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.

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])

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])

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])

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])

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.

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]

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.