
Kentucky Republicans oust Congressman Thomas Massie in the most expensive House primary in history, handing President Trump another major revenge-tour victory. President Trump endorses Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the state’s bitter Republican Senate primary runoff. Tyler Robinson returns to court as his defense team pushes to punish prosecutors over public comments and restrict media access at his preliminary hearing in the Charlie Kirk murder case. Tom Steyer’s campaign for California governor faces a state ethics investigation over allegations it paid social media influencers to promote the billionaire Democrat without properly disclosing the funding. Pure Talk: Dial #250 and say keyword MEGYN KELLY to switch to Pure Talk and get unlimited data for just $34.99 a month! The Wellness Company: Don’t let a sudden illness derail your summer—secure your peace of mind and save $45 on a Medical Emergency Kit today by visiting https://UrgentC...
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Megyn Kelly
Good morning, everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly. It's Wednesday, May 20, 2026, and this is your AM update. Another scalp in President Trump's revenge tour this primary season. As Kentucky voters oust Thomas Mass, the president makes an endorsement in the highly contentious Republican primary battle for U.S. senate in Texas.
Court Official
The state has tried to make it abundantly clear throughout this process that we favor open hearings.
Megyn Kelly
Tyler Robinson back in court as his team fights to limit what the public can see at an upcoming hearing in the Charlie Kirk murder case.
Interviewer
So just to be clear, Tom, you don't pay anyone for endorsements, correct? Content creator wise?
Commercial Narrator
No.
Megyn Kelly
And Democrat candidate for California governor Tom Steyer under investigation accused of paying influencers for their support while not disclosing the funding. All that and more coming up in just a moment. On your AM Update.
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Megyn Kelly
Kentucky voters heading to the polls yesterday in a highly contentious primary race viewed as the latest test of President Trump's influence inside the Republican Party. Incumbent Congressman Thomas Massie facing off against Trump backed former Navy SEAL Ed Galrain. At the end of the night, Kentucky Republicans proving President Trump still holds considerable sway inside the party choosing Gal Rhein as their nominee. The race called quickly by various outlets with Gal Rhein winning by a healthy margin. Gal Rhine delivering remarks after his victory.
Ed Galrain
I want to thank President Trump for his support, his endorsement and his counsel as I navigated this campaign, which is a journey of unto itself, and for his courageous leadership of our nation at this critical time here.
Megyn Kelly
Massie acknowledging the loss I would, I
Thomas Massie
would have come out sooner, but I had to call my opponent and concede and it took a while to find Ed Gowrine in Tel Aviv. I did get the call through, though. I have, I have called and conceded the race. We've been honorable the whole time and we're going to stay that way, you know. Welcome to the most expensive congressional primary in the 250 year history of this country. It's not just the most expensive. This thing went on longer than Vietnam. It started nine months ago and they didn't even have a candidate and they decided they want to take me out the race.
Megyn Kelly
Shattering spending records, becoming the most expensive House primary in history, according to Ad Impact Politics, more than $32 million spent on advertising in this race, the highest total since the firm began tracking House primary ad spending in 2018. Of that 10.9 million spent supporting Gal Rhein versus 6.2 million spent attacking him. 7.6 million going to support Thomas Massie with 7.9 million spent attacking him. Congressman Massie landing on President Trump's bad side after repeatedly breaking with the White House on some of the biggest fights inside the gop. The congressman among the leaders in the House effort to release the Epstein files, opposing foreign aid spending to all countries, including Israel, and criticizing US Military action against Iran. Massie, one of just two Republicans last year who voted against President Trump's signature legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. President Trump, who endorsed the congressman in 2022, routinely bashing him on Truth Social recently in one March post, the president writing, quote, I predict that Representative Thomas Massie will go down as the worst Republican congressman in the long and fabled history of the United States Congress. Even worse than crazy Liz Cheney. But President Trump not the only one aiming to take out Massey. The race also drawing millions from pro Israel groups furious over Massie's foreign policy record. According to Politico, the Republican Jewish Coalition Victory Fund spending more than $4 million on ads attacking Massey. The American Israel Public affairs committee, or AIPAC, reportedly dropping nearly $5 million on the race. Congressman Massie last Friday telling Politico his resistance to sending US Taxpayer money overseas does not equate to anti Semitism and that he is not against Israel. Warning against trying to equate criticism of the politics of Benjamin Netanyahu with anti Semitism. Gal Ryan selected by the White House to challenge Massie, pledging full loyalty to President Trump and his agenda in March. President Trump holding a rally for Gal Rhyne in Kentucky, referring to him as quote, a great patriot. 