Bill Gates' Shocking Climate Change Shift, Autopen Report Drops, Trump Files Appeal: AM Update 10/29

Summary

The Megyn Kelly Show – AM Update 10/29/2025

Episode Theme:
A sharp dive into major current political developments: Bill Gates’ surprising shift on climate change messaging; the explosive House Oversight Committee "autopen" report scrutinizing Biden White House document authentication and presidential fitness; early signals from the 2028 Democratic Primary; and Donald Trump’s appeal following his New York felony conviction.

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Bill Gates’ Climate Change Pivot

Main Focus: Gates, long a high-profile climate doomsayer, repositions his rhetoric: climate change as serious, but not a civilization-ending catastrophe, calling for more focus on poverty, disease, and innovation—not just emission control.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Gates’ Memo:

  • Gates acknowledges a prevalent “doomsday view of climate change,” expressed by public figures including himself, Al Gore, Greta Thunberg, and Barack Obama ([01:18]).
  • “There's a doomsday view of climate change that goes like this. In a few decades, cataclysmic climate change will decimate civilization... Nothing matters more than limiting the rise in temperature. Yes, Bill, wherever did people get those doomsday views from? Oh, wait, it was from you.” – Megyn Kelly ([01:42])
  • Past Gates quote: “So certainly by the end of the century, you'll have permanent die offs of all these coral ecosystems, no beach you ever went to be around.” ([02:49])
  • He now admits: “[This] view is wrong. Although climate change will have serious consequences... it will not lead to humanity’s demise.” – Megyn Kelly summarizing Gates ([03:42])
  • Gates prioritizes overall human welfare, suggesting poverty and disease represent greater immediate threats to most people than climate ([04:00]).

• On Achievability of Climate Targets:

  • Gates argues the Paris Accord 1.5°C limit is unrealistic:
    “The one thing about that accord that you know, turned out not to be realistic was the ambitious goal of staying to 1.5 degrees. We won't be able to do that. Even if you took all the money away from health, you wouldn't be able to do that.” ([04:45])
  • Suggests that innovation and adaptation are key, calls wind and solar “not ready for primetime” ([05:42]).

• Reactions & Pushback:

  • Climate scientist Michael Mann on MSNBC:
    “Frankly, Bill Gates doesn’t have any expertise in climate science and he’s failing to listen to what the experts actually have to say... when Bill Gates says we’ll just try to engineer our way out of it…it’s really tone deaf to the fact that there are a very large number of people who will suffer catastrophic consequences if we continue to allow the planet to warm up.” ([06:08])

• Political Context:

  • Kelly references Gates’ presence at a Trump White House event, implying broader political forces may be influencing this rhetorical shift ([06:33]).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Megyn Kelly on Gates’ sudden change:
  “Someone check on AOC immediately ahead of the upcoming climate summit next month in Brazil. Gates attempting to completely shift the global conversation around the left's pet issue.” ([03:42])
• Bill Gates on priorities:
  “Wasn't the goal here to improve human lives?...Should we get them a measles vaccine or should we do some climate related activity?...If we stop putting all vaccines and that, you know, saved you 0.1 degree, would that be a smart trade off?” ([05:20])

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House Oversight Committee Auto Pen Report

Main Focus: Revelations that the Biden White House repeatedly used a mechanical autopen for executive actions, calling the authenticity and legitimacy of those actions into question and spotlighting concerns about President Biden’s cognitive state.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Report Findings:

  • Staff “abused the autopen and a lax chain of command policy”; executive actions lacked proper, traceable documentation of Biden’s direct approval ([07:13]).
  • Declared “the committee deems void all executive actions signed by the autopen without proper...approval traceable to the President's own consent.” ([07:32])
  • Committee calls for DOJ review and investigation of aides pleading the Fifth.

• Biden Advisors & Aides:

  • Personal physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor labeled “central to the scheme to obfuscate the truth about the President’s true cognitive state.”
    • Dr. O'Connor pleads the Fifth:
      “The advice of counsel, I must respectfully decline to answer based upon physician patient privilege and in reliance on my right under the fifth amendment…” ([08:41])
  • Senior Biden aides, including Anita Dunn, agreed Biden should not take a cognitive exam ([08:53]).
  • Report details O’Connor’s longstanding personal/financial links to the Bidens, including a $200,000 transfer pattern between James Biden and Joe Biden ([09:23]).

