The Megyn Kelly Show (Ep. 1194)

Episode Title: Fighting the Establishment in DC, and Why Woke Lost
Air Date: November 14, 2025
Host: Megyn Kelly
Guests: Piers Morgan, Eric Trump, Calley Means

Overview

This episode of The Megyn Kelly Show is a live, dynamic conversation centered around the cultural and political backlash against "woke" ideology, the state of the political establishment, and the ongoing battle for common sense in institutions. Megyn welcomes a lively lineup: reform advocate Calley Means, outspoken broadcaster Piers Morgan, and businessman/political family scion Eric Trump. The evening balances sharp critique, humor, audience engagement, and a clear-eyed look at America’s cultural and political crossroads.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Demise of "Woke" Culture and Institutional Pushback

• Megyn Kelly opens by recounting the “woke” transformation at Conde Nast and details an incident where fired Teen Vogue and Wired employees confront their HR boss, Stan, for not embracing their activism.
• She uses this as indicative of a broader shift: institutions are now pushing back against progressive excesses rather than capitulating.
  • “It’s a watershed moment. More and more of these incidents are coming up…” (10:11)

[07:56–11:54]

• Parallel to Evergreen State College protests: Megyn connects the current pushback to the earlier “woke revolution” on college campuses—emphasizing how now, the energy is ebbing away from the movement.
• Shout-outs to celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence and Sydney Sweeney, who are publicly drawing back from political commentary as signs of changing winds.

[62:10–66:48] (Piers Morgan Segment)

• Piers Morgan proclaims "Woke is Dead":
  • “Woke up is dead. The war on common sense is officially over. No. Those days are done.” (57:08–57:16)
• However, he and Megyn both warn that the ideology isn’t entirely defeated—comparing it to “whack-a-mole,” where vigilantly continued resistance is necessary.
  • “It’s like a virus…It just sucks all the joy out of life.” (61:20-62:10)
• Both mock the absurdities of recent trans and non-binary debates, pointing to issues like biological men in women’s sports, "pregnant people," and chestfeeding.

2. Political Q&A: Immigration, Healthcare, and American Jobs

[11:54–24:19]

• Immigration:

  • Audience Q: Should there be a pathway to citizenship for long-resident, law-abiding undocumented immigrants?
  • Megyn's stance:
    • “I think they have to go. They gotta go. We can barely take care of our own and we really can't take care of an extra 20 million who are here illegally.” (13:00)
  • Offers empathy but emphasizes inability to absorb more.

• Advice to Young Politicians:

  • Megyn offers an eighth-grader running for class president practical tips: risk-taking, identifying what constituents want, building relationships, and grounding in faith and morality. (14:43–16:10)

• Jobs & H-1B Visas:

  • Audience Q: How can American jobs be protected from offshoring and excessive use of foreign worker visas?
  • Megyn calls out both parties, particularly establishment Republicans, for enabling the system, remarking that companies could and should hire American workers at living wages—criticizes prioritizing profit over American livelihoods.
    • “The truth is not that they're doing jobs Americans won't do…the truth is that we're not willing to pay a living wage so that more Americans are attracted to them.” (17:49–19:04)

• Healthcare & Diabetes:

  • Audience member voices frustration over high insulin costs after daughter loses coverage.
  • Megyn concedes:
    • “I don't think the Republicans have a plan for this, and I know the Democrats don't have a plan for this other than endless subsidies to help people afford a plan that's not affordable.” (20:01)

3. Calley Means: Fixing Healthcare and Fighting Special Interests

[31:29–52:16]

• Calley’s Background:

  • Former Coca-Cola lobbyist turned whistleblower and reformer.
  • Describes America’s unique health crisis: ultra-processed food, over-prescription (notably for children), and bureaucracies incentivized to keep people sick.

• Snapshot Quote:

  • “What is happening to our health in this country and uniquely in America is dark…We are truly incentivizing poison for kids. And then the healthcare industry profits when they're sick.” (31:29–31:52)
  • Reveals that 10% of food stamp money goes to soda—unique to the US.

• Trump Administration’s Reforms:

  • President Trump and RFKJ are empowering reformers to investigate and reform the food and health system, prioritizing wellness over pharmaceutical profit.
    • “This administration is taking on big, messy conversations on every single level. They are putting warriors in there to go up against entrenched interests.” (33:21)
  • Aggressively pushing down drug prices (e.g., Ozempic), ending school lunch junk food, prioritizing whole foods.

• Obstacles:

  • Entrenched “deep state” bureaucrats are undermining reform efforts, sometimes circulating CIA-style subversion manuals (37:52–39:33).
  • “90% of employees at HHS…are working and talking in the lunchroom about this manual and telling each other that their job is to save America and save science from the agenda of President Trump and RFK.” (37:52)
  • Calley calls for firings and deeper cultural change, not just policy tinkering.

• Future Vision:

  • Calley advocates a 10-year "MAGA" public health restoration plan: reward hospitals for health, not filled beds; reorient pharma toward cures, not chronic management; make wellness primary.

