The Megyn Kelly Show – AM Update 9/4/2025

Episode Theme:
Today’s AM Update covers several high-stakes news stories, including the newly released Epstein files and resulting Congressional clashes, the collapse of a celebrity-backed green bank that’s now embroiling the NBA, and an update on Donald Trump’s legal battle with E. Jean Carroll. Megyn Kelly breaks down what’s real, what’s speculation, and what it all might mean.

1. Overview of Main Theme

Focus:

• The ongoing fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein case, particularly Congressional maneuvering over the release of files.
• The bankruptcy of green bank Aspiration, alleged NBA salary cap violations involving the LA Clippers and star Kawhi Leonard, and scrutiny of celebrity “green-washing”.
• A key legal update: Former President Trump’s continuing appeals in the civil cases brought by E. Jean Carroll.

2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. Epstein Files Drop and Congressional Response

Newly Released Documents

• House Oversight Committee releases 33,000+ documents: Mostly already public, but some new details on Epstein’s lifestyle, including an audio account from an ex-employee about very young girls visiting Epstein’s home for his twice-daily massages.
  • Quote (05:01 Megyn Kelly):

    "As the minute of tape was not missing in the DOJ's release because it did not exist due to the video being reset, it actually did exist. We can see it now and we have no idea why it was not included to begin with."

The Missing Prison Video Minute

• DOJ previously released 11 hours of jail surveillance, supposedly ending doubts about Epstein’s death. But a key minute (from 11:58:59 pm on 8/9/2019 to midnight) was missing. Recent forensics revealed the “unedited” file was two videos spliced together—fuelling new cover-up theories.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi asserts the missing minute is a normal camera reset, yet the tape surfaced in these files, contradicting her claim.
  • Quote (04:23 Pam Bondi):

    "Every year, every night they redo that video. It's old from like 1999. So every night the video is reset and every night should have the same minute missing. So we're looking for that video to release that as well..."

Congressional Fights Over Transparency

• Two Congressional factions competing:

  • House votes to support current Oversight investigation, likely to quiet a push for total transparency by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA).
    • Their petition needs 218 signatures to force a vote making DOJ release all Epstein-related files. Nearly all Democrats plus a few key Republican signatories, just two short.
  • Quote (07:38 Rep. Massie):

    "They're allowing the DOJ to curate all of the information that the DOJ is giving them. If you've looked at the pages they've released so far, they're heavily redacted... I'm calling on my colleagues be one of the next two who sponsors this discharge petition."

• Critics of Massie’s bill (and Oversight Committee approach):

  • Speaker Johnson calls the petition “reckless”
  • Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) warns releasing files could expose innocent victims
    • Quote (08:07 Rep. Mace):

      "It was inartfully drafted. It does not adequately protect the innocent victims, and that is a critical component of this... We cannot be haphazard about this."

Epstein Survivors Speak Out

• At a Congressional press conference, alleged Epstein survivors call for accountability and threaten to release their own list of powerful abusers if Congress doesn’t act.
  • Quote (06:22 Survivor):

    "He was too powerful. I was just one of the many young women trapped in his orbit... I realized how powerless I was."

  • Quote (06:44):

    "I want to help create a world where survivors of sexual abuse and abuse of power can come forward safely, and I ask Congress to join me in that effort."

Involvement of President Trump

• Victims publicly state—when directly asked—they did not witness or hear of Trump acting inappropriately regarding Epstein.
  • Quote (07:29 Unidentified Speaker/Megyn Kelly/Pam Bondi):

    Q: "Did anybody see or hear of the president himself doing anything inappropriate as it related to Jeffrey Epstein?"
    A: "No." – Megyn Kelly, followed by "No." – Pam Bondi

B. Green Bank Collapse and NBA Scandal

Aspiration’s Green Bank: From Celebrity Darling to Scandal

• Aspiration, a green bank claiming to offset celebrity carbon emissions, went bankrupt after its founder Joe Sandberg pleaded guilty to $248 million in investor fraud. High-profile backers included Drake, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert Downey Jr.
  • Quote (12:08 Megyn Kelly):

    "Critics have long maintained the whole carbon credit cure is a scam. Many of these companies have gone under..."

NBA Salary Cap Circumvention Allegation

• Pablo Torre reports LA Clippers may have paid star Kawhi Leonard $28 million through Aspiration for "organic marketing," allegedly circumventing the NBA salary cap.

  • The financial agreement specified payment via KL2 Aspire LLC (Leonard’s company), with no evidence he did any endorsement work.
  • Quote (13:35 Former Aspiration Employee):

    "Never. Not once. The single largest payment to an individual for marketing that aspiration ever made has completely evaded all press."

• Clippers Statement (rebuttal):

  • Quote (15:45 Megyn Kelly reading):

    "Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false..."

• NBA launches an official investigation; penalties could include fines, lost draft picks, suspensions, or voided contracts.

C. Trump v. E. Jean Carroll: Legal Battle Update

Supreme Court Appeals

• Trump’s attorneys ask the Supreme Court to extend the deadline to challenge the $5 million verdict in Carroll’s civil suit alleging sexual abuse and defamation.
• Carroll’s lawsuits:
  • First (2019): Defamation—put on hold while Trump was president.
  • Second (2022): Defamation plus sexual assault, made possible by New York’s Adult Survivors Act (one-year look-back window for old claims).
• Jury ultimately awarded Carroll $5 million, with a later jury awarding an additional $83 million for defamation. Appeals remain ongoing.
  • Key Insight (16:35 Megyn Kelly):

    "That money currently held in a court controlled account until both cases are done playing out in court... Now it appears Mr. Trump will seek a review in the US Supreme Court."

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Epstein Jail Video (05:01, Megyn Kelly):

  "We can see it now and we have no idea why it was not included to begin with."

• Demand for Transparency (07:38, Rep. Thomas Massie):

  "They're allowing the DOJ to curate all of the information that the DOJ is giving them..."

• Protecting Victims’ Identities (08:07, Rep. Nancy Mace):

  "It does not adequately protect the innocent victims, and that is a critical component of this."

• Survivor's Story (06:22, Alleged Survivor):

  "I was just one of the many young women trapped in his orbit. I was even taken on a trip to Africa with former President Bill Clinton and other notable figures. In those moments, I realized how powerless I was."

• NBA Salary Cap Scandal (15:35, Former Aspiration Employee):

  "Never. Not once. The single largest payment to an individual for marketing that aspiration ever made has completely evaded all press."

4. Important Segment Timestamps

• Jeffrey Epstein File Release & DOJ Video Minute Dispute: 00:48–05:01
• Congressional Petitions and Press Conference with Alleged Survivors: 05:01–08:30
• NBA Salary Cap Scandal (Aspiration & LA Clippers): 08:30–15:45
• Trump–E. Jean Carroll Legal Appeals Update: 15:45–end

5. Final Thoughts

Megyn Kelly delivers a brisk, hard-edged rundown of the morning’s major stories, highlighting holes and contradictions in the official Epstein case narrative, exposing the intersection of green “celebrity capitalism” and possible sports corruption, and providing context and skepticism around Donald Trump’s civil legal dramas. The episode is representative of the show’s fearless “no agenda, no fear” promise, putting power on notice and amplifying survivor voices while maintaining skepticism of easy answers or partisan narratives.