The Megyn Kelly Show – Ep 1158 (Sept 26, 2025)
Episode Title: Comey Indicted, Kamala Word Salad, and Hoda Kotb's Inane Book
Guests: Maureen Callahan, Dave Aronberg, Mike Davis, John Solomon
Overview
This episode is a wide-ranging exploration of the week’s biggest stories and political drama, centering on the historic indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, with additional discussions about Kamala Harris’s book tour “word salad,” Hoda Kotb’s new self-help book, the latest in royal and celebrity gossip, and profound reflections on grief and forgiveness in the wake of public tragedy. With Megyn Kelly at the helm and a roundtable of expert guests, the conversations are honest, energetic, and often acerbic, true to the show’s tagline: “No BS. No agenda. No fear.”
Key Segments & Timestamps
- [03:28] Indictment of James Comey: Legal Breakdown
- [56:53] Kamala Harris “Word Salad” & Book Tour Mockery
- [92:46] Hoda Kotb’s Book and “Today Show” Drama
- [105:37] Cultural Critique: Serena Williams, Meghan Markle, Violet Affleck & Hilaria Baldwin
- [129:10] Tim Allen’s Forgiveness & Lessons in Grief
- [168:47] Parenting, Anxiety, & Closing Reflections
1. James Comey Indicted: Legal & Political Analysis
Starts at [03:28]
Main Theme
The episode opens with in-depth analysis of the federal indictment against former FBI Director James Comey. The indictment covers two felony counts: false statements to Congress and obstruction of a congressional proceeding.
Key Points
- Allegations: Comey allegedly lied to Congress about not authorizing leaks related to Trump and Hillary investigations, and obstructed Congress.
- Indictment Details: The actual indictment is described as “incredibly thin,” lacking specifics about which leaks or articles are involved.
- Potential Evidence: Leaks to the Wall Street Journal in October 2016, possibly authorized through James Baker (FBI General Counsel) and Andy McCabe (FBI Deputy Director), are discussed as probable pillars of the case.
- Testimonial Discrepancy: Debate focuses on whether Comey’s congressional testimony constituted a prosecutable lie, especially the exchange with Ted Cruz where Comey reaffirmed his 2017 statements in 2020.
- Guest Views:
- Mike Davis ([03:28]): “James Comey is a saboteur of the duly elected President of the United States, and he can go to prison and he can also go to hell.”
- John Solomon ([07:22]): “This is the thinnest worded dog indictment I have ever seen as a reporter. It is so lean.”
- Dave Aronberg ([13:27]): Urges caution, emphasizing ambiguity in what the leak actually was and argues about the viability of a “vindictive prosecution” defense.
- Selective/Malicious Prosecution: Discussion of whether the case is retribution for lawfare used against Trump, citing public and private pressure on both Trump and Biden DOJs.
- Mike Davis ([43:00]): “I want these prosecutions and I’m malicious about it. So does that make it a malicious prosecution? Maybe, but I don’t give a damn.”
Notable Quotes
- “[Comey] lied to Congress... There was a grand jury that found probable cause.” (Mike Davis, [03:28])
- “The indictment is so thin, I was looking for an introduction. Didn’t even get that.” (John Solomon, [07:18])
- “You can say he’s playing word games, but I don’t see anything that’s specifically false in what he said.” (Dave Aronberg, [23:51])
- “Revenge is best served cold.” (Mike Davis, [43:00])
2. Kamala Harris Book Tour & “Word Salad” Moments
Starts at [56:53]
Theme
The panel mocks Vice President Kamala Harris’s latest public appearances, her unrelenting delivery of “word salad” rhetoric, and her children’s book that, according to Maureen Callahan, is “fourth grade reading level, yet very, very rough going.” They highlight how Harris’s attempts at inspiration often dissolve into incoherence during interviews promoting her book.
Key Moments & Quotes
- Kamala on Rally Memories ([59:38]):
“The children of the community are the children of the community...”
Megyn: “She says nothing.”
Maureen: “Babies come. So I’m picturing we’re at Bagram Air Force Base... we’re bringing a baby, we’re passing a baby through a crowd of strangers, and it’s gonna wind up somehow in Kamala’s safe hands. Oh my God. Is America the baby?” ([61:24]) - Book Tour Protestors ([62:48]): Harris is heckled by Gaza protestors; she tries unsuccessfully to calm the crowd and pivot back to promoting her book.
- Megyn: “I love that she tried to hawk her book to the Hamasniks.”
- The “Belulu” Crowd ([64:23]): Discussion of a niche online group that bizarrely believes Kamala Harris actually won the presidency.
3. Hoda Kotb’s Word Salad: Mocking Celebrity Self-Help
Starts at [92:46]
Theme
Megyn and Maureen go after Hoda Kotb’s new book “Jump and Find Joy,” lampooning its recycled “change expert” advice and the endless rehashing of Hoda’s career and relationships.
Key Points
- Maureen refuses to buy the book at her local shop: “I was at a local bookstore yesterday and I was like, I cannot buy this book and approach any register.”
- The panel mocks Hoda’s wisdom—“the wisdom of change experts”—and the self-indulgent narrative surrounding her split from Joel Schiffman (father of her two adopted daughters).
- Hoda’s TV appearances to promote the book are labeled performative, with Megyn and Maureen cringing over the forced enthusiasm and repetitive storytelling.
