The Megyn Kelly Show – AM Update 1/20/2026

Episode Title: DOJ Puts Don Lemon On Notice, 2028 Dem Contenders Go Quiet, Arctic Blast Incoming
Host: Megyn Kelly (SiriusXM)
Date: January 20, 2026

Episode Overview

This AM Update covers a packed news cycle:

• The DOJ investigation into Don Lemon's involvement in a disruptive protest at a Minnesota church
• The Democratic Party's struggles to answer basic questions on gender policy ahead of the 2028 election
• The long-delayed and controversial CBS "60 Minutes" report on El Salvador's prison system
• Meteorological warnings of a significant Arctic blast hitting much of the United States

Megyn Kelly delivers brisk commentary, firm opinions, and sharp asides throughout, holding a pointed tone toward politicians she sees as evasive or complicit.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. DOJ Focuses on Don Lemon for Church Protest

[00:42–08:17]

• Incident Summary:
  Former CNN host Don Lemon, now an “independent journalist,” accompanied protestors into a Baptist church in St. Paul, MN, disrupting a Sunday service in protest of the church’s stance on ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). The event was filmed and has since gone viral.

• Legal Action:
  The Department of Justice, via Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, is investigating possible criminal charges against Lemon and others under the FACE Act (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act) and potentially the Ku Klux Klan Act, which criminalizes conspiracy to violate civil rights.

• Don Lemon's Defense:
  Lemon claims the uproar and focus on him is due to his identity—“a gay black man in America”—not his participation. He argues he was present as a journalist, not an agitator.

  "How did I become the face of this? ... my producer said, 'Don, you're a gay black man in America.'"
  — Don Lemon, [03:04]

• DOJ's Response:
  Dhillon pushes back on Lemon's justification, arguing that journalism is not a shield for embedding in a potentially criminal conspiracy.

  "He began, quote, unquote, committing journalism. And as if that's sort of a shield ... it isn't."
  — Harmeet Dhillon, [04:14]

  She further insists the DOJ will use “the fullest force of the federal government” to prevent and punish such disruptions:

  "Come next Sunday, nobody should think in the United States that they're going to be able to get away with this."
  — Harmeet Dhillon, [04:53]

• Ku Klux Klan Act:
  Dhillon and Deputy AG Todd Blanche highlight the possibility of elevating charges from misdemeanors to felonies if conspiracy to violate civil rights is established.

  "They would say, oh, that's not just a violation of the Klan act, that's a conspiracy to violate the civil rights ... punish that more and make it from a misdemeanor ... to a felony under the Klan Act."
  — Harmeet Dhillon, [05:25]

• Political Response:
  Minnesota officials have stayed largely silent. Governor Tim Walz issues only a brief, indirect statement urging peaceful protest. Deputy AG Blanche accuses Walz of tacit encouragement:

  "He's been encouraging people to do exactly what they did. And what happened yesterday is a consequence of the governor's words, period."
  — Todd Blanche, [07:34]

  State Attorney General Keith Ellison appears on Lemon’s podcast, defending protest as "fundamental to American society," but is criticized by Kelly for ignoring the element of intimidation on private property.

  "Protest is fundamental ... It's freedom of expression. People have a right to lift up their voices and make their peace, and none of us are immune."
  — Keith Ellison, [08:00]

  Kelly sharply counters:

  “There is absolutely not a right to enter a church which is private property uninvited, and to harass and intimidate churchgoers even after you've been told to leave.”
  — Megyn Kelly, [08:17]

2. 2028 Democratic Contenders Avoid Gender Policy Questions

[08:17–11:36]

• Political Landscape:
  As the 2026 midterms approach, Democrats with presidential ambitions are under increasing pressure to clarify their stances on gender- and sex-related issues, which proved pivotal in President Trump's 2024 victory.

• Sampling Voter Opinion:
  A March NYT poll shows a large majority of Americans (79%) don’t support male athletes competing in women’s sports. Even among Democrats, 67% favor sex-segregated sports.

• Axios Q&A:
  Asked three simple questions (on transgirls in girls' sports, treatments for minors, and whether a man can become a woman), most top Dems—including Kamala Harris, AOC, JB Pritzker, Cory Booker, Andy Beshear, Chris Murphy, Ro Khanna, and Gavin Newsom—refuse to answer. Only Josh Shapiro, Pete Buttigieg, and Rahm Emanuel go on record, though Shapiro and Buttigieg mainly deflect or leave it to local officials.

