The Megyn Kelly Show – Ep. 1260

Trump Calls Out "Pirates" and Celebrates Heroes at SOTU, and Robert De Niro Literally Cries Over Trump
Date: February 25, 2026
Guests: Tom Bevan, Carl Cannon, Andrew Walworth (RealClearPolitics)

Episode Overview

This episode features Megyn Kelly and RealClearPolitics editors analyzing President Trump’s 2026 State of the Union Address—the longest in U.S. history. The panel dissects Trump’s rhetorical strategies, highlights and controversies, emotional and political moments inside the House chamber, and wider Democratic and media responses, including viral disruptions and celebrity reactions. Central themes revolve around patriotism, heroism, media bias, political tribalism, and the increasingly performative nature of American politics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. State of the Union: Tone and Strategy

[01:01–05:54]

• Trump’s SOTU clocked in at 1 hour 48 minutes—the country’s longest ever, but “didn't feel that long…he kept it entertaining” (Megyn, 01:01).
• “Vintage Trump”: blending self-promotion with attacks on Democratic policies (crime, borders) while honoring everyday and military heroes.
• “CNN poll [shows] 64% of viewers had a positive response… His use of stories was…very effective and very dangerous traps for the Democrats” (Megyn, 02:30, 10:04).

2. Memorable Moments: Guests and Storytelling

[05:54–14:28, 54:00–61:20]

• Trump staged theatrical “stand up if you agree” moments and honored American heroes, including the gold medal men’s Olympic hockey team and heroic military officers.
• “Our country is winning again…Here with us tonight is a group of winners who just made the entire nation proud—the men’s gold medal Olympic hockey team.” (Trump, 05:54)
• “The individual stories…were extremely effective. Oftentimes they’ll put people up there and you’re kind of like, oh, that’s sweet…But you’re not like, whoa, what’s happening?” (Tom Bevan, 14:15)
• Honoring Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover (Maduro raid), Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskin, and 100-year-old Navy WWII/Korean War hero Royce Williams.
• “He had Royce sitting with the First Lady…flawlessly, as she does everything, pinned the medal on. Such a sweet moment…If that doesn’t move you, you have no heart.” (Megyn, 61:20–64:33)

3. Partisanship, Grading the Address, and Decorum

[10:03–14:33; 38:46–40:42]

• Panelists gave Trump’s speech grades ranging from C- (Carl Cannon, too long/factual errors) to A/B+ (Tom Bevan & Andrew Walworth, effective and disciplined).
• The speech was “light on policy, heavy on characters…partisan, but he stayed in good humor” (Megyn, 10:45).
• “No president would ever cede the opportunity to have all the nets on him for two hours…It’s a great opportunity to get your message out there.” (Tom Bevan, 14:39)

4. Democratic Disruptions and the "Ilhan Omar Moment"

[04:39–05:54; 31:12–44:42]

• Ilhan Omar heckled Trump repeatedly, in contrast to past decorum (“She never stopped heckling him. It was like the guy at the BAFTAs yelling…” Tom Bevan, 04:39).
• Trump’s references to Somali community fraud in Minnesota (“Somali pirates...pillaged an estimated $19 billion”—Trump, 31:58) and Omar’s angry retorts.
• “Not too long ago, that was considered a horrible breach of decorum. Now it’s like, not only are they not ashamed of it, they’re bragging about it and raising money off it.” (Megyn, 38:04)

5. Hot-button Policy Issues: Immigration, Crime, Congress’ Stock Trading

[03:06, 23:19–29:37, 43:53–44:42]

• Open border criticisms and public shaming traps for Democrats: “First duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens…If you agree, stand up.” (Trump, 03:06, 40:56)
• Congressional insider trading: “Let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information.” (Trump, 23:19). Discussion on Nancy Pelosi’s wealth and public opinion on banning Congressional stock trading.
• Debates on the free market: Trump’s measures called “command and control” by Andrew; defended as “common sense” by Tom and Megyn.
• Crime victims: Deep empathy for Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erica, and Ukrainian victim Irina Zaritska; Democratic reluctance to stand for victims lampooned as “a display of inhumanity” (Megyn, 87:36-88:22).

6. Media and Progressive Response—Derision and Counter-programming

[68:05–78:19; 99:18–100:19]

• Media and leftist critics ridiculed Trump’s medal presentations as “game show moments” (Abby Phillip, CNN) and exploitative (“element of showmanship and exploitation”—David Sanger, NYT, 71:37).
• The panel found this contemptuous: “How dare [CNN anchor] call it a game show…Thank God, no relation, mock the Medal of Honor as it’s like the Oprah, you get a medal and you get a medal” (Megyn, 69:12–71:54).
• Democrats’ “People’s State of the Union” counter-event mocked for absurdity: inflatable frog costumes, singing in giraffe suits, and Joy Reid declaring “we just go on vibes…vibes were immaculate” (Joy Reid, 99:18)—rebuffed as unserious and symptomatic of a party with “no message” (Tom Bevan, 98:16).

