Podcast Summary: The Megyn Kelly Show, Ep. 1168

Title: Trump Brings Peace Between Israel and Hamas, and Potential Cancer Cure
Host: Megyn Kelly (SiriusXM)
Guests: Buck Sexton, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong
Date: October 9, 2025

Overview

This episode of The Megyn Kelly Show focuses on two headline-making topics: President Donald Trump’s role in brokering a historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas, and the latest developments in cancer research with Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who shares insights into his pioneering immunotherapy work and frustrating regulatory roadblocks. The first segment, featuring Buck Sexton, breaks down the geopolitics, reactions, and broader implications of the Middle East deal; the latter part is an in-depth, wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Soon-Shiong about medical innovation, media, Big Pharma, and regulatory inertia.

Main Theme 1: President Trump’s Israel-Hamas Peace Deal

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Deal's Historic Significance and Trump’s Personal Involvement

• Unprecedented accomplishment: Trump’s negotiation is widely characterized as a breakthrough unmatched by previous administrations.
  • “President Trump… pulled off something here that many presidents before him have failed to do.” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 02:34)
  • “This is a watershed moment.” (Buck Sexton, 03:00)
• Trump’s negotiating style: The panel credits his “superhero strength,” unpredictability, and willingness to “strong-arm” both sides as critical.
  • “The dealmaker who just refused to settle for less, who said, I know it’s impossible, but I’m going to do it anyway.” (Megyn Kelly, 05:06)
  • “President Trump really did have to strong-arm all parties to this table… that’s what he’s great at.” (Megyn Kelly, 11:59)
• Personal engagements: Trump called families of Israeli hostages and promised return of their loved ones.
  • “Early this morning, President Trump calling some of the families… telling them their loved ones would be ‘back on Monday.’” (Megyn Kelly, 03:55)
• Unconventional team: Real estate developers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner credited with key negotiations.
  • “Jared Kushner, who is so maligned by so many… cares deeply about the Middle East. He’s the architect of the Abraham Accords, and he and Steve Witkoff negotiated this deal.” (Megyn Kelly, 05:06)

2. Diplomatic Context and Regional Impact

• International leverage: Trump engaged regional stakeholders (Qatar, Turkey, Egypt) to pressure Hamas, ensuring “both sides” complied.
  • “Trump did that. He really thinks the key was getting these Middle Eastern countries on board with this plan…” (Megyn Kelly, 11:59)
• Change in US policy approach: Trump’s unpredictability was effective.
  • “President Trump is totally unpredictable. And you don’t want him mad at you… that MFer really might just do what he’s threatening, and we can’t afford that.” (Megyn Kelly, 15:10)
• Structural peace, not just ceasefire: Sexton outlines potential for wider regional transformation and stability.
  • “This is… the beginning of what we could see as the transformation of the Middle East… into something more stable.” (Buck Sexton, 10:09)
  • “Now the framework is in place to move forward to something much better… maybe ever.” (Buck Sexton, 12:58)

3. Challenges and Moral Dimensions

• Hostage deal intricacies: Israel to release ~3,000 Palestinians (some involved in 10/7 attacks) in exchange for 48 hostages (only 20 alive).
  • “Try explaining that to your kids, Buck… There’s a very different value that is placed on life by these two groups.” (Megyn Kelly, 19:09)
• Maintaining support for Israel: Kelly expresses concern over eroding American public support, especially among younger Americans.
  • “Israel cannot lose the United States. It just can’t. That can’t happen… I think Trump saw that too.” (Megyn Kelly, 24:46)
• No return to past mistakes: Sexton insists that Hamas must never again lead Gaza to prevent cyclical violence.
  • “Hamas cannot end up in charge again. That is the absolute no-go.” (Buck Sexton, 20:57)

4. Media, Political Reactions, and the Nobel Peace Prize

• Media reluctance to credit Trump: Mainstream and left-wing outlets are “begrudging” or silent.
  • “Barack Obama, zero. Bill Clinton, zero. Chuck Schumer, zero… Positive press for Donald Trump is verboten.” (Megyn Kelly, 40:02)
• Cynicism about Trump’s motivations: Panel debunks claims he only did it for accolades.
  • “If someone cured cancer because they wanted to find their name, you know, etched into history… would we say, ‘well, sure, he cured cancer, but the guy wanted a high five for it’?” (Buck Sexton, 37:13)
• Should Trump get the Nobel?
  • “I think it would be the ultimate troll of the establishment and elites for Trump to get it… it’s gonna burn all the right people.” (Buck Sexton, 38:39)
  • “We on the right are not generally motivated by leftist organizations patting us on the head.” (Megyn Kelly, 34:40)

Memorable Quotes

• “Blessed be the peacemakers.” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 04:48)
• “There are plenty of people in the Democrat Party… who would rather the war continue than Trump get credit.” (Buck Sexton, 41:26)

Main Theme 2: Medical Innovation and Cancer Research with Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. State of the Media & Decision Not to Endorse Harris

• Refused endorsement to Kamala Harris: Led to backlash and resignations at LA Times.
  • “We made the decision… not to endorse her because I didn’t believe, frankly, that she’d be competent as the President.” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 47:46)
• Vision for modern media: Launching private placement for LA Times Media Group to democratize ownership and revitalize the platform via digital transformation.

