The Megyn Kelly Show – Ep. 1211

Title: Time's Absurd "Person of the Year," Newsom's Inauthenticity, and America's Font Changes, with RealClearPolitics and Doug Brunt
Date: December 11, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of The Megyn Kelly Show takes aim at current cultural and political controversies, beginning with Time Magazine's 2025 "Person of the Year" selection. Megyn is joined by panelists from RealClearPolitics (Tom Bevan, Carl Cannon, Andrew Sullivan, Andy Walworth) to analyze the implications of Time's choice and what it means for conservative politics. The crew also delves into the ongoing Candace Owens–Erica Kirk feud, the divides over Israel within the conservative movement, and the authenticity (or lack thereof) of California Governor Gavin Newsom as he prepares for a 2028 presidential run. The latter half of the episode is more light-hearted, featuring writer Doug Brunt (Megyn's husband), with the pair reminiscing about holiday traditions, the state of publishing, and even the significance of font choices in government communications.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Time Magazine’s 2025 "Person of the Year": Architects of AI

Timestamps: 02:55–14:03

• Time's Choice: Time named the “Architects of AI” (e.g., Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg) as Person of the Year.
• Panel Critique: All participants find the choice baffling and see it as a snub to Charlie Kirk, given his assassination and subsequent cultural influence.
  • Megyn Kelly (03:27): “It's fucking AI. It's AI architects. It's not Charlie Kirk, which is so obvious...”
  • Andrew Sullivan (06:17): “Whether you loved him or hated him, he loomed large this year in our politics and our culture.”
  • Carl Cannon (09:36): “He was a champion of resisting censorship...and for that he was killed. To me, he should be honored for that.”
• Why Not Charlie Kirk? Panelists suggest Kirk was deemed “an ongoing threat to the ideals of the people who make these decisions at Time magazine” (Megyn, 10:42).
• AI as Person of the Year:
  • Debate on whether AI can/should be considered a “person.”
  • Discussion about AI-related scandals and dangers—ChatGPT’s dark side, including tragic outcomes (Megyn, 14:10).

2. Candace Owens vs. Erica Kirk and the Turning Point Divide

Timestamps: 16:03–27:35

• Background: Owens has accused Turning Point (and by extension, Erica Kirk) of involvement in Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
• Erica Kirk’s Response (17:06): Publicly rebukes Owens’ insinuations, calls it a “mind virus,” and emphasizes her focus on justice for her husband.
• Candace’s Counter (18:59): Insists Erica isn’t prioritizing transparency; claims Turning Point and Kirk’s “emotional response...is absent of any logic.”
  • “This is why there are many people who do not believe that women are equipped to lead companies...”
  • Describes the fallout as potentially “costing [Republicans] the midterms.”
• Panel Analysis:
  • Andrew Sullivan (22:06): Owens’ campaign “is just unbelievably toxic and evil... a distraction.”
  • Election impact? Unlikely to shake overall midterms but may have effects on youth turnout and movement cohesion.

3. Israel, Generational Politics, and the Right-Left Realignment

Timestamps: 27:35–33:41

• Youth Attitudes: There is a significant generational shift, including within the GOP, turning against Israel, partially due to the younger generation’s skepticism of “forever wars.”
  • Megyn Kelly (32:02): “Now in the Republican Party, the youth has turned on Israel. This is not all because of podcasters. It’s, I would submit to you, because of Israel, because of Netanyahu, because of the messaging around the war, and because of the Iran strike which the younger generation is against.”
  • Carl Cannon (30:53): Still sees anti-Israel sentiment as contamination from the left’s “colonizing” narrative.
• Election Prognosis: Panel largely agrees the midterms and 2028 will hinge more on the economy and health care than on infighting or foreign policy divides.

4. Gavin Newsom’s Image Makeover: Elitism vs. Authenticity

Timestamps: 34:49–48:37

• Newsom’s “Vulnerable” Book Tour: Tries to sell himself as “open, vulnerable, honest, both rich and poor.”
  • Megyn Kelly (36:16): Ruthlessly mocks Newsom’s attempt to present as an everyman: “He's continuing his little, you know, I was born a poor black child routine, which he wasn't. He wasn't. He's basically a Getty.”
  • Newsom's claims of hardship are debated and debunked; family wealth and privilege detailed.
• Panel Take:
  • Tom Bevan (45:28): “He has an authenticity problem and he's trying to solve it by becoming more inauthentic. His slickness is both his superpower and his Achilles heel.”
  • Newsom is considered the 2028 Dem favorite, despite baggage and skepticism over his “cool” persona.

5. Media Awards: Cronkite Honors, Irrelevance, and Bias

Timestamps: 52:16–63:56

• The Walter Cronkite Awards are being given to Rachel Maddow, Jon Stewart, and Scott Pelley—drawing the ire and ridicule of the panel.
  • Megyn Kelly (53:23/56:01): Maddow is a “conspiracy theorist... that's all she's peddled in for the past 10 years and she never owned it.”
  • Carl Cannon (56:29): Lampoons the “diversity training” circuit and Stewart's episode dismissing white men on race.
  • Andrew Sullivan (59:25): Outrage at recognition of “left-leaning” journalism, absence of recognition for Pulitzer-worthy center-right efforts.
  • Panel consensus: Legacy journalistic awards have become “caricatures and parodies of themselves.”

