DC Mayor in Hot Seat, Trump Slams Kimmel, VA Boys File Suit in Locker Room Fight: AM Update 9/19

Summary

The Megyn Kelly Show – AM Update 9/19

Episode Theme:
This episode of The Megyn Kelly Show (September 19, 2025) focuses on the heated political climate in Washington, centering on D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s testimony on crime at a contentious House Oversight hearing, President Trump’s critique of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, and a lawsuit by Virginia boys suspended over a locker room incident. Fast-paced and opinionated, Megyn Kelly blends political analysis, legal developments, and cultural flashpoints with directness and sarcasm.

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D.C. Mayor Bowser Grilled Over Crime (00:39–06:56)

House Oversight Hearing: Federal Crackdown on D.C. Crime

• Context: Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. officials were questioned by Congress in a tense hearing about how crime is being addressed in the capital following President Trump’s 30-day federal takeover of local police.
• Federal Law Enforcement Surge:
  • Chairman James Comer reports:

    “Since President Trump mobilized the National Guard and took control of the Metropolitan Police Department, violent Crime has decreased 39%. Robberies are down 57% and carjackings are down 75%. Over 2,300 people have been arrested…” (02:12)

  • Federal response credited for immediate drops in major crimes and the apprehension of illegal aliens and violent offenders.
• Mayor Bowser’s Defense:
  • Acknowledges previous crime spike, attributes current decline to city efforts:

    “Like what happened in most jurisdictions across the country post Covid, we experienced a violent crime spike in 2023... Compared to 2023, burglaries are down 34%. ...violent crime is down 53% compared to 2023.” (03:03)

  • Expresses discomfort with National Guard presence, prefers federal support but credits city’s “years long trend” over federal intervention.
• Notable Exchange: Rep. Brandon Gill and Bowser
  • Gill aggressively questions Bowser’s record:

    “You’ve been mayor for about 10 years, right?” (03:51) “The murder rate in Washington, D.C. is the fourth highest of any city in the country. Would you describe that as a safe city?” (04:04) “Carjackings are up over 500% since 2014... That’s not a safe city.” (04:27)

  • Bowser maintains she “would never defund the police,” but Gill counters:

    “You did provide $25,000 grant to an organization lobbying to defund the police.” (04:41)

  • Megyn jumps in with commentary, calling Gill a “star.” (04:50)

Juvenile Crime and Legislative Response

• Juvenile Crime Trends:
  • Over half of all robbery and 60% of carjacking arrests from Jan–Apr 2025 involve juveniles.
  • The Youth Rehabilitation Act allows under-25s to petition for juvenile prosecution.
• Recent House Legislation:
  • 2 bills passed:
    • Restricts judge discretion for sentencing offenders under 24 (passed 240-179).
    • Lowers age for trying juveniles as adults (certain violent crimes) from 16 to 14 (passed 225-203).
  • Notably bipartisan: “Thirty Democrats joining with Republicans...” (05:23)
• Democratic Pushback:
  • Rep. Rashida Tlaib calls efforts “fascist takeover,” warns rhetoric paints D.C. unfairly:

    “We need to stand up against this fascist takeover... you all live here and you’re not telling people the beautiful parts...” (06:11)

  • Clash with Rep. Byron Donalds, and tension over what constitutes fair representation and safety.

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Trump on Kimmel Suspension, Media, and Bagram Air Base (08:49–13:25)

Jimmy Kimmel’s Indefinite Suspension

• President Trump’s Critique:
  • Trump claims Kimmel was fired for “bad ratings,” not free speech or political reasons; calls Kimmel talentless and refers to comments about Charlie Kirk:

    “He was fired for lack of talent.” (08:49)

• Media and First Amendment Debate:
  • Critics on the left call ABC’s move “fascism” and raise First Amendment alarms; Kelly counters:

    “Except it isn’t a First Amendment violation because the government didn’t take any action limiting speech here.” (09:08)

  • Details about pressure on Kimmel to apologize and declining ratings:
    • Kimmel’s show: 2015: 2.4 million viewers; 2025: 1.6 million.
    • Compared to Gutfeld on Fox: 3.2 million total viewers.

