
The media hypes Elon Musk’s departure from his Trump-appointed role - but is it really news, or just recycled spin? President Trump unveils a sweeping tariff strategy from the Rose Garden, hitting China with a 54% rate and earning praise from the United Auto Workers. Former Biden aides spill behind-the-scenes details of his campaign’s final days. RFK Jr.’s top advisor Calley Means goes into hostile territory to talk about the HHS agenda. Patriot Mobile: Get a Free Month at https://PatriotMobile.com/MEGYN or call 972-PATRIOT Done with Debt: https://www.DoneWithDebt.com & tell them Megyn sent you!
Loading summary
Megyn Kelly
Good morning everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly. It's Thursday, April 3, 2025, and this is your AM update.
Unnamed Economic Analyst
I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that time frame.
Megyn Kelly
A new Politico report claims Elon Musk is stepping back from his DOGE role. But is it really news or just repackaged public info?
Unnamed Political Commentator
We will charge them approximately half of what they are and have been charging us.
Megyn Kelly
President Trump unveils his territor strategy. Ex Biden officials revealing dramatic behind the scenes details from the final days of the former president's campaign. And RFKJ's top advisor faces a crowd of angry lobbyists and how defending his boss's vision for making America healthy again. All that and more coming up in just a moment. On your AM Update, I want to tell you all about Patriot Mobile, one of the few cell phone service providers that operates on all three of the major networks. If you have cell phone service in this country today, you can get exceptional service with Patriot Mobile. That's why they offer a coverage guarantee that others cannot. You might think switching to Patriot Mobile is painful, but it isn't. No need to spend hours in a retail store waiting your turn. Just call Patriot Mobile's 100% US based team from the comfort of your own home or office and they will have you activated in minutes. Still locked in a contract? Not a problem. Patriot Mobile's contract buyout program covers up to 500 bucks per device. Keep your same number, keep your phone or treat yourself to an upgrade. So consider joining Patriot Mobile today. Support faith, family and freedom with every call and text you make. Don't wait. Do it today. Go to patriotmobile.com megan or call 972-patriot, use promo code megan and get a free month of service. That's patriotmobile.com megan or just call 972 Patriot. Elon Musk obsessed media playing up a supposed scoop yesterday afternoon. Politico fueling speculation about Musk's role in the Trump administration despite his long scheduled exit, publishing a headline reading trump Tells Inner Circle that Musk will Leave Soon. The article describing Mr. Musk stepping back as a recent decision. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt, responding to the claims on X, writing, quote, this scoop is garbage. Elon Musk and President Trump have both publicly stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at Doge is complete. Elon Musk responding to the post quote, yeah, fake news. The article coming on the heels of a high Profile election loss in Wisconsin for the Republicans. Mr. Musk and his affiliated groups reportedly contributing more than $20 million in an attempt to flip the state Supreme Court. There conservative ultimately losing by 10 points on Wednesday. Media reveling in the loss and blaming Elon.
Unnamed Political Commentator
What a massive loss it was for Elon Musk. Wisconsin clearly said we are not for sale.
Unnamed Political Analyst
If you are a Republican candidate running in a swing state, you don't want Elon Musk anywhere near you. Yes, maybe you like the money, but, but you do not want his presence in your state. You know what?
Megyn Kelly
Donald Trump likes winners.
Unnamed Political Analyst
And you know what Elon Musk was on Tuesday night?
Kali Means
A loser.
Megyn Kelly
Politico describing Mr. Musk's plans to go as a recent decision by President Trump. However, Mr. Musk's status as a special government employee has a 130 day term. Limit. Reporting that indicates Mr. Musk will be stepping back in the next few weeks supports the timeline of that 130 days which would expire on May 30. Last Thursday, Fox News asking Elon about this very thing.
Unnamed Political Commentator
You technically are a special government employee and you're supposed to be 130 days. Are you going to continue past that or do you think that's the what you're going to do or.
Unnamed Economic Analyst
Well, I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that timeframe.
Unnamed Political Commentator
So in that timeframe, 130 days and the process is a report at some point, 100 days, not really a report.
Unnamed Economic Analyst
We are cutting the waste and fraud in real time. So every day like that passes. Our goal is to reduce the waste and fraud by $4 billion a day, every day, seven days a week. And so far we are succeeding.
Megyn Kelly
The Doge website says it has cut 140 billion in contracts and grants so far. Earlier this week, President Trump offering public support for Mr. Musk.
Unnamed Political Analyst
Elon Musk's special government tenure is coming to an end. 130 days. I think another month. Do you want him to stay longer or is it time for him to go back to running his companies in Europe?
