The Megyn Kelly Show

Episode: Dems in Decline, Newsom's Bizarre Trump Troll Attempt, and Truth About DC Crime
Date: August 20, 2025
Guests: Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine
Host: Megyn Kelly
Theme: A deep-dive into the alarming voter registration decline in the Democratic Party, Gavin Newsom’s Trump-style social media tactics, and the reality of crime and governance in Washington D.C., with a critical look at mainstream media coverage.

Episode Overview

This episode opens with Megyn Kelly exploring the “state of American politics,” focusing on the steep decline of Democratic voter registration, bizarre strategies by Democratic figures like Gavin Newsom in confronting Trump and the GOP, and the situation with crime and public safety in Washington, DC. The discussion features veteran political commentators and strategists Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, and Dan Turrentine. Throughout, the conversation is sharp, unsparing, and pointedly critical of the Democratic Party’s recent strategies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Decline of Democratic Party Voter Registration

[02:37–22:05]

• New York Times Report: Kelly breaks down a significant NYT article documenting a steady, multi-year exodus from Democratic voter rolls and a 4.5 million–voter swing to the GOP since 2020.
• Mechanics vs. Message:
  • Mark Halperin: “Democrats and their allies in the media live in a blue bubble... they don’t really have a plan to fix it.” [05:19]
  • GOP has built a better machine, especially among younger, Black, and Hispanic men.
• Democratic Erosion Across Battlegrounds: Trends illustrated with Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Miami-Dade/Florida, and the near-collapse of key Democratic advantages.
• Men & Younger Voters: Steepest declines are among these groups. Kelly argues these trends reflect a backlash against DEI (“demonizes men”), woke messaging, and broader cultural shifts.
• Financial/Organizational Decay:
  • Sean Spicer: "The DNC is dead... unbelievable problem from where I started at the RNC, $25 million in debt to now an RNC that is dwarfing their rival." [11:02]
• Cultural & Economic Disconnect:
  • Dan Turrentine: “What issue do Democrats have that’s an 80/20 issue for us? Culturally, we remain totally disconnected.” [13:20]
• Democrats' Attempted Solutions: Spending $20 million to figure out "how to talk to men."
• Dem Coalition Breakdown: Party seen as “a patchwork of random coalitions” with no through-line.

Notable Quote:

• Michael Pruser (quoted in NYT): “There seems to be no end to this... It’s a five-alarm fire.” [03:50, as read by Kelly]

2. Democratic Messaging Follies and Identity Crisis

[25:12–30:41]

• Symbolic Failures: Kelly highlights Democrat stunts—like mariachi bands and "Resistance Choirs"—as hopelessly out-of-touch attempts to win back disaffected voters, especially men and Latinos.
  • “Roll the R’s and sing the song. I mean, honestly, they are doing more of it here. ...Is this going to win back the men and young people?” [25:59]
  • Spicer’s Sarcasm: “If I were the Democrats, I would double down on this... This is the secret sauce, folks.” [26:32]
• Woke vs. Mainstream Split: The conflict between appealing to the progressive “resistance” base and broader, more moderate groups.
  • Halperin: “No party can ignore the energized base... But you need charismatic leaders who get it. ...You cannot grow the party if you’re just giving in to them.” [28:04]
• Fundamental Challenge:
  • “Until there's a fundamental reckoning in the Democratic Party about what they stand for, they're not going to be able to message... and they've got neither [message nor mechanics].” – Spicer [25:12]

3. Gavin Newsom’s Trump-Lite Social Media Tactics

[30:41–43:24]

• Newsom’s Strategy: Adopting a Trumpesque, trolling social media style—releasing meme-like posts, mocking GOP figures, and adopting a combative tone—a split among Democrats as to the wisdom.
• Media Reaction:
  • Joe Scarborough finds it embarrassing—urges focus on issues.
  • Dan Turrentine: “I think what Newsom is doing is filling a leadership void. ...He is energizing Democrats.” [35:39]
  • CNN’s Harry Enten: Newsom’s X (Twitter) following has surged, prediction markets now giving him a 24% shot at the 2028 nomination. [37:15]
• Newsom's Substance Problem:
  • “What he lacks is substance. At some point, he'll have to put an agenda together, but for right now, he is energizing Democrats.” – Turrentine [36:14]
• Emulating What You Loathe:
  • “Most Democrats find Trump's tactics abhorrent. So if you find the tactics abhorrent and then your goal is to emulate them...” – Spicer [38:10]
• Political Talent Deficit:
  • “You need charismatic leaders who get it... They just lack that person who can bridge that divide.” – Halperin [28:04]
• Is AOC Next?: Some see Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as potential rival for the party’s leadership/attention span.