Additional Trump News: Bagram Air Base

• Afghanistan Withdrawal:
  • Trump reveals the U.S. is trying to regain Bagram airbase:

    “We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us.” (11:48)

  • Kelly emphasizes strategic and symbolic value, criticizing Biden’s withdrawal.

UK Free Speech Climate (12:53–13:25)

• Question to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer:
  • UK has ~12,000 arrests per year for social media/free speech violations.
  • Starmer claims the UK protects free speech “jealously and fiercely.”
  • Kelly disputes this, referencing arrests over social media posts and protests, including the case of writer Graham Linehan.

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Virginia Boys’ Locker Room Lawsuit (13:25–16:36)

Incident and Fallout

• Background: Two Loudoun County high school boys suspended for objecting to a transgender student (biological female) entering the boys locker room, secretly recorded them.
• Details:
  • Audio/video captured unease:

    “Why is there a girl? I’m so uncomfortable with a girl.” (14:42, boy’s voice)

  • Student who recorded faced no discipline; boys found guilty of "sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination," each suspended for 10 days and given a no-contact order.

Legal Battle

• Initial Appeal Denied: Suspension upheld by the school.
• Legal Action:
  • America First Legal and Founding Freedom Law Center file:

    “...their rights under the US Constitution, the Virginia Constitution, Title 9 and the Virginia Religious Freedom Restoration act have been violated.” (15:25)

  • Federal judge grants pause on suspensions; next hearing set for that day.
  • Suit seeks full reversal of punishments and monetary damages.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Chairman James Comer (on D.C. crime):

  “Over 2,300 people have been arrested. Nearly 950 illegal aliens have been detained by ICE, including 20 gang members from violent terrorist organizations.” (02:12)

• Rep. Brandon Gill (grilling Bowser):

  “Carjackings are up over 500% since 2014... That’s not a safe city.” (04:27)

• Rep. Rashida Tlaib (on D.C. oversight):

  “We need to stand up against this fascist takeover... you all live here and you’re not telling people the beautiful parts and that you do see in our nation’s capital.” (06:11)

• President Trump (on Kimmel):

  “Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else. He was fired for lack of talent.” (08:49)

• Prime Minister Keir Starmer (on free speech in the UK):

  “Free speech, it’s one of the first founding values... we protect it jealously and fiercely and always will.” (12:53)

• Loudoun County Boys (expressing discomfort):

  “Why is there a girl? I’m so uncomfortable with a girl.” (14:42)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:39 – D.C. Mayor grilled in Congressional hearing
• 02:12 – Chairman Comer details law-enforcement crackdown results
• 03:03 – Mayor Bowser presents city crime statistics
• 03:51 – Rep. Gill challenges Bowser’s record
• 05:23 – House bills on D.C. juvenile crime passed
• 06:11 – Rep. Tlaib and Rep. Donalds clash over rhetoric in committee
• 08:49 – Trump on Kimmel’s suspension, media environment
• 11:48 – Trump: U.S. seeking return of Bagram Air Base
• 12:53 – Free speech in the UK debated, Kelly offers rebuttal
• 13:25 – Loudoun County locker room incident and lawsuit
• 14:42 – Audio from locker room exchange
• 15:25 – Legal challenge on behalf of the boys proceeds

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Summary Tone:
Direct, confrontational, and highly editorialized—with Kelly injecting pointed commentary and amplifying key voices in current conservative discourse. The episode moves briskly through contentious political battles and cultural storm fronts in the capital and beyond.

Transcript

[Megyn Kelly]

If you could hear love, what would it sound like? Son, can we talk about your drinking? Yeah, Dad, I think we should.

[Brandon Gill]

Helping those closest to you think about their excessive drinking.

[Megyn Kelly]

Maybe that's what love sounds like. [e-mail] an OHA initiative. Good morning, everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly. It's Friday, September 19, 2025 and this is your AM update.