Notable Quotes
- “[Hoda] just kind of threw away the relationship...rather cavalierly after an epiphany at the Hoffman Institute that things were not deepening.” (Megyn, [97:10])
- “If you’re perseverating on...you, you, you, you, you. You are a bore. You are a limited, non-intellectual, non-interesting person.” (Maureen, [97:35])
4. Celebrity & Cultural Commentary
Starts at [105:37]
a. Serena Williams’ “Triggered by Cotton” Moment
Serena posts a social media video expressing discomfort at decorative cotton balls in her luxury hotel, citing “trauma.”
- Megyn: Mocks the performative victimhood given Williams’s immense wealth and status: “That’s like me being like, I can’t walk by the potatoes in Whole Foods because my Irish people... the potato famine.”
- Maureen: “She was always a brat...”
b. Meghan Markle’s Bloomberg Interview
Analyzing Markle’s attempts at relatability while lamenting royal dress codes (e.g., “nude pantyhose”) and promoting her domesticity-themed projects.
- Maureen: Identifies Markle’s inauthenticity and lack of self-awareness, “She should have said, first of all, you’re an idiot. Let’s start with that.”
c. Hilaria Baldwin’s Ongoing Accent Fiasco
Lampooning Hilaria (aka Hillary from Rhode Island) for continuing her fake Spanish accent on “Dancing with the Stars” and in a podcast with her daughter.
- Maureen: “It’s like a pathological...the DSM needs a new categorization...name it: Hilaria Baldwin.”
d. Violet Affleck’s Mask Advocacy at the UN
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s daughter delivers a speech at the UN, still masked, calling for pandemic protections.
- Megyn: Frames it as a parenting failure: “This girl is as addled as somebody who’s an active anorexic or in a deep depression or has...crippling anxiety, which is clearly what we’re looking at there.”
- Maureen: “She’s coming at the world from a fearful place. Like you should be spreading your wings at college...and this girl is hunkering down...that’s tragic.”
- Analysis of “celebrity parenting gone wrong”: Both hosts lament indulgent Hollywood parents failing to provide stability and resilience.
5. Forgiveness, Grief, & Faith: Tim Allen’s Revelation
Starts at [129:10]
Theme
- Tim Allen publicly credits Erica Kirk’s forgiveness of her husband Charlie’s killer as the inspiration to finally forgive the man who killed his own father 60 years ago.
- Megyn and Maureen reflect candidly on forgiveness versus retribution, the human tendency toward anger, and the “extraordinary faith” of Erica Kirk.
- Discussion of individual capacities to forgive—and whether, as Maureen admits, “there are people who don’t deserve it.”
- Megyn: “What if Erica was always meant...to have the biggest impact on the world, on America, on young people?”
6. Media, Hypocrisy, and Humor
Scattered, e.g. [146:12]–[150:21]
- Jimmy Kimmel’s Tearful Self-Defense: Eviscerated for performative emotion over his show’s cancellation controversy:
- Maureen: “Jimmy Kimmel. I look at the sudden weeping out of nowhere and I’m like, this guy’s not well.”
- Hollywood Insiders: Matt Damon, Jennifer Aniston noted for their conspicuous silence—implying even A-listers know when to steer clear of toxic topics.
- Megyn’s Own Reflections: On MSNBC/NBC, Kelly reveals, “I really do think I was suffering a temporary bout of insanity,” referencing her stint at NBC.
7. Uplifting Endnote: Finding Meaning in Small Moments
Ends at [171:46]
-
Megyn recounts attendance at her daughter’s high school soccer game:
- “That's it. That's what you need, you know—moments with your friends or your family...This is the good stuff that gets us through.”
-
Maureen:
“When you find those people [true friends]...that’s the stuff where you feel there’s a bit of, like, Matthew McConaughey would probably say, stardust at work.”
Memorable Quotes – Speaker & Timestamp
- “James Comey...is a saboteur...he can go to prison and he can also go to hell.”
— Mike Davis, [03:28] - “This is the thinnest worded dog indictment I have ever seen as a reporter.”
— John Solomon, [07:18] - "She says nothing. Communal responsibility and community. And the baby, Maureen, the baby."
— Megyn Kelly, [61:02], on Kamala Harris’s “word salad” - “We miss you so much. I like holding your hands.”
— Hoda Kotb, [98:39], mocked for forced enthusiasm - "If you’re perseverating on...you, you, you, you, you. You are a bore."
— Maureen Callahan, [97:35] - “That’s like me being like, I can’t walk by the potatoes in Whole Foods because my Irish people... the potato famine.”
— Megyn Kelly, [109:55], on Serena Williams’s “trauma” over cotton - “That person is not Spanish.”
— Megyn Kelly, [152:11], on Hilaria Baldwin - "You are a white girl from Rhode Island."
— Maureen Callahan, [152:03] - “[Violet Affleck’s masking] is a form of child abuse.”
— Megyn Kelly & Maureen Callahan, [159:11]
Episode Tone and Structure
- Energetic, sharp, and unsparing in critique
- Interspersed political/legal analysis with cultural and personal anecdotes
- Frequent use of sarcasm and humor, especially when dissecting celebrity or “woke” culture
- Willingness to pivot from policy/law to pop culture, family, and profound themes of faith, grief, and resilience
Conclusion
This edition of The Megyn Kelly Show blends rigorous political/legal commentary (Comey indictment, lawfare) with unvarnished takes on contemporary culture and moments of heartfelt candor about loss, faith, and finding meaning in small victories. It’s a masterclass in rapid-fire, unscripted conversation—by turns analytical, hilarious, biting, and deeply human.