68 year old gal Rhein has never held public office, running instead on his military record as a former Navy SEAL and his roots as a fifth generation Kentucky farmer. Galran declining multiple times to debate Congressman Massie Gowrain will take on Democrat Melissa Strange in the November general election. President Trump making his long awaited endorsement in the Texas Republican Senate primary, wading into a bitter GOP fight with control of the Senate potentially on the line. Choosing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent John Cornyn. The endorsement coming ahead of a runoff showdown next week after neither candidate secured enough support to win the March primary outright. Cornyn first elected to the Senate in 2002, positioning himself as a staunch conservative statesman and a senior Republican dealmaker in Washington. Paxton building his national profile as an aggressive legal combatant against Democratic administrations, filing dozens of lawsuits against President Obama and more than 100 against President Biden. Cornyn's campaign and associated PACs reportedly spending about $100 million on attack ads throughout the primary, hammering Paxton over years of scandal, legal fights and ethics allegations. Still, Mr. Trump opting to endorse Paxton posting to Truth Social yesterday, quote, ken Paxton has my complete and total endorsement to be the next United States Senator from the great state of Texas. Ken Paxton will never let you down. That runoff set for May 26th. The winner will go on to face State Representative James Talarico, progressive Democrat who also frames his politics in Christian language, once referring to God as non binary and whom Republicans view as a serious threat in November. Senator Cornyn responding to the news yesterday by leaning hard into electability, touting his record of voting with President Trump more
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than 99% of the time, noting the
Megyn Kelly
president has, quote, consistently called me a friend in this race. The senator continuing, quote, it is now time for Texas Republican voters to decide if they want a strong nominee to help our GOP candidates down ballot and defeat Talarico in November or a weak nominee who jeopardizes everything we care about. I trust the Republican voters of Texas. Coming up, Tyler Robinson's defense team asking the judge to close off parts of the upcoming preliminary hearing to the public and Tom Steyer's campaign for California governor under investigation accused of paying influencers to promote the billionaire Democrat without proper disclosure. If you are heading into summer without a medical emergency kit, you're taking a risk most people don't think about until it's too late. Summer colds linger and can turn into
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Megyn Kelly
Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, back in Judge Tony Graf's Utah courtroom yesterday. His attorneys delivering arguments on two motions. The first asking the judge to hold a hearing to decide whether to hold Utah County Attorney Chris Ballard in contempt of court over his appearance on Fox News, where he discussed an ATF report tied to evidence in the case. The second asking the court to deny media access to certain portions of Robinson's upcoming preliminary hearing, where prosecutors will try to show that they have enough evidence to send this case to trial. The ATF report at the center of the first motion becoming a flashpoint after Robinson's defense team highlighted that investigators could not conclusively match a bullet fragment recovered from Charlie's body to the rifle allegedly tied to Robinson. Prosecutor Ballard then speaking to Fox News and other outlets, arguing the report was being mischaracterized. Ballard saying the bullet fragment was too damaged for a conclusive match but was still consistent with the type of round used by the rifle found at the scene. Defense attorney Richard Novak arguing Ballard violated the court's gag order, which bars both sides from discussing the case with media in ways that could prejudice the jury. Novak adding that if prosecutors believed the defense had mischaracterized the report, there were other channels to address it.
Defense Attorney Richard Novak
If Mr. Ballard and his colleagues thought that we mischaracterized the ATF report, which we did not. But if that's what they really believed in good faith, they could have done at least three things. One, they could have filed something with this court, a judicial communication which said, we think that Mr. Novak and his colleagues have mischaracterized this ATF report. Number two, they could have reached out to us and said, we think that you have either inadvertently or intentionally misconstrued or mischaracterized this ATF report, and we would like the parties to file something. Instead. What they did was they drafted an email and they sent it to media entities like TMZ and they scheduled an interview for Mr. Ballard with Fox and friends.
Megyn Kelly
State Attorney Ryan McBride countering that prosecutors were allowed to publicly respond because the reporting had created its own risk of prejudicing this case.
Prosecutor Ryan McBride
In this case, there was a tidal wave of media garnering more than 10 million views in a matter of hours that mischaracterized the evidence that misrepresented the evidence that misled the potential jury pool as to what the evidence was. That media, of course, reached Utah County. It was widespread, and it created an undue risk of prejudicing or tainting and tainting the jury pool. Now, I've mentioned the misleading reports by the media, but I want to be clear. I don't place the blame on this for the media. These are reports the media has repeated from defense counsel's misleading statements. And I. I disagree wholeheartedly with defense counsel's statement that their statements and their pleading was not misleading because it absolutely was.
Megyn Kelly
Prosecutor McBride arguing the defense left out the other half of the finding. ATF also could not exclude the rifle as the source of the bullet.
