & Greg Lukianoff)
Date: September 3, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores several controversial and timely topics:

• The arrest of British comedy writer Graham Linehan for "mean tweets" and the international implications for free speech.
• The latest updates on the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, including statements from alleged victims and debates over the release of associate names.
• The spectacle of left-wing conspiracy theories about Donald Trump’s health and reflections on deteriorating public discourse.
• Broader cultural themes about compelled speech, campus free speech, and the direction of Western liberal democracies.

Joining Megyn Kelly are Batya Ungar-Sargon (News Nation host) and Greg Lukianoff (president/CEO of FIRE).

1. Free Speech Under Siege: The Graham Linehan Arrest

Context ([00:34]-[08:03])

• Megyn starts by covering the high-profile arrest of Graham Linehan, a celebrated British comedy writer, at Heathrow Airport by five armed officers.
• His crime: sending three tweets critical of trans activism. Linehan claimed a legal gag order now prevents him from discussing the case.
• Discussion highlights that the UK’s increasingly strict speech laws, and similar trends in the EU and Canada, threaten American free speech via legal and commercial entanglements.

Notable Quotations & Moments

• Batya Ungar-Sargon ([08:04]):
  “Literally, all Graham did was send out three tweets. …That just got him arrested for offensive speech in the UK.”

• Greg Lukianoff ([09:23]):
  “America at this point is truly alone in protecting free speech as passionately as we do. …About 12,000 people have been arrested this year [in the UK] alone. …We’re talking about a genuine free speech crisis.”

• Key Tweets Linehan Was Arrested For ([08:04]):

  1. “A photo you can smell” (caption under a trans rally photo).
  2. “I hate them. Misogynists and homophobes. F them.”
  3. “If a trans identified male is in a female only space...if all else fails, punch him in the balls.”

• Megyn Kelly ([12:50]):
  “That [tweet] wouldn’t even come close to being censorable speech here in America.”

• Discussion:
  The panel cites 60 Minutes and coverage of Germany, where people are being arrested for minor political insults.

Broader Implications

• The EU’s Digital Services Act effectively imports European speech codes to US social media platforms ([16:59]). Platforms like X (Twitter) and Facebook can be compelled by European regulators to silence speech—such as gender-critical statements—that would be protected in the US.

• Greg Lukianoff ([18:42]):
  Explains the risk: American companies and users could be hobbled by non-US censorship, and FIRE is searching for legal avenues to resist.

2. Trans Activism and Compelled Speech Culture

Malcolm Gladwell’s Admission ([27:39]-[32:38])

• Malcolm Gladwell, once aligned with mainstream progressive thought on the trans sports issue, now regrets not challenging trans activist orthodoxy.

• He concedes that the demand isn't for tolerance but “for no one to question the considerable physiological advantage they bring to the sport…”
  – Gladwell ([29:04])

• Greg Lukianoff ([31:02]):
  “There was so much pressure around this issue… people were just terrified of the trans rights activists, but then started rationalizing why they agreed with them and why they weren't actually being cowed.”

Advice on Compelled Speech ([33:31])

• Greg Lukianoff:
  “If someone’s saying you have to say something you do not believe is true… that’s compelled speech. Compelled speech is worse than telling someone what they can’t say; it’s totalitarian.”

• Discusses resistance strategies for students and parents in the face of “pronoun games” and required ideological disclosures in schools.

• Batya Ungar-Sargon ([34:16]):
  Shares frustration with mandatory pronoun forms: “It’s an all girls school. They all have the same damn pronouns. Stop asking this.”

3. Jeffrey Epstein Case: Victim Testimonies, New List, and Political Maneuvering

Developments ([39:51]-[45:11])

• House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed the DOJ for Epstein documents but most say these are underwhelming, possibly a “fig leaf.”

• A separate, bipartisan effort led by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna seeks more transparency.

• At a new press conference, survivor Lisa Phillips announced the creation of a victim-led list of names detailing those in Epstein’s orbit.

• Lisa Phillips ([41:46]):
  “Several of us Epstein survivors have been discussing creating our own list of names. We know the names. Many of us were abused by them. Now together as survivors, we will confidentially compile the names.”

• Greg Lukianoff ([42:41]):
  “The lawyer seemed to dispel the myth that there was a big pedophile ring… Epstein personally abused all of these women for his personal gratification… when they reached a certain age, he farmed some out to friends.”

Key Debate

• Batya and Greg argue about reputational damage for those falsely implicated, using Alan Dershowitz as an example (Greg: reputations are never the same; Batya: left only cared after he defended Trump).

