The Megyn Kelly Show – Episode 1155

Guest: Mark Halperin
Date: September 23, 2025
Title: Charlie Kirk "Curse," ABC Affiliates vs. Kimmel, and Kamala's Disastrous Book Tour Begins

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode delves into three major stories:

1. The unsettling controversy around a Jezebel article that bragged about casting “curses” on Charlie Kirk ahead of his assassination.
2. The media fallout as major ABC affiliates refuse to air “Jimmy Kimmel Live” due to Kimmel's controversial comments about Kirk's murder, including implications of MAGA involvement.
3. The widely panned launch of former VP Kamala Harris’ book tour, marked by deflection and word salad, and the intra-party criticism she's facing from prominent Democrats.

Host Megyn Kelly and guest Mark Halperin analyze these events, expressing outrage at media double standards, left-wing rhetoric, and what they see as a crisis of decency and accountability—especially toward conservatives and their tragedies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

I. Jezebel’s “Curse” on Charlie Kirk and Its Fallout

• Overview:
  Megyn Kelly begins with a detailed, at times emotional recounting of a Jezebel piece where staffers paid “witches” via Etsy to cast curses on Charlie Kirk (00:59). The timing of these rituals notably occurred shortly before Kirk’s assassination.

• Details on the Jezebel Story:

  • Jezebel openly boasted about using Etsy to cast curses aiming to “punish” Kirk for his views, viewing it as “feminist power” (03:30).
  • After Kirk’s murder, Jezebel deleted the article, claiming “satire” and no desire for physical harm, though Kelly points out the article clearly expressed malice.
  • Jezebel’s statement: “We stand by every word… may republish at a later date.” (08:50)
  • The “joke” did real harm, as Kelly reveals Kirk’s wife Erica was genuinely shaken, prompting her and Charlie to contact a priest for prayers the night before the assassination (12:10).
  • Quote:
    “Why torture a family like this, a Christian family? … Who would do such a vile thing? Jezebel, that’s who. And unbelievably, Etsy and the people behind this evil.” —Megyn Kelly (13:43)
  • Kelly argues Etsy is complicit for allowing such “witchcraft” for hire.

• Religious Commentary:

  • Father Mike Schmidt (clip at 10:21) warns that “messing with this stuff… can actually have real world consequences. It’s not something to mess with. It’s literally evil.”

• Personal Toll on the Kirks:

  • Erica Kirk’s visible, ongoing grief discussed by Kelly, noting “she literally never stopped having tears come out of her eyes” during their meeting, but ultimately reaffirming faith (16:19).

• Mark Halperin’s Analysis:

  • Halperin calls Jezebel’s actions “different… this is the real world,” and frames it as emblematic of the broader media’s “lack of fundamental human decency” (17:27).
  • Both call for public censure, with Kelly demanding Jezebel and Etsy apologize and Jezebel’s author be named.

II. Media Reactions, the Left-Right Divide, and Jimmy Kimmel

A. Decency and Double Standards after Kirk’s Assassination

• Lack of Empathy from the Left:

  • Kelly and Halperin blast Democrats and left-leaning outlets for not condemning Kirk’s assassination or forgiving rhetoric about him, especially citing Ilhan Omar and Heather Cox Richardson (32:47; 37:06).
  • Kelly: “Leftists came out and celebrated Charlie’s murder, showing truly the same inhumanity…” (30:37)

• Ilhan Omar Criticism:

  • Ilhan Omar’s post-assassination remarks described Kirk as “reprehensible, hateful,” stating “I’m not going to sit here and be judged for not wanting to honor any legacy this man has left behind” (33:15).

• Shift Among Young Men:

  • Erica Kirk’s memorial speech encouraged young men to lead and embrace “true manhood” (22:31).
  • Numerous social media testimonials are played of (mainly) young men, including some Black men, who say Kirk’s death prompted them to rethink their political identity (27:39–29:13).
  • Quote:
    “If there’s even one person who sees this and gains the courage to speak up themselves… I have officially left the Democratic Party.” —Anonymous caller (28:28)

B. Kimmel Controversy and Affiliate Backlash

• Summary:

  • Jimmy Kimmel was suspended after comments blaming MAGA for Kirk’s murder; ABC parent Disney attempted to bring him back, but major affiliate groups (Sinclair & Nexstar) said “no,” refusing to air him (41:15; 43:44).