• Administration Response:

  • Biden spokesperson: “This investigation into baseless claims has confirmed...President Biden made the decisions of his presidency. There was no conspiracy, no cover up and no wrongdoing.” ([10:19])

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Megyn Kelly’s summary:
  “The report concluding Dr. O’Connor, ‘recklessly never conducted a cognitive exam of the President’ when asked...if he was told to lie about President Biden’s health and fitness to be president...” ([08:41])
• Dr. O'Connor declines to answer:
  “[I] must respectfully decline to answer...” ([08:41])

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Early Signals from the 2028 Democratic Primary

Main Focus: New Hampshire poll reveals Pete Buttigieg as the early favorite among Democrats for 2028, with Gavin Newsom and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as runners-up.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Buttigieg leads with 19%, Newsom at 15%, AOC at 14%, Kamala Harris at 11%, Bernie Sanders at 8%, J.B. Pritzker at 6%, and 10% undecided ([11:58]).
• Buttigieg’s favorability: +75 net, highest among primary pack; Harris only at +38 ([12:17]).
• Buttigieg’s tenure as Transportation Secretary criticized for absenteeism during 2020 supply chain crisis, taking prolonged paternity leave ([12:53]).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Political Commentator on Buttigieg’s job performance:
  “A lot of people...use that job to run for a different office...Mayor Pete...didn’t pay attention to the basics. He had a focus truly on DEI and climate and the cost of that to the American people.” ([13:56]) “When you're focused on...changing the names of cockpit to flight deck...while you have 84 near misses in the D.C. airspace...you didn't do your job.” ([14:25])

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President Trump’s Appeal in New York

Main Focus: Trump’s legal team appeals his 2024 felony conviction, arguing procedural bias, lack of legal grounds, and improper judicial conduct, including conflicts of interest.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Trump’s 100+ page appeal brief filed, contending his business records conviction “should never have seen the inside of a courtroom” ([14:50]).
• Legal team argues the trial stacked time-barred misdemeanors into felonies, and that Supreme Court immunity ruling and judicial conflicts (donations, judge’s daughter working for Democrats) require nullification of verdict ([15:25]).
• Conviction stands (with no penalty), but remains a legal and political flashpoint as Trump is now President again.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “These charges against President Trump were as unprecedented as their political context.” – Kelly summarizing the brief ([15:40])
• Kelly notes the unorthodox political conditions:
  “Conviction handed down in May of 2024...no penalty sentence was handed down just over one week before Mr. Trump returned to the White House. But the conviction stands for now.” ([16:45])

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Memorable Exchanges and Tone

• Megyn Kelly maintains her signature sharp, skeptical, and somewhat sardonic tone, especially when referencing high-profile figures (e.g., jabbing Gates for changing sides, Dr. O’Connor’s legal evasions, or Buttigieg’s performance).
• The episode features a mix of direct quotes from primary figures and Kelly’s colorful interpretation and framing, providing a blend of commentary and reportage.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Bill Gates climate memo and reaction: [00:39] – [06:33]
• House Oversight Committee Autopen report: [06:33] – [11:10]
• 2028 Democratic Primary polling: [11:10] – [14:50]
• Trump appeal discussion: [14:50] – [16:45]

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Overall Summary:
This fiery episode delivers a punchy recap of the biggest stories shaping U.S. political discourse at the close of October 2025, with Megyn Kelly pressing on climate messaging reversals from Bill Gates, the White House’s autopen scandal and its implications for presidential legitimacy, the opening moves in the Democratic 2028 race, and the ongoing legal drama surrounding Donald Trump. For listeners curious about emerging narratives, party maneuvering, and the evolving roles of public figures, this edition neatly packages the highlights with wit and critical edge.

Transcript

[Climate Scientist]

With my job, I can't drink during the week.

[Political Commentator]

Weekends are a different story.

[Megyn Kelly]

Ugh. After eight hours of this, I have earned my wine. You know what I'm saying? My family is a lot. It takes me four beers just to.

[Climate Scientist]

Hang out with them.

[Public Health Official]

Binge drinking isn't all college kids doing keg stands. Oregonians in their 30s and 40s binge drink at close to the same rates as younger people, raising our risk for long term health problems. [e-mail] an OHA initiative.