Unnamed Political Commentator
Well, I think he's amazing, but I also think he's got a big company to run and so at some point he's going to be going back. He wants to keep him, but, oh, I'd keep him as long as I could keep him. He's a very talented guy.
Megyn Kelly
The Doge Commission is set to conclude operations on July 4th of 2026, even after Mr. Musk's special government employee status ends political reporting. A senior administration official says Mr. Musk is likely to retain an informal role, continuing to be an occasional face around the White House grounds. President Trump on Wednesday unveiling his global tariff policy in a Rose Garden speech billed as both Liberation Day and Make America Wealthy Again. After weeks of teasing reciprocal tariffs, the president announcing a scaled back plan.
Unnamed Political Commentator
We will charge them approximately half of what they are and have been charging us. So the tariffs will be not a full reciprocal. It's our turn to prosper and in so doing use trillions and trillions of dollars to reduce our taxes and pay down our national debt. And it'll all happen very quickly.
Megyn Kelly
The US will impose a baseline of 10% tariffs on all imports with no exceptions. The worst offenders identified by the President's Council of Economic Advisers slap with a rate equivalent to half of what they charge the U.S. china, for example, now facing an additional 34% tariff in return for the 67% duty it imposes on American goods. This brings the total Chinese tariff rate to 54%. President Trump also imposing a 25% tariff on all foreign made automobiles, a decision applauded by the United auto workers union. Mr. Trump sharing the podium with UAW member Brian Panabaker.
Brian Panabaker
I have watched my entire life, I have watched plant after plant after plant in Detroit and in the metro Detroit area close. There are now plants sitting idle. There are now plants that are underutilized and and Donald Trump's policies are going to bring product back into those underutilized plants. There's going to be new investment, there's going to be new plants built and the UAW members and I brought 20 of them with me, they're sitting right over here. We support Donald Trump's policies on tariffs.
Megyn Kelly
100% markets taking a slight hit in the after hours trading, with the biggest losses coming from car companies and smaller businesses that rely on foreign parts and materials. Coming up, former Biden officials reveal stunning details from inside the final days of the former president's campaign. And RFKJ's top adviser faces a crowd of angry lobbyists and defends his boss's vision for making America healthy again. There's a lot of talk about government.
Unnamed Financial Advisor
Debt, but after four years of inflation, another real crisis is personal debt. Some people are working harder than ever and still drowning in credit card debt and overdue bills. But there's Done With Debt now. Done With Debt has unique escape strategies to help end your debt fast so you can keep more of your hard earned money. Done With Debt does not try to sell you a loan or bankruptcy. Their tough negotiators will go one on one with your credit card and loan companies, with one goal, to drastically reduce your bills, eliminate interest and erase penalties. Most clients wind up with more more money in their pocket month one and they don't stop until they break you free from debt permanently. Take a few minutes and visit donewithdebt.com speak with one of their debt strategists for free. But listen up, some of their solutions are time sensitive, so you gotta move quickly. Go to donewithdebt.com that's donewithdebt.com.
Megyn Kelly
Former friends, staffers and advisors to President Joe Biden dishing to authors about the final tumultuous days of his campaign. In the coming weeks, no fewer than four books will hit the shelves outlining the collapse of the Biden campaign and the Harris team scrambled to fill the void. Reporter Chris Whipple lifting the curtain on Biden debate prep with former chief of staff to Joe Biden, Ron Klain in a book titled How Trump Beat Biden, Harris and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History. In the lead up to the Biden Trump debate, speculation swirling about Mr. Biden's mental acuity. Four months earlier, special counsel Robert her releasing a report on President Biden's handling of classified documents, describing him as, quote, a sympathetic, well meaning elderly man with a poor memory. And that was the reason he chose not to prosecute him. Mr. Biden was increasingly seen relying on note cards for basic talking points and requiring heavy assistance from handlers. Democrat officials told us all behind the scenes he was like a machine.
Unnamed Political Analyst
I talk to President Biden, you know, regularly. His mental acuity is great. It's fine. It's as good as it's been over the years. I've been speaking to him for 30 years.
Megyn Kelly
Joe Biden has vision, he has knowledge, he has a strategic thinker. This is a very sharp president.
Unnamed Political Analyst
The most difficult part about a meeting with President Biden is preparing for it because he is sharp, intensely probing and detail oriented and focused.
Megyn Kelly
Mr. Klain, who resigned from his White House role to run debate preparations, telling Mr. Whipple that in private, President Biden was, quote, fatigued, befuddled and disengaged. Klain worried the debate was going to be a disaster. Team Biden preparing two mock debates in advance of the big night. Mr. Whipple reporting, quote, the first was scheduled to last 90 minutes, but Klain called it off after 45. The president's voice was shot and so was his grasp of the subject. Klain tells Whipple that Mr. Biden seemed out of touch with American politics and that Klain wondered if Mr. Biden at one point thought he was president of NATO, not the United States. The second prep session called off after just 25 minutes. President Biden reportedly saying, quote, I'm just too tired to continue and I'm afraid of losing my voice here. And I feel bad. I just need some sleep. I'll be fine tomorrow. On June 27, Mr. Klain's fears coming true on national television.