• Market vs. Censorship:

  • Kelly praises the affiliates for “standing up for their audiences,” viewing this as a rare Republican win against leftist media dominance (45:30).
  • Mark: “These station owners… have the right, and I’m sure they think the responsibility to not bring Kimmel back” (43:44).
  • FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr’s open support for affiliates is cited as catalytic (“he telegraphed to the affiliates how to fight” – 49:36).

• Hypocrisy in Media Coverage:

  • Lists repeated instances where Democratic lawmakers and the left have pressured for conservative media censorship via the FCC, cable providers, etc.
  • Kelly: “They have zero problem with involving the government in censoring speech… The only thing that changed here under Brendan Carr was he actually tried to use it for Republicans.” (58:53)
  • Both hosts argue that only when Republicans wield such tactics do journalists and Democrats claim to care about “free speech.”

• Realignment and Political Stakes:

  • Both agree that this pushback by affiliates, while unprecedented, may have electoral consequences (29:28) and marks “Republicans finally fighting back.”

• Prediction on Kimmel’s Return:

  • Mark expects a “thoughtful” but minimal or deflective apology; Kelly predicts Kimmel will “both-sides” the issue and avoid real ownership (55:02–55:59).

III. Kamala Harris Book Tour: Word Salad & Democratic Backlash

A. Kamala on the Defensive

• Book Tour Frustrations:

  • Kelly and Halperin mock Harris’s interviews for evasive, “word salad” responses to substantive questions (81:46–84:41), particularly about doubts over Biden’s fitness for office and her selection of running mates.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Maddow Presses: “To say that [Buttigieg] couldn't be on the ticket effectively because he was gay is hard to hear.” (85:13)
  • Harris response: Deflects, “No, no, no, that’s not what I said…” then essentially admits the risk but couches it as sadness.

• Democrats Push Back:

  • Buttigieg: “I just believe in giving Americans more credit than that.” (87:20)
  • Josh Shapiro, on Harris’s criticism: “I believe in talking directly to the individuals, not running around and talking to the media.” (88:00)
  • Biden aides (as reported by Axios): “Vice President Harris was simply not good at the job… she had basically zero substantive role…” (89:33)

B. Harris Blames Sexism/Racism

• On The View:

  • Harris suggests her loss (and general political hurdles) are largely due to racism and sexism rather than campaign mismanagement (99:04).
  • Kelly and Halperin respond: Race/gender may play some role, but Harris failed at “making difficult decisions under pressure” and ran a poor campaign.
  • Halperin on Obama’s election: “It’s not impossible to get elected president as a black person.” (100:21)

• Grief after Loss:

  • Harris describes grieving after her loss “in a way that I have not since my mother died” (103:12), claiming deep sorrow for the fate of the country.
  • Kelly is skeptical: “I just don’t happen to believe it in her case, I think she actually was grieving for herself” (104:00).

C. Continues Harsh Rhetoric Against Trump

• Calls Trump a “Tyrant” (101:57)—drawing parallels to “communist dictators”—and claims the “threat” required her to “rise to the occasion.”
• Kelly and Halperin scoff at the hyperbole—especially as Harris simultaneously endorsed what Kelly described as “actual communist” candidates (102:48).

IV. Broader Trends: Censorship, Media Bias, Tech Platforms

• Google/YouTube News:
  Surprise announcement that YouTube may restore the accounts of conservatives banned for COVID-19 and election opinions, right as liberal media decries Kimmel’s brief suspension as the “most direct infringement by government on free speech” ever (95:04–96:56).
• Mark: The real story is years of media–tech collusion to suppress dissenting speech, mostly conservative—something legacy media ignores or even celebrates.