[Megyn Kelly]

Good morning, everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly. It's Wednesday, October 29, 2025, and this is your AM update.

[Bill Gates]

We have to frame it in terms of overall human welfare. Not just everything should be solely for climate.

[Megyn Kelly]

Leading climate activist Bill Gates changing his tune about the dire nature of climate change.

[Legal Counsel]

The Advice of Council Mr. Respectfully declined to answer.

[Megyn Kelly]

The House Oversight Committee drops its report on the Biden White House's use of the auto pen. An early 2028 Democratic frontrunner has emerged. Wait until you hear who it is. And President Trump appeals his felony conviction in New York. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update. As President Trump is settling into his new administration. One of the top Democrats in Congress aiming to undermine the Trump agenda is Democrat Senator Daniel Dick Durbin of Illinois. And according to our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, Senator Durbin has a new plan, a government takeover of your credit card. Today, Americans have thousands of choices in credit cards, but they say Senator Durbin's plan will result in less competition and less security, which means more risk for your credit and your identity. You can learn more for [e-mail] and you could consider telling your senators to stop Dick Durbin's government takeover of your credit card. And before it's too late, Bill Gates, the billionaire founder of Microsoft, in a stunning memo dropping what he calls tough truths about climate change in an obvious reversal of his prior stance. The letter beginning, quote, there's a doomsday view of climate change that goes like this. In a few decades, cataclysmic climate change will decimate civilization. The evidence is all around us. Just look at all the heat waves and storms caused by rising global temperatures. Nothing matters more than limiting the rise in temperature. Yes, Bill, wherever did people get those doomsday views from? Oh, wait, it was from you. You and people like former Vice President Al Gore, Greta Thunberg, and President Obama, to name just a few.

[Bill Gates]

So certainly by the end of the century, you'll have permanent die offs of all these coral ecosystems, no beach you ever went to be around.

[Climate Scientist]

We're still putting 162 million tons into it every single day and the accumulated amount is now trapping as much extra heat as would be released by 600,000 Hiroshima Class Atomic bombs exploding every single day on the earth.

[Megyn Kelly]

People are suffering, people are dying, entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction.

[Bill Gates]

The future seems somewhat bleak. There are times where I am doubtful that humanity can get its act together before it's too late and images of dystopia start creeping into my dreams. It's an all out effort, you know, like a world war, but it's us against greenhouse gases.

[Megyn Kelly]

Gates Tuesday letter admitting quote fortunately for all of us, this view is wrong. Although climate change will have serious consequences, particularly for people in the poorest countries, it will not lead to humanity's demise. Someone check on AOC immediately ahead of the upcoming climate summit next month in Brazil. Gates attempting to completely shift the global conversation around the left's pet issue. More from the letter quote Although climate change will hurt poor people more than anyone else, for the vast majority of them it will not be the only or even the biggest threat to their lives and welfare. The biggest problems are poverty and disease, just as they always have been. Reminder Bill Gates once backed a venture to spray dust into the atmosphere in order to block the sun to cool the planet. Tuesday morning on cnbc, Gates explaining the key goal of the Paris Climate Accord. Limiting global rise in temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius is not realistic, nor should it be a priority.

[Bill Gates]

Climate is a super important problem. There's enough innovation here to avoid super bad outcomes. We have to frame it in terms of overall human welfare. Not just everything should be solely for climate. The one thing about that accord that you know, turned out not to be realistic was the ambitious goal of staying to 1.5 degrees. We won't be able to do that. Even if you took all the money away from health, you wouldn't be able to do that. Wasn't the goal here to improve human lives? And shouldn't we, in our awareness of how little generosity there is to help measure, you know, should we get them a measles vaccine or should we do some climate related activity? And if, if we stop putting all vaccines and that, you know, saved you 0.1 degree, would that be a smart trade off?

[Megyn Kelly]

Gates even admitting wind and solar energy options are not ready for primetime quote we don't yet have all the tools we need to meet the growing demand for energy without increasing carbon emissions, calling for the world to focus on innovation and adaptation to improve people's ability to live on a warming planet. Did he borrow this from Project 2025 climate change scientist Michael Mann responding on MSNBC?

[Michael Mann]

Frankly, Bill Gates doesn't have any expertise in climate science and he's failing to listen to what the experts actually have to say. So when Bill Gates says we'll just sort of try to engineer our way out of it or innovate our way out of it, it's really tone deaf to the fact that there are a very large number of people who will suffer catastrophic consequences if we continue to to allow the planet to warm up.