Unnamed Political Commentator
And I'm going to continue to move until we get the total ban on the total initiative relative to what we're going to do with more Border patrol and more asylum officers. President Trump, I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he knows what he said either.
Megyn Kelly
Look, less than one month later, President Biden announcing he would not seek reelection. We will keep bringing you the latest reporting, which of course is more than a year late. Top advisor to RFK J. Kali Means on Wednesday taking the hot seat in front of a hostile audience at POLITICO's Health Care Summit. The panel coming just one week after Secretary Kennedy announcing a significant restructuring of the Health and Human Services Department. The plan reducing the HHS workforce by 10,000 and consolidating 28 divisions into 15. Critics of the administration not pleased.
Unnamed Political Analyst
I don't know how you cut nearly a fifth of the workforce and say you're not going to harm patients, harm Americans who require good health. It's, it's just hard to believe.
Megyn Kelly
This will have a devastating impact on.
Unnamed Financial Advisor
The health and well being of Americans.
Unnamed Political Commentator
People in this country will needlessly get.
Megyn Kelly
Sick and die as a result of these cuts. Journalist Dasha Burns questioning Mr. Means on the rationale behind the cuts.
Kali Means
The NIH, whose goal is to promote American health, has overseen a devastation, just an abject devastation in American health over the past 20 years. With disease rates skyrocketing and America leading the world of almost every single crime disease.
Megyn Kelly
How does studying a bunch of HHS solve that problem?
Kali Means
It is insane. It is insane for you to insinuate that the thing standing between us and better health is more government bureaucrats like that is.
Megyn Kelly
That's not what I'm insulting.
Kali Means
That is what everyone's saying. Is that funny? Is that not? Is that not true? Has there been one single chronic disease medication in modern American history that has lowered rates of the chronic disease?
Megyn Kelly
Mr. Means responding forcefully to hecklers in the crowd, many of whom he identified as lobbyists from the food and healthcare industries. According to the CDC, six in 10 adults have at least one chronic disease. Four in 10 have two or more chronic disease, accounting for seven of 10 of the top causes of death in the United States. And despite spending more money than any other country on earth on Healthcare, the US has a lower life expectancy than its European counterparts. Mr. Means saying the cuts to HHS are focused on streamlining the ability of scientists to conduct research.
Kali Means
The administration has put out guidance that they want to direct and cut indirect funding that fundamentally means more money is going to researchers. The guidance, the guidance that Bobby Kennedy and the Trump administration put out means more money is going to frontline researchers to do research. There is a very clear signal demonstrably with what is happening, which is that government bureaucrats are being disempowered and more money is going to actual researchers. They are hissing. They are hissing about changes to a system that has caused absolute devastation to American health.
Megyn Kelly
Direct funding covers the core of scientific research. It pays for lab equipment, study materials, data collection and the salaries of scientists and researchers doing the work. Indirect funding covers everything from office janitorial services to university overhead, admin salaries and even facility fees that seemingly have nothing to do with the research itself. RFKJ aiming to steer HHS in a direction focused on understanding and eliminating chronic disease, not simply managing symptoms. In the crosshairs. Ultra processed foods. These food items containing little to no food. They're made up largely of chemicals and preservatives that maximize shelf life and prioritize convenience. Product offerings are typically cheaper than fresh organic grocery store food, making them more appealing to low income Americans, an argument often exploited by the food companies themselves. Mr. Means firmly rejecting the argument. How are you planning to bring down the cost of being healthier in America?
Kali Means
Yeah, one thing Bobby Kenney is not going to do is entertain comments from food entries lobbyists using food prices as an excuse to continue poisoning children. I know a lot of you guys are doing that and I think if you really back up, that's an evil argument. That's the only argument the food industry is making right now. They're trying to hold a gun on food prices to literally not even dispute the premise that Americans are being poisoned. We have 10,000 chemicals in our food that are not allowed in the other country.
Megyn Kelly
Mr. Means going on to say food companies often manufacture two versions of the same product. One made with synthetic additives for the American market and another made with natural ingredients packaged and sold overseas. What's easy enough to make for the Europeans should be easy enough to make for Americans. That'll do it. For your AM Update, I'm Megyn Kelly. Join me back here for the Megyn Kelly show live on Sirius XM Triumph channel 111 at noon east on YouTube.com Megyn Kelly and on all podcasts platforms.