Notable Quotes & Moments

Jezebel “Curse” Story

• Kelly: “Jezebel should be forced to identify the woman who wrote this and did this. Jezebel should close. Frankly, it has zero redeeming virtues or value.” (13:43)
• Halperin: “This is different, right? This is the real world.” (17:27)

On Erica Kirk’s Strength

• Kelly: “…She literally never stopped having tears come out of her eyes… but she is literally in constant pain.” (16:19)
• Halperin: “…her words, I think, will ring through history because of their clarity, their intellectual clarity and their moral clarity, and because of the circumstances under which they were delivered.” (25:15)

Ilhan Omar on Kirk

• Omar: “[Kirk] was a reprehensible, hateful man. …I am not going to sit here and be judged for not wanting to honor any legacy this man has left behind. That should be in the dustbin of history…” (33:15)

Conservative “Sea Change”

• Kelly: “…it feels to me, Mark, like there is a sea change underfoot that we are not going to realize the full extent of perhaps until the midterms. I mean, I just can't imagine this doesn't have electoral consequences.” (29:13)

On Kimmel, FCC, & Speech

• Kelly: “They have zero problem with involving the government in censoring speech… The only thing that changed here under Brendan Carr was he actually tried to use it for Republicans.” (58:53)
• Halperin: “When the left does it, it's cheered on by the so called objective media. When the right does it, it's seen as villainous. And that imbalance matters…” (63:23)

Google/YouTube Policy Reversal

• Kelly: “What a news item to hit as the left is crying in its soup over the five day [Kimmel suspension]…” (98:15)
• Halperin: “These platforms, which claim to be… not content concerned, they, they actively and ideologically conspired to suppress conservative thought, diversity of thought.” (96:56)

Kamala Harris on Her Campaign Loss

• Harris: “I grieved in a way that I have not since my mother died… It was not at all about losing a race. I knew what it was gonna mean for the country.” (103:12)

On Word Salad

• Halperin: “Her failure to stand up to the parts of the book that actually were honest or provocative and to just go with… just a bunch of filler. It is… the opposite of book selling 101.” (83:18)

Important Timestamps by Segment

• 00:59: Jezebel “curse” story introduction
• 03:30–10:21: Recap and details of Jezebel’s actions/impact
• 12:10: Kirk family’s reaction to curses, seeking priestly counsel
• 16:19: Erica Kirk’s emotional state after Charlie's death
• 22:31: Erica Kirk's memorial address to young men
• 27:39–29:13: Testimonials from young men shifting politically after Kirk's assassination
• 32:47: Ilhan Omar denounces Kirk
• 41:15: NPR & leftist media’s misleading framing of the Kimmel controversy
• 43:44–49:13: Affiliates’ refusal to air Kimmel; FCC and free market dynamics
• 55:02–55:59: Predictions about Kimmel’s return/apology
• 58:53–64:31: Asymmetry in speech policing by left vs. right
• 81:46: Kamala Harris’s book tour launch on Maddow, evasive answers
• 85:13: Maddow presses Harris on the Buttigieg/gay VP remarks
• 87:20: Buttigieg pushes back
• 88:00: Shapiro slams Harris’s account
• 99:04: Harris and Joy Behar discuss losing due to “racism/sexism”
• 103:12: Harris on grieving after defeat

Tone & Style

• Raw, emotional, and combative, especially regarding media bias and treatment of conservatives.
• Deeply personal commentary on the Kirk family’s faith and resilience.
• Frequent criticism of Democrats and left-leaning media for double standards, insensitivity, and political hypocrisy.
• Discussion of political realignments, with anecdotal evidence of young men (including Black men) shifting rightward.
• Kamala Harris is critiqued for dodging hard questions and deflecting blame.

Useful for…

• Listeners seeking a full accounting of the Jezebel scandal and the ripple effects on Charlie Kirk’s family and conservative circles.
• Observers tracking media bias, culture war flashpoints, and election-year political dynamics.
• Anyone following developments around ABC, Jimmy Kimmel, and ongoing battles over speech, big tech, and governmental influence.
• Those interested in Democratic Party divisions and Harris’s embattled standing inside her party.

End of Summary