[Megyn Kelly]

Some on the left pointing to the change in administration as a reason for the change in messaging. Gates among the tech CEOs who was at the White House with President Trump last month. The House Oversight Committee late Monday night releasing its 100 page report into the Biden White House's use of the auto pen, a mechanical device that replicates the President's signature. Over the course of 47 hours of testimony from 14 former aides investigators examining who controlled access to the President's signature authority and how decisions were made involving the auto pen. The report finding, quote, his staff abused the auto pen and a lax chain of command policy to affect executive actions that lack any documentation of whether they were in fact authorized. It goes on, quote, there is no record demonstrating President Biden himself made all of the executive decisions that were attributed to him. Therefore, quote, the committee deems void all executive actions signed by the auto pen without proper corresponding contemporaneous written approval traceable to the President's own consent. What exactly the import of that declaration is remains unclear, though Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, did call on the DOJ to conduct a review of the executive actions in question and investigate the Biden aides who pleaded the fifth rather than testify. Those individuals include Mr. Biden's personal physician, Dr. Kevin O', Connor, former Deputy chief of staff for Operations Annie Tomasini and former chief of staff to First Lady Jill Biden Anthony Bernal, a man who figured prominently in the Jake Tapper Alex Thompson book. The Oversight committee's report calling Dr. O', Connor, quote, Central to the scheme to, quote, obfuscate the truth about the President's true cognitive state. The report concluding Dr. O', Connor, quote, recklessly never conducted a cognitive exam of the President when asked by the committee if he was told to lie about President Biden's health and fitness to be president. Dr. O' Connor, responding as follows on.

[Legal Counsel]

The advice of counsel, I must respectfully decline to answer based upon physician patient privilege and in reliance on my right under the fifth amendment of the Constitution. I am not a lawyer. I must follow my lawyer's advice in this matter.

[Megyn Kelly]

Longtime political operative and Biden aide Anita Dunn telling the committee, senior Biden advisors reached a consensus that the president should not take a cognitive exam. The report delving into Dr. Oconnors, quote, strong financial and personal incentives to not break rank from the president's inner circle in the COVID up. The report noting how Dr. O' Connor previously described his close relationship to the Bidens over the years and how he, quote, ended up being involved in a lot of important family things. Oconnors financial ties to the Biden family dating back to as early as 2017 when, quote, Dr. O' Connor introduced Joe Biden's brother James Biden to medical leaders and executives to support James Biden's business relationship with AmeriCorps Health LLC. The hookup was a bit odd because James Biden had no experience in hospital administration. That company just months later transferring $600,000 in loans to James Biden, $200,000 of which was sent to his personal account. Later that same day, James Biden sent $200,000 to his brother Joe Biden, according to the oversight committee report. James Biden's attorney once told the New York Times the doctor received no compensation for the connection provided to James, but the doctor could not be asked about it at all given that he pled the fifth. A Biden spokesperson telling Fox News, quote, this investigation into baseless claims has confirmed what has been clear from the start. President Biden made the decisions of his presidency. There was no conspiracy, no cover up and no wrongdoing. Congressional Republicans should stop focusing on political retribution and instead work to end the government shutdown. In July, former President Joe Biden telling the New York Times he made all auto pen decisions on his own. Coming up, Looking ahead to 2028, an early Democrat frontrunner emerges. We'll tell you who it is. And President Trump appeals the felony convictions resulting from the DA Alvin Bragg's Manhattan business records case. When customers are walking through the aisles of their local Walmart, they're not just picking up groceries or supplies. They're they are supporting American businesses and their communities. The real story is what's behind the label. With over two thirds of the products Walmart buys made, grown or assembled right here in the US Buying local is not just stocking shelves. It's about strengthening communities. Because of that commitment, Walmart invested $350 billion in US manufacturing, helping American companies like Fisher and Weiser Specialty Foods, a local Texas business, and expand their operations in Fredericksburg, Texas, hire more people as well and bring their Texas grown peach jam to a national market. Their story is just one example of how Walmart's US manufacturing investment is supporting over 750,000American jobs. Businesses across the country are empowered to sell more, hire more and help their communities grow from farms to factories to final shopping carts. Learn how Walmart is fueling the future of US manufacturing [e-mail] americaatwork a new poll out of New Hampshire showing former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emerging as a presidential frontrunner for the Democrats in 2028. Mayor Pete leading the pack at 19%, trailed by California Governor Gavin Newsom at 15%, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez at 14%, former VP Kamala Harris at 11, Senator Bernie Sanders at 8 and Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker at 6%, according to the Granite State poll. For a little extra context, don't know. Undecided coming in at 10%. The survey of around 600 Democrats planning to vote in the 2028 primary also finding Buttigieg with the highest favorability among the pack at 81% favorable to 6% unfavorable for a plus 75 net favorability rating. Senator Sanders with the second highest favorability at plus 59, AOC in third at plus 56. Kamala Harris, who with each passing interview gets closer and closer to saying she does plan to run again, notching just plus 38 favorability. Buttigieg becoming a national figure in the 2020 Democrat primary, running as an openly gay former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, ultimately dropping out of the race just before Super Tuesday and endorsing Joe Biden. Buttigieg later rewarded with the role of transportation secretary during the supply chain crisis of 2020. Buttigieg was missing for about two months, later citing paternity leave as the excuse for his prolonged absence. Current Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in August slamming his predecessor, accusing him of putting career ambitions ahead of the job.