[Brandon Gill]

Do you think that defunding the police makes our communities more or less safe?

[Megyn Kelly]

D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser grilled on Capitol Hill about crime in her city.

[Donald Trump]

Well, Jimmy Kimmel was sorry because he had bad ratings more than anything else.

[Megyn Kelly]

And President Trump weighs in on Jimmy Kimmel's indefinite suspension and other topics at a joint press conference in the UK all that and more coming up. 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 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 before it's too late. D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser and other city officials grilled by the House Oversight Committee yesterday in a tense hearing. President Trump's 30 day federal takeover of D.C. police expiring last week though multiple federal agencies and the National Guard continuing the surge, cracking down on crime in the nation's capital. Oversight Chairman James Comer kicking off the hearing with the results so far.

[James Comer]

Since President Trump mobilized the National Guard and took control of the Metropolitan Police Department, violent Crime has decreased 39%. Robberies are down 57% and carjackings are down 75%. Over 2,300 people have been arrested. Nearly 950 illegal aliens have been detained by ICE, including 20 gang members from violent terrorist organizations. Sex offenders have been taken off the streets. Major drug trafficking operations have been foiled. Authorities thwarted a planned school shooting, cleared 50 illegal tent encampments and rescued seven missing children.

[Megyn Kelly]

Mayor Bowser still critical of the national guard presence in D.C. but supportive of the broader federal surge, framing the crackdown as a continuation of a years long trend of falling crime in the District.

[Muriel Bowser]

Like what happened in most jurisdictions across the country post Covid, we experienced a violent crime spike in 2023. When I was last here, I explained how we would drive down those trends and it is working today. Compared to 2023, burglaries are down 34%. Theft, motor vehicle theft 37%. Homicide down 44%. Robberies down 60%. And carjackings are down 71%. Overall, violent crime is down 53% compared to 2023.

[Megyn Kelly]

Republican Congressman from Texas, Brandon Gill, always one to watch in these hearings. Zooming out on the Overall trend in D.C. crime.

[Brandon Gill]

You've been mayor for about 10 years, right?

[Muriel Bowser]

Yes.

[Megyn Kelly]

Okay.

[Brandon Gill]

And during that time, would you describe D.C. as a safe city?

[Muriel Bowser]

Yes.

[Brandon Gill]

You would.

[Muriel Bowser]

Listen, mister, Mr. Gil, just. And it was brought up earlier by the congresswoman from.

[Brandon Gill]

The murder rate in Washington, D.C. is the fourth highest of any city in the country.

[Megyn Kelly]

Would you describe that as a safe city?

[Brandon Gill]

What was the homicide rate in 2014 before?

[Muriel Bowser]

I don't know.

[Brandon Gill]

It's gone up by about 70% from, I don't think that's 14 to 2020, 24. Those are from the Metropolitan Police Department. Do you know how carjackings have trended during your time in office?

[Muriel Bowser]

I know that they have gone down.

[Brandon Gill]

They're up over 500% since 20, from 2014 to 2024. That's not a safe city. I don't think any, any person would call that a safe city. Do you think that defunding the police makes our communities more or less safe?

[Muriel Bowser]

I've never defunded the police, nor would I.

[Brandon Gill]

You may not have defunded the police, and that's, that's a good thing. But you did provide $25,000 grant to an organization lobbying to defund the police.

[Megyn Kelly]

He's a star. Brandon Gill is a star. The five hour hearing coming as Congress considers more than a dozen new bills focused on hardening DC's crime laws. Juvenile crime in DC is rampant. The Washington Post reporting teens account for half of all robbery arrests, about 60% of all carjacking arrests from January to April of this year committed by juveniles in dc. The Youth Rehabilitation act allows criminal defendants under the age of 25, 25 to petition the court to be prosecuted as a juvenile. The House passing two D.C. crime related bills earlier this week. One restricting the discretion judges have for sentencing offenders younger than 24. Trying to put a stop to slap on the wrist sentences. Thirty Democrats joining with Republicans to pass it 240 to 179. The second bill passing with support from eight Democrats, 225 to 203, lowering the age in D.C. at which a juvenile can be tried as an adult for certain violent crimes from 16 to 14. Throughout the hearing, Democrats casting crime fighting efforts as exercises in fascism and racism. One fiery moment between Democrat Congresswoman from Michigan, Rashida Tlaib and GOP Congressman Byron Donalds of Florida.