• Notable, Hopeful Quote:

  • “…at the end of the Trump presidency, we are going to have shockingly lower rates of obesity, of diabetes, I think of cancer, of Alzheimer's, which is highly related to diabetes because of the policies…the all of the above policies.” (46:39–49:42)

4. Piers Morgan: Wokeness, Free Speech, and Cultural Combat

[57:08–84:33]

• On Woke Ideology:

  • Piers positions “woke” as an assault on joy, common sense, and free speech.
  • “When I see one human being looking at me insisting I call them they them, I think I've literally died and gone to madland.” (62:15)
  • Ridicules gender ideology extremes (men in women’s sports, “pregnant people,” “chest feeding”).

• On Free Speech Battles:

  • Tells stories from the UK where comedians are arrested for "anti-trans" jokes; laments the erosion of free speech, referencing Churchill and WWII ideals.
  • “You cannot have a free democratic society if you don’t aggressively defend freedom of speech and freedom of expression.” (78:49–79:25)

• On Meghan Markle and Celebrity Victimhood:

  • He and Megyn lambast Meghan Markle as emblematic of “woke privilege” and ingratitude, mocking her claims of victimhood.
  • “She’s the high priestess of wokery and her husband’s the high priest half wit of Wokery.” (70:01)

• The Unhappiness of the Woke:

  • Megyn and Piers agree that wokeness is closely linked to personal misery.
  • “I think the woke mind virus is uniquely tied to a deep unhappiness. You know, you never meet a super happy woke person.” (79:44)

5. Eric Trump: Family Under Siege, Political Future, and Media

[87:55–130:54]

• Character Portrait:

  • Megyn describes Eric as the “most dignified Trump,” handling adversity with affability and class.

• Trump Family in the Arena:

  • Eric reminisces on the transition from business/media success (“The Apprentice”) to political battles, and the relentless, personal attacks they all faced.
  • “You have no idea. I became the pinata. I was getting a subpoena every single day. $400 million defending from just totally insane attack…This is a political witch on. This is the hell that they put us through.” (90:43–91:32)

• On the Weaponization of the System:

  • Details how media, legal, and government institutions turned on the Trumps after 2015, regardless of their prior popularity.
  • “So it’s not that they can’t see who you are, it’s that they choose not to. Right. Out of their own political animus, out of their corporate motivations.” (94:10)

• Reflections on Political Brutality:

  • Eric admits the toll of constant legal scrutiny and attacks, but maintains the importance of not being intimidated—especially following the shooting of Charlie Kirk.
  • “They did everything they could to kill us. And literally and figuratively. They wanted my father in prison. They wanted him voiceless. They wanted him bankrupt. They wanted our family totally dysfunctional. And when none of that worked…they wanted him dead.” (121:45–124:47)

• 2028 and Beyond:

  • Eric downplays prospects of running, citing the nastiness of politics, but leaves the door open for his or another Trump’s involvement if absolutely needed.
  • “Maybe we would [run], but not for now.” (130:27)

• Secret Service Code Names:

  • Fun insight: All Trump family code names start with M ("Marksman" for Eric, "Mogul" for Donald, etc.) (117:42–118:28)

• On the Future of the Movement:

  • Eric is hopeful, noting a new, more combative class of Republicans, beyond establishment names, and credits alternative/new media (Rogan, podcasts) for breaking through mainstream media hegemony.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Megyn Kelly:
  “We will not be silenced and we will not be afraid and we will continue on the mission that Charlie was and that we've all been on together. The beautiful thing about courage is that all it requires is that you say yes. Just yes. That's it.” (00:30)

• Calley Means:
  “Making America healthy isn’t complicated. It just takes political courage.” (31:52)
  “The Republican Party, quite frankly, is the only place where they're saying, how can we fundamentally reform this [sick-care system]?” (43:06)

• Piers Morgan:
  “Woke up is dead. The war on common sense is officially over.” (57:08)
  "Never bow to the mob, never grovel, never apologize, never give them an inch." (71:59)

• Eric Trump:
  “I became the pinata. I was getting a subpoena every single day. $400 million defending from just totally insane attack...This is a political witch on. This is the hell that they put us through.” (90:43) “If somebody wants to get you, they're probably going to get to you...What they wanted by taking out Charlie was they wanted us all to hide. They wanted us to go inside. They wanted us off of that stage.” (121:45)

Important Timestamps

• The Death of Woke at Conde Nast: 07:56–11:54
• Audience Q&A (Immigration, Jobs, Healthcare, Young Politicians): 11:54–24:19
• Calley Means on Root Causes of American Sickness: 31:29–52:16
• Piers Morgan: Woke Backlash & Absurdities: 57:08–84:33
• Eric Trump: Family in the Arena, Personal Reflections, 2028 Speculation: 87:55–130:54

Conclusion

The episode balances pointed critique of contemporary progressive excess with hopeful notes about a political and cultural reawakening. Megyn, Piers, Calley, and Eric blend humor, authenticity, and sharp insight in a spirited exchange that rallies their audience to “continue the mission” for fearless, common-sense politics. For those tracking American political and cultural trends, this episode captures the pulse of the shifting debate around wokeness, institutional power, and the emerging new right.

For more, listen to the full episode or catch highlights at the timestamps noted above.