The Megyn Kelly Show – Episode 1217 Summary

Episode Title: Redditor Helps Solve Brown U. Shooting Case, Tapper's Trump Health Sham, and Leftist Bullying, with Buck Sexton and Payton McNabb
Date: December 19, 2025
Host: Megyn Kelly
Guests: Buck Sexton (The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show), Peyton McNabb (High School Athlete, Women’s Sports Advocate)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into several timely and charged news stories, with Megyn Kelly and guests providing critical analysis and candid commentary. The main segments address the resolution of the Brown University shooting case (solved in part by Reddit-driven citizen investigation), reactions to how law enforcement and university officials handled the crisis, media bias as demonstrated by Jake Tapper's coverage of Trump, increased leftist bullying in politics and society, and a direct interview with Peyton McNabb about the ongoing fallout from her injury by a trans athlete in high school sports.

The show maintains a direct, unfiltered, and provocative tone throughout, reflecting Kelly’s "No BS, No agenda, No fear" approach.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brown University Shooting Case and the Role of Social Media

(00:50 – 19:20)

• Case Recap: Megyn opens with an in-depth summary of the shootings at Brown University and the subsequent murder of an MIT professor by Claudio Emanuel Neves Valente, a Portuguese national and former Brown student. Law enforcement eventually tracked him down after a suicide (00:50).
• Critique of Officials: Megyn and Buck heavily criticize Providence police and Mayor for self-congratulatory tone despite overall incompetence and failures, especially in public safety communications.
  • “The back patting by the Keystone Cop crew was a bit much.” — Megyn Kelly (05:23)
  • “There wasn’t a press conference called for everybody to high five each other…” — Buck Sexton (06:48)
• How Reddit Helped Solve the Case:
  • A bystander ("John") posted a detailed tip on Reddit about a suspicious car and individual, which led police to essential evidence.
  • “Social media solved the case. Some guy who saw the suspect was posting … in great detail. Redditors encouraged him to go to police.” — Megyn Kelly (08:48)
  • The power of crowdsourced intelligence and AI tools in modern investigations is discussed. Sexton notes the public’s increasing access to formerly law-enforcement-only tech tools.
• Privacy and Surveillance:
  • The conversation veers into the erosion of privacy, facial recognition advancements, and the dangers of ever-expanding surveillance, including how crowd-sleuth technology could transform crime-solving (and also mislead or threaten privacy).

Notable Quotes

• “Reddit might move a lot faster on that than some of these cops can. That’s just the truth.” — Buck Sexton (10:57)
• “Privacy is essentially going to be a thing of the past.” — Buck Sexton (18:04)

2. Institutional Security and Campus Politics

(19:20 – 25:32)

• Failure of Campus Security: The lack of surveillance cameras inside the crime scene building at Brown is attributed to campus politics, possibly influenced by anti-police sentiment and leftist activism.
• Leadership Accountability: University and city officials deflect responsibility, but both Kelly and Sexton argue that left-leaning campus culture leads to security lapses and an environment unprepared for real crises.
  • “This is a place that generally lives in a fantasy land of 'bad things don't happen,' ... not taking seriously the security, the physical safety and security of its students.” — Buck Sexton (23:24)

3. Media Coverage and Trump Health Conspiracies

(30:04 – 35:19)

• Jake Tapper’s Coverage of Trump: Kelly mocks CNN’s Jake Tapper for what she views as an absurd and transparent attempt to cast doubt on Donald Trump’s mental and physical health because he spoke energetically at a rally:
  • “He spoke fast… That one time he spoke fast, so he must have some sort of a brain disorder. This is so pathetic, and it’s so obvious.” — Megyn Kelly (33:15)
  • Sexton calls Tapper “the lost imperial Japanese soldier of CNN,” still fighting the “old war for journalism.” (32:16)

4. Leftist Bullying, Cancel Culture, and Declining Civility

(35:19 – 44:00)

• Incidents of Harassment: Recent incidents like Code Pink activists harassing Trump administration members in restaurants and politicians encouraging aggressive or even violent behavior (e.g., Mallory McMorrow’s boast about how she’d act if she saw Amy Coney Barrett in public).
  • “We can’t have civilized society if people can’t have dinner.” — Buck Sexton (37:48)
  • “She’s openly … bragging about how she would break the law because she disagrees with Supreme Court justices.” — Buck Sexton (42:38)
• Broader Social Consequences: Kelly and Sexton warn that such behavior undermines essential norms of decency, public discourse, and legal boundaries.

5. Democratic Party Woes and DEI Backlash

(44:00 – 67:54)

• Polling Woes for Democrats: Harry Enten (CNN) is cited to show record-low approval for Democrats:
  • “Democrats, in the minds of the American public, are lower than the Dead Sea, the lowest ever.” — Harry Enten (44:30)
• Backlash Against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Policies:
  • The discussion pivots to a powerful essay exposing systemic reverse-discrimination against white men in hiring and academia (“The Lost Generation”).
  • Sexton shares personal experiences with DEI-driven selection, describing it as “explicit discrimination” and a root cause of rising social resentment and diminished institutional quality.
  • “They fed white millennial men’s futures into the wood chipper and they felt righteous doing it.” — Buck Sexton (58:36)
  • Kelly highlights new EEOC public statements inviting white men to file discrimination lawsuits, hailing this as a “Christmas miracle.”
    • “Every white male listening, if you’ve been discriminated, please sue. Please do this.” — Buck Sexton (64:15)
• Long-term Effects: The result is not just loss of opportunity but also deeper demoralization and increased polarization—exactly the opposite of what DEI proponents claim to want.