Unnamed Political Analyst
If your small business is booming, you might say cha Ching. But you should say, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. And we'll help your growing business. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
Podcast Summary: The Megyn Kelly Show — "Truth About Elon's WH Exit, Trump Unveils Tariff Plans, Bombshell Biden Reporting: AM Update 4/3"
Release Date: April 3, 2025
Host: Megyn Kelly
In the April 3, 2025 episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, host Megyn Kelly delves into a spectrum of pressing political and economic issues shaping the current American landscape. The episode covers Elon Musk's departure from his governmental role, President Trump's latest tariff strategies, revelations from former Biden campaign officials, and the contentious outlook of RFKJ's top advisor on health initiatives. The discussion is enriched with insights from various unnamed economic analysts, political commentators, and financial advisors, all contributing to a multifaceted exploration of the topics at hand.
Elon Musk's Exit: Megyn Kelly initiates the episode by addressing a Politico report claiming that Elon Musk is stepping back from his role related to DOGE (a government position). She questions the authenticity of this news, suggesting it might be recycled public information.
Politico's Claim: "Trump tells Inner Circle that Musk will Leave Soon." This headline insinuates Musk's imminent departure from his governmental role.
Caroline Levitt's Response [00:42]: The White House Press Secretary vehemently denies the report, stating, "This scoop is garbage." Emphasizing that both Musk and Trump have publicly declared Musk's exit upon completing his duties with DOGE.
Musk’s Tenure and Impact:
Elon Musk on X [00:52]: "Yeah, fake news," Musk dismisses the Politico report, reinforcing his planned exit.
Election Influence [03:07]: An unnamed political commentator highlights Musk's significant financial contributions exceeding $20 million aimed at influencing the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Despite these efforts, the Republican-affiliated groups faced a substantial loss, losing by 10 points in Wisconsin.
Political Analyst's Insight [03:14]: "If you are a Republican candidate running in a swing state, you don't want Elon Musk anywhere near you." This underscores the contentious nature of Musk's involvement in political campaigns.
Musk's Future Role:
Special Government Employee Status: Musk's tenure is bound by a 130-day term, set to expire on May 30, 2025. Despite stepping back formally, a senior administration official suggests he will maintain an informal presence at the White House.
Doge Commission's Future [05:04]: The commission will continue operations until July 4, 2026, beyond Musk's official role.
Unveiling of Global Tariff Strategy [05:42]: President Trump announced his comprehensive tariff strategy from the Rose Garden, emphasizing economic liberation and national wealth.
Tariff Implementation:
Brian Panabaker’s Endorsement [06:45]:
Market Reaction: The announcement led to a mixed reaction in the financial markets, with a slight downturn observed in after-hours trading, notably affecting automobile companies and businesses reliant on foreign components.
Behind the Scenes of Biden's Campaign Collapse [08:50]: Megyn Kelly shifts focus to revelations from former Biden campaign insiders, anticipating the release of several books detailing the tumultuous final days of Joe Biden's campaign.
Ron Klain’s Observations:
Debate Preparations:
Biden’s Mental Acuity Debate:
Impact on Re-Election [11:42]:
Kali Means at POLITICO's Health Care Summit [12:31]: Kali Means, the top advisor to RFKJ (Robert F. Kennedy Jr.), took the stage amidst a hostile audience to defend the administration's new health policy strategies.
HHS Restructuring [12:21]:
Means’ Defense of the Cuts:
Industry Criticism:
Kali Means’ Vision [15:38]:
Megyn Kelly's April 3rd episode presents a comprehensive overview of significant developments in American politics and economics. From Elon Musk's strategic exit and its implications on the GOP's electoral strategies to President Trump's aggressive tariff policies aimed at revitalizing domestic industries, the episode offers critical insights into ongoing power dynamics. Additionally, the critical examination of Biden's campaign failures and RFKJ's health policy restructuring provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of the current political climate. Through engaging discussions and impactful quotes, the episode underscores the complexities and interconnections shaping the nation's future.
Notable Quotes:
Unnamed Economic Analyst [04:05]: "We are cutting the waste and fraud in real time... our goal is to reduce the waste and fraud by $4 billion a day."
Brian Panabaker [06:45]: "Donald Trump's policies on tariffs... bring product back into those underutilized plants."
Ron Klain (as reported by Megyn Kelly) [10:26]: "I'm just too tired to continue and I'm afraid of losing my voice here."
Kali Means [13:03]: "It is insane for you to insinuate that the thing standing between us and better health is more government bureaucrats like that."
Kali Means [15:38]: "How are you planning to bring down the cost of being healthier in America?"
This summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and debates presented in the episode, providing a thorough overview for listeners and those who may have missed the live broadcast.