• Rahm Emanuel’s Directness:
  The former Chicago mayor gives concise, unequivocal answers:

  "Do you believe boys should be able to play in girls sports? No. Should we be putting men in female prisons, men claiming they're women? No. ... Can a man become a woman? Not no."
  — Rahm Emanuel, [11:06–11:16]

• Campaign Strategy:
  Kelly suggests Democrats are emulating Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, who dodges specifics, instead couching support for boys in girls' sports as “getting politics out of the schools.” She sarcastically sums up the party’s approach:

  “Democrats 2028 motto, don't tell voters how you really feel. For the love of God, hide it.”
  — Megyn Kelly, [11:29]

• Polling Shift:
  Gavin Newsom slips in support among likely Democratic voters, from 23% to 17%, now trailing Kamala Harris (20%).

3. CBS "60 Minutes" Airs Controversial El Salvador Prison Story

[12:30–16:59]

• Background:
  After internal turmoil and accusations of censorship, CBS finally airs a long-delayed segment on the Trump administration’s transfer of criminal deportees to a controversial El Salvadoran prison.

• Editorial Dispute:
  Bari Weiss, CBS’s new editor-in-chief, pulled the segment previously for not having editorial balance—notably, a lack of an on-camera Trump administration response. Staff accused her of corporate censorship and of attempting to project political moderation to placate the new Trump-aligned government.

• Correspondent’s Pushback:
  Sharon Alfonsi, the reporter on the piece, objects in an internal memo:

  "The public will correctly identify this as corporate censorship.”
  — Sharon Alfonsi, [paraphrased, 14:38]

• Final Segment’s Content:
  The aired version is nearly unchanged except for a long anchor tag quoting Trump officials (with written, not on-camera, responses) and skepticism about whether the deported men were gang members.

• Media Critique:
  Kelly wryly observes:

  "Welcome to the new CBS. Same as the old one.”
  — Megyn Kelly, [16:40]

4. Major Arctic Blast Predicted Across the US

[16:59–18:33]

• Forecast Details:
  Meteorologist Ryan Shoptaw reports a “powerful blast of arctic air” will grip much of the US, particularly the Midwest and Northern Plains, and then sweep into the South by Friday night, with possible snowfall and wind chills as low as -30°F to -50°F.

  “…parts of the Northeast by Sunday could experience wind chills as cold as 30 below zero, with areas as cold as 50 below zero. 50, I say.”
  — Megyn Kelly, [18:10]

• Advice:
  Kelly urges listeners to “bundle up and stay safe” and to “make arrangements for your elderly relatives just in case the power goes out.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Come next Sunday, nobody should think in the United States that they're going to be able to get away with this.”
  — Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon, [04:53]

• “Do you believe boys should be able to play in girls sports? No. ... Can a man become a woman? Not no.”
  — Rahm Emanuel, [11:06–11:16]

• “Democrats 2028 motto, don't tell voters how you really feel. For the love of God, hide it.”
  — Megyn Kelly, [11:29]

• “Welcome to the new CBS. Same as the old one.”
  — Megyn Kelly, [16:40]

• “…parts of the Northeast by Sunday could experience wind chills as cold as 30 below zero, with areas as cold as 50 below zero. 50, I say.”
  — Megyn Kelly, [18:10]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:42] – Headlines & Don Lemon church protest coverage begins
• [03:04] – Don Lemon's "face of the protest" defense
• [04:14] – DOJ perspective on Lemon's involvement
• [05:11] – Ku Klux Klan Act discussed as possible prosecutorial tool
• [07:29] – Deputy AG Blanche on MN Governor’s response
• [08:00] – Keith Ellison on protest as American right
• [08:17] – Megyn Kelly’s response on limits of protest
• [09:03] – Trump’s 2024 “Kamala is for they/them” ad recall
• [11:06] – Rahm Emanuel’s unambiguous answers on gender issues
• [14:38] – Sharon Alfonsi’s memo on CBS censorship (paraphrased)
• [16:40] – Kelly’s critique of CBS coverage
• [18:10] – Arctic blast warning with projected wind chills

Conclusion

This episode typifies Megyn Kelly’s direct style, zeroing in on high-profile political and legal clashes, calling out what she sees as evasions or failures among public officials, and tying national news into broader trends for the 2028 political landscape. The discussion is brisk, opinionated, and laced with pointed commentary.
For listeners, the episode offers a sharply-framed recap of developing national stories—with a clear perspective on alleged media bias, political avoidance, and looming public safety concerns from both protest movements and an impending winter storm.