Prosecutor Ryan McBride
If that omission, that material omission was included here, that the ATF was unable to identify or exclude the bullet, everyone would know that this is not exculpatory evidence. And that leads me to the second material omission, which is the analyst reported that the bullet was a.30 caliber class bullet jacket fragment.30 caliber class. What does that tell you? Well, that excludes a whole bunch of weapons from possibly being the weapon in this case. And on the short list of weapons that are included is a.30 06, the weapon that was found at the scene. The reason that's that that omission is material is because it shows that this evidence is not, in fact, exculpatory. By no stretch of the imagination is the testimony of this witness exculpatory.
Megyn Kelly
On the second Matter of Robinson's upcoming preliminary hearing. Robinson's defense team asking the judge to restrict media access during portions of the proceeding. Judge Graff previously allowing cameras in the courtroom. But here the defense arguing the media's access should be limited. Robinson's lawyer saying the public learning about inadmissible evidence could taint the jury pool. Defense attorney Stacy Visser arguing the case has already generated extensive adverse publicity. Referencing the fight over the ATF report as an example of how evidence can be misconstrued once it reaches the media and potential jury pool.
Defense Attorney Stacy Visser
Our goal here is to prevent that from happening by avoiding publication of evidence before there has been admissibility determinations. Most of the preliminary hearing, as far as we can tell, is going to be based off of reliable hearsay. They're calling five officers to discuss a very extensive investigation. The reports are lengthy and contain lots of statements from other officers and people that collected evidence. And unfortunately, we're not in a very good position right now to know what that testimony is going to be based on. Personal knowledge versus reliable hearsay. So our solution, what we see is closing the preliminary hearing and this court thereafter providing a transcript of what occurred during the preliminary hearing that can account for all of the evidence that wouldn't be admissible at trial.
Megyn Kelly
Deputy Utah county attorney Chad Grunander drawing a line between limiting public access to certain exhibits and closing the courtroom altogether.
Court Official
The state has tried to make it abundantly clear throughout this process that we favor open hearings so that the public can trust what happens in this courtroom and public confidence increases when people can see justice at work. Are there feasible and effective tools available to this court to ensure a fair trial? We've, we've talked about the idea of shielding the public from some of the exhibits that are going to be offered into evidence. We do favor, your honor. We favor, your honor, denying access to the public and the media from physically handling the exhibits and copying the exhibits that are admitted during the preliminary hearing. Many of the exhibits will be used at the trial at some point in the future and having the media access those and try the case in the public, if you will, I don't think serves the administration of justice. So I think we concur with the defense with respect to that.
Megyn Kelly
Grunander previewing some of the evidence expected at the preliminary hearing, including a pre recorded video statement from Tyler Robinson's transgender furry partner, Lance Twiggs. Grunander, acknowledging the sensitive nature of some of the videos, arguing that rather than closing the courtroom, monitors could be turned away from the public when that Evidence is shown Judge Graff telling both sides he will rule on the access motion on June 1 and the alleged gag order violation on June 12. Robinson's preliminary hearing currently scheduled for July 6 through July 10. Robinson remains held on bond on seven charges, including aggravated murder, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. Robinson has not yet entered a plea. Billionaire Tom Steyer, a Democratic candidate for California governor now facing a state ethics investigation over allegations that his campaign paid social media influencers for promotional content without following proper disclosure procedures. The Washington Post reporting Steyer's campaign paying, quote, thousands of dollars to individual influencers who have championed his progressive policies and financial bona fides. In an interview with creator Isaiah Washington, who has 1.8 million TikTok followers, Steyer casting himself as a threat to the very same billionaire class from which he
Isaiah Washington
hails people, especially my age, have been scorned by capitalism. You're somebody who has benefited greatly from it in how are you planning on gaining the trust of people who maybe are against the things that you succeeded
Tom Steyer
in really well, Every billionaire that we're seeing is behaving so badly, is so selfish, is so arrogant. I've been thrown out of those rooms. I don't share their values. I'm opposing what they're doing. I'm a threat to them.
Megyn Kelly
According to campaign finance records reviewed by the Post, Isaiah was paid $10,000 by Steyer's campaign, but the partnership was not disclosed in his TikTok post, which has now been deleted. Isaiah did not respond to the Post's questions for comment. That interview now part of a broader complaint filed with California's Fair Political Practices Commission. Under California law, online creators are required to include a disclaimer when they are paid to support or oppose a candidate. Last week, two California based creators who support former Biden Health Secretary Javier Becerra, another Democrat in the governor's race, filing a complaint with the commission. They allege that Steyer's campaign arranged payments to, quote perhaps dozens of outside influencers who posted favorable content about Steyer without the disclosures required under California law. The complaint now prompting a state probe into possible violations of California's political ad disclosure rules. One of the complainants, creator Beatrice Gomberg, telling the Post she believes Steyer's strategy was designed to make paid influencer content look like genuine political support. The Post reporting Steyer's campaign paid more than $300,000 to strategy firm Gutsy Media for production services, digital consulting and other expenses. That firm paying out about $2,000 per
Advertiser/Promoter
creator for positive content about Steyer some
Megyn Kelly
of those videos, including captions disclosing that they were made, quote unquote, in partnership with Steyer for Governor 2026. But other posts from influencers did not include any such disclosure. Steyer confronted on Monday by an ABC News reporter regarding the investigation so just
Interviewer
to be clear, Tom, you don't pay anyone for endorsements, correct? Content creator wise?