7. Robert De Niro’s Trump Derangement and Progressive Emotionalism

[46:42–47:58; 119:32–124:54]

• Trump’s Truth Social: “We should send [Omar, Tlaib, De Niro] back where they came from as fast as possible…Get on a boat with Trump-deranged Robert De Niro, another sick and demented person with an extremely low IQ…” (Trump, 46:42)
• Played clip of De Niro crying about Trump: “It’s almost like a destiny…destroying, attempting to destroy this country and maybe not even understanding why…So it’s up to us to protect the country that we love.” (De Niro, 119:32)
• Discussion of celebrities like De Niro being consumed by anti-Trump politics, contrasted with calls for Americans to dial back political obsession.
• “Their hatred of him is all-consuming. And I just…I don't understand it…It’s like a mind-virus…” (Tom Bevan, 125:15)

8. The Role of Patriotism and Masculine Energy

[49:33–55:38, 66:03–66:49]

• Discussed Trump’s “celebration of America, masculine winning energy”—contrasted with Democrats’ discomfort with patriotism: “Democrats only seem proud of the country when…victims are being celebrated. Republicans are proud for what it is.” (Megyn, 47:58)
• Sports and military as metaphors: “Being bold, being brave…hard work, that’s all very American. Trump loves it. It’s what makes us love Trump. That theme was clear in his guests.” (Tom Bevan, 56:32)

Notable Quotes & Time-stamps

• Trump: "If you agree with this statement, stand up and show support. The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens." (03:06)
• Tom Bevan: “He used stories extremely effectively…A bonding moment with the viewers at home…having a little laugh.” (14:15)
• Carl Cannon, on heroism: “Now that moment gave me chills. It was very emotional…it was a great moment. I can’t say anything else.” (18:52)
• Megyn, on heroes: “He looks like exactly the kind of person you want defending our freedom…It was an advertisement for America.” (19:34)
• Andrew Walworth: “Brilliant for social media: those stand-up, sit-down moments…reinforce that maybe the Democratic Party is not the party of normies.” (13:27)
• Megyn, on Democrats not standing: “How do you not stand? How do you not stand?” (85:50)
• Tom Bevan, on media bias: “They saw what they wanted to see…They thought they had such a juicy moment. The President snubbing his own appointee. No, that’s not what happened at all.” (116:35)
• Megyn, on De Niro: “Everything about it…makes my skin crawl. The worst is that she [Nicole Wallace] wants us to believe she’s crying…Robert De Niro is emotionally unregulated, all right.” (120:29)
• Andrew Walworth, on progressive politics: “Politics has replaced religion. It fills the void but is a corrosive force…People who center their lives around it wind up looking like Bobby De Niro—sad, bitter, angry.” (132:53)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• SOTU Address Recap: [01:01–14:28]
• Honoring Military and Civic Heroes: [16:36–19:34], [54:00–61:20]
• Ilhan Omar Disruption: [04:39–05:54], [31:12–38:59]
• Cong. Stock Trading/Nancy Pelosi: [23:19–29:37]
• Somali Community Fraud Claim: [31:12–36:52]
• Crime Victims—Kirk & Zaritska: [80:00–88:22]
• Dem/Media Reaction: Game Show Claims: [69:12–78:19]
• Counter-programming/Inflatable Frogs: [95:04–100:19]
• Robert De Niro’s Emotional Meltdown: [119:32–124:54]
• Patriotism, Culture, and Division: [47:58–56:32], [66:03–68:05]
• Media Fact-Checking & Corrections: [114:29–118:08]
• Abigail Spanberger’s Democratic Response: [108:06–112:48]

Tone, Language & Observations

• The analysis is sharp, colloquial, and at times irreverent (“He was Don Rickles out there…”, “It’s like Oprah: you get a medal!”).
• Megyn and her panel embrace a robust, bantering style—complex discussions are alternately emotional and humorous.
• The episode is unapologetically critical of progressive media and Democrats, openly celebrating Trump’s rhetorical successes and “masculine energy.”
• Memorably, the cast mocks performative opposition, highlighting the Democratic “People’s State of the Union,” and Robert De Niro’s public weeping over Trump.

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

• President Trump’s 2026 State of the Union leaned hard into patriotic storytelling and the honoring of individual “heroes” as a political and rhetorical tool.
• Democrats, particularly Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, are accused of performative outrage at the SOTU, further polarizing public life.
• The episode underscores a sense that “Trump derangement syndrome” dominates progressive reaction, epitomized by De Niro’s televised tears.
• Megyn Kelly and her guests see cultural and political division as near irreversible but remain adamant about celebrating American heroism and common sense.
• The overt performativity in both chambers—mass applause, choreographed counter-programming, viral moments—reflects a new era of politics as spectacle.

For More:
Listen to the full episode or follow the RealClear Politics panel for deeper dives on polling, media, and the ongoing 2026 campaign cycle.