2. The “Bioshield” — Cancer Immunotherapy Platform

• Breakthrough therapy: Based on activating the body’s natural killer (NK) cells and T-cells, using IL-15 as a stimulator.
  • “We can now activate that killer cell and understand what receptor is on that cell. If you inject something called IL-15… you now have a chance to completely attack cancer of all types.” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 59:06)
• Impressive outcomes: 10+ years survival in bladder cancer patients; “complete responses” in head/neck cancers.
• Minimal side effects: Injection is based on a body’s natural process; tested on 8,000+ patients.
  • “It’s a subcutaneous injection for five minutes… it stays there for seven days and during that time, it proliferates your NK cells.” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 77:26)
• Treats/prevents multiple diseases: Used for many cancers, and explored for COVID, long COVID, and viral-induced cancers.

3. Regulatory Barriers and Frustration with the FDA

• Bureaucratic inertia: Despite evidence, FDA refuses to review applications unless independent, large-scale randomized trials are performed for each type of cancer — an impractical and costly demand.
  • “They refused to file. They refused to look at the data. That is mystifying.” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 63:47)
• Big Pharma’s influence: Suggests that the regulatory reluctance benefits legacy chemotherapy/treatment giants; points to accelerated approvals for older, more toxic drugs.
  • “Johnson & Johnson is about to get priority review… for chemotherapy in the bladder; when we filed our drug… they refused priority review.” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 87:08)
• Despair over patient access: Clinic overwhelmed with requests but limited in capacity due to regulatory and resource limits.
  • “We can only have the capability of having 20 to 30 people in the clinic… every time we say no, I feel such great despair…” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 82:16)

4. COVID, Inflammation, and Cancer Surge

• Link between COVID (and possibly vaccines) and rising cancer: Suggests spike protein causes inflammation, potentially raising cancer risk for the young.
  • “Covid knocks down P53. And if you have any latency… it’s what I consider no different from HPV, which causes cancer…” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 103:47)
• Protocols for prevention: Trials underway for long COVID and genetic predisposition (Lynch syndrome).
  • “Patients with Lynch syndrome — it’s already been given, clinics across the country…” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 102:13)

5. The Ethical, Economic, and Personal Stakes

• Motivation not profit: Emphasizes she funds most trials himself, willing to donate drug technology worldwide. Frustrated by constant association with “billionaires club.”
  • “I’m willing to donate it. In fact, I’m donating it to India so they can manufacture and give it to the world. It’s the most frustrating thing…” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 92:07)
• Appeal to the new administration: Hopes a Trump 2.0 administration will cut through bureaucratic dogma and make the treatment protocol widely accessible.
  • “One man can make that available for the rest of the country of a drug that’s already approved.” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 106:43)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Healing isn’t about poison or power. It’s about unlocking the potential already within us.” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 59:06)
• “This is a risk to myself in the organization, but I have to do this because I have to explain or answer the question of why.” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 83:24)
• On FDA reviewer's reasoning: “If my father had bladder cancer… why wouldn’t I give my father that chance? Response: I don’t care. I almost fell off my chair.” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 85:46)
• “It is part of your human biology… you need to monitor your ALCs… if you have low NK cells and T cells, whether you have cancer or infection or whether you’re elderly or had Covid.” (Dr. Soon-Shiong, 104:51)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:34 | Trump’s accomplishment and initial reactions | | 03:55 | Trump personal calls to hostage families, emotional thanks | | 05:06 | Megyn Kelly on Trump’s personal resolve and team | | 10:09 | Buck Sexton on regional implications of the peace deal | | 11:59 | Trump’s strategy: coalition building, pressure tactics | | 19:09 | Discussion of hostages, exchange numbers, moral context | | 24:46 | American support for Israel; generational shift | | 34:40 | Nobel Peace Prize speculation, media and left reactions | | 41:26 | Buck Sexton: “Some Democrats would rather war continue than Trump get credit” | | 47:10 | Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong segment begins: LA Times, endorsement controversy | | 53:23 | Private placement (IPO) of LA Times Media Group, new platform approach | | 59:06 | Launch into cancer research, IL-15 immunotherapy platform | | 63:47 | FDA regulatory roadblocks, “refuse to file” decisions | | 77:26 | Details of the injection, safety and effects | | 82:16 | Clinic capacity, despair over turning away patients | | 87:08 | Big Pharma priorities at FDA vs. new treatments | | 103:47 | COVID’s link to cancer surge, novel findings (p53 knockout) | | 108:21 | Hopes for meeting with FDA & administration |

Conclusion

This episode highlights one of the most significant diplomatic accomplish­ments in recent memory, with guests giving Donald Trump “full credit” for a peace deal that may reshape the Middle East. In the latter half, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong candidly exposes the travails of medical innovation amid bureaucratic inertia and entrenched industry interests, offering hope for a future where cancer and infection are tackled through the body’s own immune system—but only if red tape does not prevail. The emotional throughline, from the joy in Tel Aviv to the despair at regulatory stalling in cancer clinics, underscores the episode's dual focus: the human cost of war and of bureaucracy.