[Political Commentator]

A lot of people, when they have a job, they use that job to run for a different office and I think that's a huge mistake. And I think Mayor Pete was Secretary Buttigieg was running for president while he was the secretary of DOT and didn't pay attention to the basics. And so he had a focus truly on DEI and climate and the cost of that to the American people. And again, when you're focused on, you know, changing the names of cockpit to flight deck or airman to arrow, not because you're concerned you could offend someone. All the While you have 84 near misses in the Washington D.C. airspace between helicopters and fixed wing aircraft and you don't look at that. I don't know how you're going to run for president on that record. You didn't do your job. And had he done his job, we wouldn't have inherited all of the problems that we have right now that are going to take years to fix.

[Megyn Kelly]

President Trump on Monday appealing his criminal conviction in the Alvin Bragg Manhattan business records case, arguing the verdict should be overturned entirely. In a 100 plus page brief, Mr. Trump's legal team writing, quote, this case should never have seen the inside of a courtroom, let alone resulted in a conviction. The appeal challenging the 34 count felony conviction for falsifying business records relating to payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors alleged the payments made to keep Daniels story of an alleged sexual encounter with Mr. Trump out of the press during the 2016 campaign were falsely filed as legal expenses, even though they were paid out to Mr. Trump's lawyer. Prosecutors arguing Mr. Trump's desire to not record the words hush money payments amounted to election interference. Mr. Trump's legal team accusing DA Alvin Bragg of concocting a purported felony out of internal bookkeeping records by quote, stacking time barred bookkeeping misdemeanors of under a convoluted legal theory, the president's lawyers arguing, quote, these charges against President Trump were as unprecedented as their political context. They argued the convictions should be thrown out on multiple grounds, including the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity last year. From the brief, quote, the jury improperly heard extensive testimony about at least four different kinds of official acts by President Trump, including official presidential statements made on social media. Mr. Trump's team also saying Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw the case, should have recused himself due to conflicts of interest. The brief citing three small yet improper payments by the judge to Biden for president and to two Democrat PACs, including one called the Stop Republicans PAC. In addition, the brief citing Judge Merchan's daughter's work at a political advertising company, quote, that was paid millions by the Kamala Harris campaign and by other Democrats, including for running advertisements specifically invoking the District attorney of New York's prosecution of President Trump in her father's courtroom. President Trump's conviction handed down in May of 2024. In January of 2025, Judge Merchan delivering an unconditional discharge, meaning after all that a no penalty sentence was handed down just over one week before Mr. Trump returned to the White House. But the conviction stands for now. And that'll do it for your AM Update, I'm Megyn Kelly. Join me back here for the Megyn Kelly show live on Sirius XM triumph channel 111 at noon east on YouTube.com megankelly and on all podcast platforms. Are you ready to get spicy? These Doritos Golden Sriracha aren't that spicy. Maybe it's time to turn up the heat.

[Legal Counsel]

Or turn it down.

[Megyn Kelly]

It's time for something that's not too spicy. Try Doritos Golden Sriracha, spicy but not too spicy.