Notable Quote:

• “I don't want to see Gavin Newsom become president, but he is generating more attention than we've seen from any other candidate.” – Megyn Kelly [42:47]

4. Mainstream Media Fumble: CNN and MSNBC (“Ms. Now”)

[51:53–83:54]

• CNN’s Declining Ratings: Kelly savages the ratings collapse of CNN and host Abby Phillip’s “school marm” style, scolding both Scott Jennings (conservative) and Jillian Michaels (guest) for even modestly challenging left narratives.
  • Phillip: “When it became clear that she [Michaels] was trying to sort of downplay slavery, I was just like shocked...”
  • “I don’t like to talk negatively about guests... But she was ignorant and embarrassed herself.” – [54:09]
  • Kelly: “You cannot stay in business like this. ...This is the prime time... The prime time demo did not break a hundred thousand thanks to Abby Phillips.” [57:50]
• Media Echo Chambers:
  • Turrentine: “This is the feedback loop: they're crazy, they're wrong, we're right… We're not going to get better until we open up.” [59:43]
• Cable’s Future: Cable news is “an iceberg ... about to hit an iceberg. YouTube is where it’s at.” – Kelly [58:36]
• MSNBC’s Rebrand Fiasco:
  • Now called “Ms. Now.” Panel ridicules the new name as meaningless and a desperate PR move after NBC split ties.
  • Halperin: “It just, it’s too stupid... Whoever came up with this process needs to reevaluate the process.” [80:02]
  • Spicer: “You got dumped. That’s the answer.” [83:26]
• Rachel Maddow’s Spin: Claims the break from NBC will somehow be a “positive”—panel scoffs at the idea.

Notable Quotes:

• “It's like your parents raised you to age fourteen and then put you up for adoption and said, change its name... and you're out there like sure, I’m insurgent now." – Kelly [83:27]
• "Give me my chat account and 20 minutes, I'll get them a better logo and a better name." – Halperin [83:48]

5. DC Crime and Public Safety — “Truth Bombs”

[63:39–77:24]

• DC Crime Cleanup: Team Trump is moving aggressively to address DC’s homeless encampments and crime, using the National Guard and other resources.
  • Protests by left-leaning groups are waved aside by Kelly and panel.
  • Stephen Miller: “These crazy Communists... have no roots, no connections to this city... They have been advocating for the 1%, the criminals.” [69:00]
  • “We're going to add thousands more resources to this city to get the criminals and the gang members out of here... most of the citizens who live in Washington, D.C. are black. This is not a city that has had any safety for its black citizens for generations. And President Trump is the one who is fixing that.” – Miller [69:46]
• Reality vs. Rhetoric:
  • Dems focus on process objections, not fixing problems.
  • Media figures (Eugene Daniels) mocked for denying the existence of a crime wave (“I have walked the streets in heels and was just fine”).
• Kelly: “It is just, it's not just what they're doing. The fact that those three guys went to Union Station... and fought... I can't explain how gratifying it is ... to hear like unapologetic fighting for ideals we know to be just.” [75:01]
• Public Safety as a Winning Issue: Panel asserts Trump and the GOP are aligned with majority sentiment on crime.

6. Briefs: Trump and US Diplomacy

• Putin’s US Visit: Halperin clarifies a prediction about Putin’s supposed arrest, notes the extraordinary moment of Trump hosting such a “murderous dictator” on US soil to try to resolve the Ukraine war [84:04–84:47].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Spicer: “The DNC is dead. This is an unbelievable problem from where I started at the RNC... now the RNC is dwarfing their rival.” [11:02]
• Turrentine: “Democrats thought the Obama coalition, the coalition of the ascendant, turns out it’s the descendant.” [13:20]
• Kelly: “Your party went insane and you encouraged it. Nothing. It wasn’t like you missed it. You loved it.” [11:55]
• Halperin: “You cannot grow the party if you’re just giving in to them.” [28:04]
• Spicer (sarcastically): “If I were the Democrats, I would double down on this. Just keep doing more of this. This is the secret sauce, folks.” [26:32]
• Kelly: “The party is not cool.” [48:41]
• Miller: “All these demonstrators that you’ve seen out here in years, recent, recent days— all of these elderly white hippies— they’re not part of the city and never have been... We’re gonna get back to the business of protecting the American people and the citizens of Washington, D.C.” [69:46]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:37–13:20] – Democratic voter registration collapse analysis
• [13:20–22:05] – Party messaging issues and coalition unraveling
• [25:12–30:41] – “Out of touch” Dem gimmicks, base vs. mainstream conflict
• [30:41–43:24] – Gavin Newsom’s Trump-lite trolling, panel reactions
• [51:53–58:36] – CNN ratings, Abby Phillip segment, media echo chamber critique
• [77:24–83:54] – MSNBC’s “Ms. Now” rebrand, media business decline
• [63:39–77:24] – DC crime, real-world and media contrast, Stephen Miller segment

Conclusion

This episode paints a stark, often damning portrait of Democratic weakness—organizational, cultural, and electoral—juxtaposed with Republican momentum, albeit with a sharp, sometimes mocking tone. Newsom’s embrace of Trumpian mockery, failing and flailing cable news brands, and the hard realities of American urban life weave together into a narrative of a party and a media increasingly out of step with voters. The hosts’ and guests’ message is clear: unless the Democrats execute a wholesale course correction, the decline will continue.