[Rashida Tlaib]

And I think it's really important. We need to stand up against this fascist takeover. That's not a bad word. It's a fact. And here in D.C. and across the country, it is so incredibly important, Mr. Chair, that this committee does not allow rhetoric that defames or paints Washington, D.C. in a way that you all haven't really truly seen. You're just reading it, but you all live here and you're not telling people the beautiful parts and that you do see in our nation's capital. And no, no, no, it's just wrong.

[Megyn Kelly]

Chairman, I think it's insane if the lady doesn't have an argument, but she's going to refer to me and some of my colleagues. We were from the Third Reich.

[Reporter]

This is insane.

[Rashida Tlaib]

Criminals.

[Megyn Kelly]

The two bills passed in the House now heading to the Senate where they require 60 votes, meaning it will require Democrat buy in to send them to the president. Coming up, President Trump weighs in on Jimmy Kimmel's suspension as the left cries for fascism. And an update on the Virginia boys who were suspended for questioning. Why a girl was allowed in the boys locker room as they were changing. You know all those fad diets? Half of Americans do them. And if you do it enough, you could be at risk of diabetes, liver damage, heart attack and stroke. Oh joy. Weight cycling is when you lose 10 or more pounds, but then you put the pounds back plus a couple more. That puts tremendous strain on your organs and leads to serious health issues over the long haul. Bottom line, most people need help to stop weight cycling. And this is why I want to tell you about non prescription Lean created by doctors. Now, Lean is an oral supplement. It's not a glp. One, injectable. It uses studied ingredients which Lean says target weight loss in three powerful ways. One, maintaining healthy blood sugar. Two, helping control appetite and cravings and three, burning fat by converting it to energy. And of course, burning fat helps keep the weight off. So if you want to lose meaningful weight at a healthy pace and keep it off, consider adding lean to your diet and exercise lifestyle. Get 20% off when you enter mk@take. That's code [e-mail] President Trump holding a joint presser with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday covering A range of topics. Mr. Trump offering his thoughts on Jimmy Kimmel's indefinite suspension beyond his celebratory truth.

[Donald Trump]

Social Post well, Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else. And he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk. And Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings and they should have fired him a long time ago. So, you know, you can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.

[Megyn Kelly]

Many on the left and in the media decrying ABC's decision to pull the show in the wake of Kimmel's vile, heartless and completely untrue comments about Charlie Kirk's assassination. Critics accusing ABC of buckling to an authoritarian government, suggesting this is a First Amendment violation. The government interfering in what can and cannot be said on the airwaves. Except it isn't a First Amendment violation because the government didn't take any action limiting speech here. And what it did do the FCC chair told ABC affiliates to step up when it comes to decisions about whether to carry ABC's national programming is perfectly legal. Nextar Sinclair huge station group owners came out publicly and told ABC we don't want Jimmy Kimmel anymore. Critics say nexstar has a merger it needs approved by the fcc. So they were over a barrel. Sinclair didn't and it took the very same position over at ABC corporate things were going from bad to worse. CNN reporting the Disney bosses had told Kimmel he needed to go on the air and apologize. After all, he had told a vile lie about MAGA at a time when the party was in mourning and when its top advocates were in fear for their safety. How did the late night host react? CNN has the report.

[CNN Reporter]

Jimmy wanted to go on his show last night and in his monologue I hear that he wanted to address the backlash from the right regarding his commentary about Charlie Kirk's charged killer. And I hear that that monologue was very hot. It very much took aim at maga. And that is when the executive said we can't have him go on the air tonight.