6. Inspiring Heroism: Bondi Beach Shooting Aftermath

(68:44 – 72:26)

• Civilian Hero Recognized: Ahmed Al Ahmed, who bravely disarmed a shooter at the Bondi Beach attack in Australia, is rewarded with a $2.5M fundraising campaign.
  • Clip of his emotional hospital-bed thank you is played.
  • “We should absolutely reward bravery … This should be the standard.” — Buck Sexton (71:37)

7. Exclusive Interview: Peyton McNabb on Injury, Bullying, and Women’s Sports

(81:02 – 104:08)

Peyton’s Story

• Incident Recap: As a high school senior, Peyton suffered a traumatic brain injury from a spike delivered by a trans-identifying male athlete during a girls’ volleyball game. The injury ended her athletic career and altered her life (81:17).
• Bullying and Gaslighting:
  • The male athlete was remorseless, boasting online about living “rent-free” in Peyton’s head (82:32; 84:14).
  • Peyton shares two never-before-seen TikTok videos where the trans athlete discusses and ridicules her, doubling down on self-victimization and entitlement to play girls’ sports.
• Media Attacks:
  • John Oliver and other media figures (e.g., trans comedian Stacy K.) have publicly mocked Peyton’s injury and status as a victim, suggesting she was exaggerating or lying—
    • “A grown man … making fun in light of my situation … he is so deranged.” — Peyton McNabb (91:59)
    • “How desperate for laughs do you have to be for a grown dude in a dress to be making fun of a girl who was 17 at the time, who literally suffered a permanent brain injury?” — Peyton McNabb (99:01)
• Political Implications:
  • Peyton was recognized by President Trump at the State of the Union, and the incident has fueled debate over trans participation in women’s sports.
  • Democrats refused to stand when Trump recognized her; Peyton notes the hypocrisy of their pro-women messaging (95:19).
• Progress and Hope:
  • Peyton expresses optimism that the tide is turning against men in women’s sports, crediting increased public outspokenness. She hopes such injuries never happen again.

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Law Enforcement and Police PR:
  • “There wasn’t a press conference called for everybody to high five each other...” — Buck Sexton (06:48)
• On Reddit Solving the Case:
  • “Reddit might move a lot faster on that than some of these cops can. That’s just the truth.” — Buck Sexton (10:57)
• On Surveillance Culture:
  • “Privacy is essentially going to be a thing of the past.” — Buck Sexton (18:04)
• On DEI and Discrimination:
  • “They fed white millennial men’s futures into the wood chipper and they felt righteous doing it.” — Buck Sexton (58:36)
  • “Every white male listening, if you’ve been discriminated, please sue. Please do this.” — Buck Sexton (64:15)
• On Leftist Bullying:
  • “We can’t have civilized society if people can’t have dinner.” — Buck Sexton (37:48)
• On Media Bias Against Trump:
  • “He spoke fast… so he must have some sort of a brain disorder. This is so pathetic.” — Megyn Kelly (33:15)
  • “Jake is the lost imperial Japanese soldier of CNN…” — Buck Sexton (32:16)
• On Peyton McNabb’s Ordeal:
  • “I never played volleyball again. And for him to be the victim... that’s what happens when a guy is on a girl's team.” — Peyton McNabb (87:10)
  • “How desperate for laughs… making fun of a girl who was 17 at the time, who literally suffered a permanent brain injury?” — Peyton McNabb (99:01)

Notable Timestamps

• 00:50-19:20 – Brown U. shooting case solved: citizen investigation, police PR, and surveillance state concerns.
• 19:20-25:32 – Campus security, activism’s impact, and institutional failure.
• 30:04-35:19 – Media misrepresentation: Tapper’s Trump coverage.
• 35:19-44:00 – Bullying, harassment, political incivility, and dangerous rhetoric.
• 44:00-67:54 – Democratic polling woes, DEI backlash, and the legal pushback against discrimination.
• 68:44-72:26 – Bondi Beach shooting: ordinary hero recognized.
• 81:02-104:08 – Peyton McNabb interview: injury, aftermath, bullying, and fighting for girls’ sports.

Tone & Style

Throughout, the conversation is direct, unsparing, and often sardonic, featuring laughter, sharp criticism, personal anecdotes, and moments of sincere empathy—especially in the McNabb segment.

Conclusion

This episode tackles some of the most pressing cultural and political issues of the moment: public safety, law enforcement effectiveness, the impact of digital citizen journalism, the consequences of DEI on meritocracy, leftist intolerance, and the ongoing debate over fairness and safety in women’s sports. The guest interviews, news coverage, and personal stories combine for a deeply engaging and impassioned discussion aiming to spark further public debate.