6. Book Publishing: Insights with Doug Brunt

Timestamps: 66:16–85:28

• Doug Brunt’s New Book: The Lost Empire of Emmanuel Nobel—profile of the forgotten oil tycoon who rivaled Rockefeller and helped found the Nobel Prize.
• Fascinating detour into the Nobel prize’s origins, Russian history, and storytelling in nonfiction.
• Holiday Traditions: The Brunt-Kelly family’s approaches to Christmas, costume parties, games, and eggnog—a warm, personal glimpse into their lives, reinforcing the importance of family rituals.

7. Lighthearted Segments: Fonts, Family, and Games

Timestamps: 85:28–99:41

• Font Wars in Government:

  • Sen. Marco Rubio switches State Department font from “woke” Calibri to Times New Roman.
  • Doug Brunt (87:45): “It does matter... It's your first chance to set the tone, set the atmosphere for the audience.”
  • Discussion spins into the importance of small, ritualistic choices (like Jordan Peterson's comments about daily routines) in household and life satisfaction.

• Importance of Humor in Family: Panel muses (with mutual affection and ribbing) on the key role of laughter in relationships, family wellbeing, and teaching resilience (89:31 through 91:17).

• Games and Charades:

  • Funny anecdotes about holiday games (Imposter app, charades, costume nights) reinforcing the show’s unique blend of weighty topics and relatability.

8. Education and the Accommodation Explosion

Timestamps: 109:26–118:20

• Atlantic Article: “Accommodation Nation” – elite universities’ rapid increase in “disabled” students, now often non-physical (ADHD, anxiety, depression).
  • Stats: Top schools’ “disabled” student body as high as 34% (“Brown, 2014, 10%; now 22%.”)
  • Panel decries abuse of accommodations as “cheat codes” for privileged students, putting truly disabled and hard-working students at a disadvantage.
  • Megyn Kelly (116:25): “Those 31% are fucking faking it to get an academic advantage and it's a disadvantage for the kids who just work hard and show up and want to color within the lines.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Time Magazine’s AI Selection:
  “It's the classic, you know, construction guys on the crane sticking out from a building from, like, the 1930s, only it's got Elon, Sam...as if they would be caught dead on one of those cranes.” – Megyn Kelly (03:27)

• On Charlie Kirk as “Person of the Year”:
  “He was a champion of resisting censorship...Even if you don't agree with Charlie Kirk on any of his policy positions, what he did was brave, and it cost him his life.” – Carl Cannon (09:36)

• On Candace Owens and Erica Kirk:
  “This is why there are many people who do not believe that women are equipped to lead companies. Because what you are watching here is an unbelievably emotional response that is absent of any logic.” – Candace Owens, as played by Megyn Kelly (18:59)
  “Candace calls herself, you know, a friend of Charlie. With friends like this, I mean, you know, you don't need enemies.” – Andrew Sullivan (22:13)

• On Gavin Newsom’s “Poor Kid” Narrative:
  “He's continuing his little, you know, I was born a poor black child routine, which he wasn't. He wasn't. He's basically a Getty.” – Megyn Kelly (34:49)

• On Font Wars:
  “Calibri does look a little light in the loafers. It’s a little different, for sure. Times New Roman is, like, bald, bald.” – Megyn Kelly and Doug Brunt (85:56–86:00)

• On College Accommodations:
  “If you have a kid who just studies hard and goes into class and is ready to take the test, they get disadvantaged by this. ...31% are fucking faking it to get an academic advantage.” – Megyn Kelly (116:25)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Time’s Person of the Year—AI Discourse: 02:55–14:03
• Kirk Assassination/Candace Owens Feud: 16:03–27:35
• Conservative Youth & Israel Debate: 27:35–33:41
• Gavin Newsom’s Authenticity: 34:49–48:37
• Media Awards and Rachel Maddow Critique: 52:16–63:56
• Holiday and Family Traditions with Doug Brunt: 66:16–85:28
• Fonts, Family, and Laughter: 85:28–99:41
• Education Accommodations Scandal: 109:26–118:20

Episode Tone and Language

• Unfiltered, candid, often humorous and irreverent.
• Panelists freely disagree, spar, and rib each other, but maintain underlying collegiality.
• Megyn Kelly in particular uses biting language (“fuck him”, “bullshit”, etc.) while still remaining approachable and relatable.
• Lighter segments with Doug Brunt soften the tone, emphasizing close family bonds and the importance of rituals and humor.

Useful for Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is a dense, entertaining digest of current media, political, and cultural topics—mixing sharp media critiques (Time, Newsom, Cronkite Awards), hard-hitting political analysis (Kirk, Owens, Israel), and personal warmth (holiday stories, publishing insight, family humor) in a style that’s provocative but accessible. The panel’s interplay and Megyn’s blending of serious content with levity make it both informative and genuinely engaging for listeners across the political spectrum.

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