[Megyn Kelly]

He was going to attack maga. Can you imagine the ABC phone lines? All this from a guy hosting a show with ratings in the TV toilet. In 2015, Kimmel's show averaging 2.4 million viewers a night. By 2025 it was down to 1.6 million in the advertiser. Key demo of 25 to 54 year olds. Kimmel in 15 pulling a cool mill this year down to 261,000. Yikes. That's down over 75%. Not exactly a winning formula. And this on a broadcast network. ABC reaches into virtually every single household in America. It's free for comparison. Gutfeld on Fox News only available to homes who pay for it, pulls in an average of 3.2 million viewers in the overall, with 381,000 in the key demo. President Trump in the UK also breaking some news about the Middle East.

[Donald Trump]

We're going to leave Afghanistan, but we're going to leave it with strength and dignity and we're going to keep Bagram, the big air base, at one of the biggest air bases in the world. We gave it to him for nothing. We're trying to get it back, by the way. Okay, that could be a little breaking news. We're trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back. But one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it's an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons. So a lot of things are happening.

[Megyn Kelly]

The Biden administration's abandonment of Bagram Air base, seen by many as one of the most reckless and disgraceful decisions of the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. President Trump slamming the decision many times before, both as a symbolic loss and in terms of Bagram's strategic importance. The state of the negotiations to take back Bagram is unclear. One reporter pressing Prime Minister Starmer about the state of free speech in his country. We still have 12,000 people a year here being arrested for social media posts for free speech violations. Does that not remain an important area that there is still a lot of.

[Keir Starmer]

Disagreement on that has long lived in this country. Free speech, it's one of the first founding values of the United Kingdom and we protect it jealously and fiercely and always will. And we will bear down on any limits on free speech. I draw a limit between free speech and the speech of those that want to peddle paedophilia and suicide social media to children.

[Megyn Kelly]

Virtually none of that appears to be true. The UK has been increasingly cracking down on speech it finds problematic. Arresting people for silently praying near an abortion clinic, for saying they intend to behave in a civilly disobedient manner. And then there's Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan. He was arrested in early September upon arrival at Heathrow Airport in London over a few ex posts deemed to be inciting violence for stating the truth about biological sex. An update on the two high school boys who were suspended in Loudoun County, Virginia, for questioning why a girl pretending to be a boy was allowed to use their locker room. The Boys captured on video back in May in a secret recording taken by the so called transgender student. A girl pretending to be a boy inside the boys locker room. That video obtained by ABC7 News.

[Reporter]

The female student turns on her camera and walks into the boys locker room at Stonebridge High School. Most of the video is dark but you can hear locker room sounds and boys voices. This is the moment some of the boys in the locker room realize the female student is there. 30 seconds later you hear this.

[Brandon Gill]

Why is there a girl? I'm so uncomfortable with a girl.

[Donald Trump]

Mom.

[Odoo Advertiser]

Female bro.

[Reporter]

That's when the female student appears to take the phone out of her pocket and aims the camera at the boys in the locker room.

[Megyn Kelly]

By the way, there is no indication that the female student faced any disciplinary action despite violating rules about recording in the locker room. The school board then launching a Title 9 investigation finding the two boys committed sexual harassment and sex based discrimination against the female. The board slapping each boy with a 10 day suspension and a no contact order with the female student going so far as to bar them from sharing any classes with this girl. The founding Freedom Law center immediately filing an appeal with the school board. The suspension paused as that process played out last week. Loudoun County Public Schools issuing a final denial of their appeal. The school informing the boys the suspensions would stand. The case however is not over. America First Legal stepping in on Monday to join founding Freedom Law filing a case in federal court on behalf of both boys arguing their rights under the US Constitution, the Virginia Constitution, Title 9 and the Virginia Religious Freedom Restoration act have been violated. A federal judge granting the motion to pause the suspension yet again. The lawsuit demanding the Title IX violations against the boys be dropped, the suspensions terminated, as well as quote, monetary and compensatory damages including punitive damages to the extent permissible by law. The next hearing is set for today. 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 Megyn Kelly and on all podcast platforms.

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