Prosecutor Ryan McBride
No.
Interviewer
Absolutely. What do you pay them for?
Tom Steyer
Absolutely not. We pay them for their time. But what if you say this Jenny, that means that we pay them for doing work they did. They choose what to do. They endorse us because they believe in our platform or they don't endorse us.
Interviewer
You have no weigh in on the content.
Tom Steyer
They are independent businesses. Independent small businesses. We pay them for their time. They do whatever they want to do.
Megyn Kelly
The obvious question is if they don't choose to support you, do they still
Advertiser/Promoter
get the money going to Guess not,
Megyn Kelly
Tom
Advertiser/Promoter
and that'll do it for your
Megyn Kelly
AM update, I'm Megyn Kelly. Join me back here for the MK show live on SiriusXM's the Megan Kelly Channel 111 at noon east on YouTube.com Megan Kelly and on all podcast platforms.
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Episode Title: Massie Loses Kentucky Primary, Trump Backs Paxton, Tyler Robinson Back in Court
Date: May 20, 2026
Host: Megyn Kelly, SiriusXM
In this AM Update, Megyn Kelly provides an incisive rundown of the latest political shakeups and legal developments. Key stories include Congressman Thomas Massie’s high-profile Kentucky primary defeat amid a record-shattering Republican race, Donald Trump’s influential endorsements in Senate battles, updates from the high-profile Charlie Kirk murder case, and ethics questions swirling around Tom Steyer’s gubernatorial campaign in California. Packed with direct quotes and sharp commentary, Kelly breaks down the key facts and controversies driving the morning headlines.
[02:28 – 04:03]
Trump’s Influence Asserted: Kentucky’s primary served as another test of Donald Trump’s hold on the GOP, with incumbent Thomas Massie losing decisively to Trump-backed former Navy SEAL Ed Galrein.
Victory Speech & Concession:
Record Spending: Over $32 million spent, shattering House primary ad records.
Policy Divisions: Massie angered both Trump and pro-Israel groups by:
Outside Money Influence: Millions spent by AIPAC ($5M) and the Republican Jewish Coalition Victory Fund ($4M) to oust Massie.
General Election Preview: Galrein faces Democrat Melissa Strange in November.
[06:05 – 08:19]
High Stakes: Trump’s endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn heads into a contentious runoff.
Candidate Profiles:
Attack Ad Blitz: Combined $100M spent by Cornyn’s campaign and PACs attacking Paxton.
Democratic Contest: Winner faces James Talarico, a progressive Democrat positioning himself in opposition to traditional party lines.
[10:22 – 17:18]
Back in Court: Tyler Robinson, accused in the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, appeared in court for key pretrial motions.
Contempt Allegation: Defense seeks to hold Utah County Attorney Chris Ballard in contempt for media leaks (specifically, discussing a disputed ATF report on Fox News).
Prosecution’s Counter:
Media Access Dispute: Defense moves to limit public/media access to parts of the preliminary hearing, fearing tainting the jury pool.
Defense Attorney Stacy Visser:
State’s Partial Agreement:
Sensitive Evidence Previewed: Mention of a pre-recorded statement from Robinson’s transgender furry partner is likely to draw added public interest/sensitivity. (17:18)
Next Steps: Judge to rule on access June 1, and gag order allegations June 12, with the preliminary hearing set for July 6–10.
[17:50 – 21:24]
Ethics Investigation: Democrat Tom Steyer under scrutiny for paying social media influencers to promote his gubernatorial campaign without proper disclosure.
Undisclosed Sponsorship:
Complaint Filed: Two creators supporting a rival candidate filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission, citing undisclosed paid promotion—possibly “dozens” of influencers.
Steyer Responds: Denies paying for explicit endorsements.
Complaint’s Core: Accusers allege the campaign attempted to disguise paid support as grassroots enthusiasm, violating California’s digital ad disclosure laws.
Ed Galrein, Kentucky Primary Winner:
Thomas Massie, Outgoing Congressman:
Donald Trump, via Truth Social:
John Cornyn, Texas Senator:
Defense vs. Prosecution, Kirk Murder Case:
Tom Steyer, on influencer payments:
This concise, quote-rich update delivers a comprehensive overview of shifting political loyalties, campaign finance battles, courtroom drama, and new questions about influencer ethics in 2026. True to Megyn Kelly’s “no BS, no agenda” approach, the show balances breaking news, sharp political analysis, and legal reporting—making sense of the stories shaping America’s day.