• Both agree that the “barely legal” focus, rather than pedophilia, characterizes most of Epstein’s abuse, but Batya cautions not to minimize the criminality or moral horror.

• Trump’s Reaction ([47:34]):
  “It’s really a Democrat hoax because they’re trying to get people to talk about something that’s totally irrelevant to the success that we’ve had as a nation since I’ve been president.”

4. Left-Wing Fantasies about Trump’s Health

The Weekend Death Watch ([54:30]-[66:01])

• After Trump wasn’t seen in public for several days, prominent leftists openly speculated he was dead.

• Megyn Kelly ([54:30]):
  “The fervor for this man's death was in full flower over the weekend.”

• Greg Lukianoff ([57:24]):
  “Think of what they're telling on themselves… if you go for 12 hours without seeing him, he might be dead. …The real reason they wish he was dead is because they cannot compete against him.”

• Batya Ungar-Sargon ([58:47]):
  “That’s their only way out, is to hope for an early demise, which is just so vile. Disgusting.”

• White House exchange:
  Trump himself jokes with Peter Doocy about the rumor, calling it “fake news” ([65:01]).

5. Rising American Pessimism & Social Mobility

Stark Poll Results ([68:55]-[74:46])

• Wall Street Journal poll: Only 25% believe they can improve their standard of living; 78% lack confidence their children will be better off.
• Batya links this to home ownership and lack of well-paying jobs.
• Greg ([70:53]):
  “For a long time the American Dream became basically a privilege for the college educated. … Now, a lot of white collar jobs are being destroyed by AI, and these [college-educated] people are unbelievably resentful.”

The Lisa Cook Fraud Case

• Fed board member Lisa Cook allegedly falsified documents to buy multiple homes as “primary residences”—while overseeing policies (i.e., high interest rates) making home ownership less accessible for regular Americans ([73:03]-[78:02]).
• Batya ([74:50]):
  “She gets in a position where she could do something about [housing] and she pulls up the ladder behind her. Like f all of you… I’m in the first class cabin, don’t touch my bathroom.”

6. Trump’s War on Crime and Drug Cartels

Drug Cartel Boat Bombing ([78:23]-[89:01])

• Trump authorized a strike on a Venezuelan narco-boat, publicizing video of it being blown up.

• The left decried this as a “summary execution” and “murder,” with prominent progressives questioning the tactics.

• Megyn Kelly ([84:21]):
  “Yes, the answer to your question, does drug trafficking warrant death? The answer is yes, yes, it does… They were here to poison our children.”

• Video & segment referencing the personal story of Eric Bolling, whose son died from fentanyl poisoning ([82:57])—showcasing the human toll and the rationale behind such forceful interdictions.

7. Trump’s Law & Order Agenda: Urban Crime

Chicago Crime and Federal Intervention ([93:20]-[102:46])

• Trump saber-rattles about using federal power to tackle violent crime in Democrat-run cities, especially Chicago.

• J.B. Pritzker (IL Governor) resists, calling Chicago safe except for “big cities have crime,” while 58 people were shot over a recent holiday weekend ([94:31]).

• Batya ([98:00]):
  “He didn't finish the sentence to go into Chicago without the support of the local politicians… is not constitutionally permissible. …I think that's what he's saying, that he's going to send the help to cities and states that want it.”

• Greg ([98:38]):
  “My heart really breaks for specifically the black citizens of Chicago, who make up 80% of the homicide victims…it's appalling…The city is not safe for the most vulnerable residents.”

• Closing Thoughts:
  Strong critique of progressive policymakers, defending Trump’s approach as driven by concern for ordinary Americans.

Memorable Quotes (w/Timestamps)

• Greg Lukianoff ([09:23]):
  “America at this point is truly alone in protecting free speech as passionately as we do. And thank goodness we have the First Amendment because of course, the unfree world is a nightmare.”

• Batya Ungar-Sargon ([58:47]):
  “This is what defeat looks like.”

• Megyn Kelly ([84:21]):
  “They were here to poison our children. …The answer is yes, [drug trafficking] warrants death.”

• Greg Lukianoff ([98:38]):
  “There is a crime apartheid in Chicago, driven by the false pieties and disgusting leaders like JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson.”

Conclusion

This episode offers a bracing, unapologetic defense of American free speech and critiques of progressive dogma on speech, immigration, crime, and economic policy. The hosts and guests highlight the difference in attitudes and outcomes on both sides of the Atlantic, warn about foreign censorship bleeding into US law, and frame current leftist reactions to Trump as evidence of deeper dysfunction and defeat.

Note:
Timestamps are approximate and provided for major segments and quotes. Advertising, intro, and outro material have been excluded.
Language has been preserved to reflect the original voices and tone.