The Megyn Kelly Show – Detailed Summary
Episode: Waltz Grilled at UN Hearing, Cornell Civil Rights Complaint, NBC's Autopen Scoop: AM Update 7/16
Release Date: July 16, 2025

1. Introduction

Megyn Kelly opens the episode with her standard morning update, setting the stage for the day's key topics. She outlines three main stories:

• Mike Walsh's Confirmation Hearing: Former National Security Adviser Mike Walsh is undergoing a Senate confirmation hearing to become President Trump's UN Ambassador. The hearing is particularly contentious due to the recent "Signalgate" controversy.

• Cornell University's Civil Rights Complaint: The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has filed a civil rights complaint against Cornell University, accusing the institution of discriminatory hiring practices aimed at excluding white applicants.

• NBC News' Autopen Investigation: NBC News has published a report alleging that Congressman James Comer used a digital signature (autopen) for official documents related to his investigation into President Biden's use of an autopen for pardons, sparking widespread ridicule on social media.

2. Mike Walsh's UN Ambassador Confirmation Hearing

2.1 Background

Mike Walsh was nominated in May to replace his predecessor as National Security Adviser after a series of controversies led to his departure. His nomination for the UN Ambassador position has been met with intense scrutiny, especially regarding the handling of classified information and his voting record.

2.2 Senate Hearing Highlights

During the hearing, Democratic Senators Cory Booker and Chris Coons aggressively questioned Walsh about the "Signalgate" incident, where Walsh inadvertently added The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat discussing airstrike plans against the Houthis. The administration maintains that no classified information was compromised.

Key Exchange:

• Senator Cory Booker [03:00]:

  "Controversy at a moment where our national security was clearly compromised, you denied, you deflected and then you demeaned and degraded those people who objectively told the truth and criticized your actions."

• Mike Walsh [03:43]:

  "I think where we have a fundamental disagreement is there was no classified information on that chat."

2.3 Defense and Criticism

Walsh's supporters, including prominent Republicans like Senator Rand Paul, have come to his defense, highlighting his military accolades, including four Bronze Stars earned as a Green Beret. However, some Republicans have also questioned his hawkish voting record as a congressman.

Senator Cory Booker's Further Questions [04:02]:

"In the summer of 2020 there was much discussion of President Trump that he intended to draw down troops in Afghanistan. You were serving on the Armed Services Committee at that time..."

Walsh defended his position, aligning himself closely with President Trump's "diplomacy first" approach and emphasizing his commitment to preventing unnecessary wars.

2.4 Vision for the UN

Walsh outlined his strategy for the United Nations, focusing on countering Chinese influence and implementing reforms to streamline and make the UN more effective.

Senator Cory Booker [06:24]:

"If confirmed, I'll work with Secretary Rubio to challenge this influence. The US pays more than 183 countries combined. Meanwhile, 28 countries contribute just $37,000 and $5,000 to peacekeeping."

Walsh emphasized the need for transparency and efficiency within the UN, advocating for significant staff reductions and consolidating overlapping agencies.

Megyn Kelly [07:22]:

"Mr. Walls is likely to be confirmed, though the vote is not yet scheduled."

3. America First Policy Institute’s Civil Rights Complaint Against Cornell University

3.1 The Complaint

The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has lodged a civil rights complaint alleging that Cornell University engaged in discriminatory hiring practices that intentionally excluded white male applicants. The accusation centers around an internal email from December 2020, obtained by AFPI, which suggests that Cornell bypassed its standard hiring processes to select candidates based on diversity criteria.

Colin Wright [00:54]:

"And if we look at these emails, it is clear there's discriminatory process in Cornell's hiring."

3.2 Testimony from Witnesses

Jessica Hart Steinman, AFPI Executive General Counsel [09:38]:

"While I was in grad school I was probably published more than any grad student that I knew of... I never got the opportunity to even apply, to even enter the pool of applicants to compete for this job."

Colin Wright [10:50]:

"And if we look at these emails it is clear there's discriminatory process in Cornell's hiring...they're pre picked certain diversity candidates."

3.3 Cornell University's Response

Cornell publicly denied the allegations, stating that "thousands of hiring decisions in hundreds of departments and units, misunderstandings of policies can occur," and that the university "does not tolerate unlawful discrimination in hiring."

Jessica Hart Steinman [11:53]:

"We can see definitively in this email it was not a mere misunderstanding. This was a detailed process."

3.4 Legal Implications and Future Actions

AFPI has filed the complaint with four federal agencies: the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Education, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Given Cornell's significant federal funding—$784 million in research funding and over $400 million from the NIH alone—the implications of these practices could be severe.

Colin Wright [14:29]:

"So Cornell is receiving millions if not billions of federal funding and then turning around and using that funding in discriminatory practices that the American taxpayers are not going to agree with and rightly are unconstitutional."

Jessica Hart Steinman [15:39]:

"I hope that my suit... will be forced to pay damages to the people that these policies are inflicting on people."

3.5 Current Status

The EEOC has confirmed that it is collecting evidence related to the discrimination charge. AFPI is considering further legal actions to enforce reforms within Cornell and higher education institutions broadly.

4. NBC News' Autopen Scoop and Congressman James Comer's Investigation

4.1 The NBC Report

NBC News published an article claiming that Congressman James Comer used a digital signature, or autopen, for official documents related to his investigation into President Biden's use of autopen-signed pardons. The report suggests potential criminal misconduct if a president's mental state led to unauthorized use of signing tools.

Megyn Kelly [16:36]:

"NBC News widely mocked on Tuesday... documents show that some of the letters and subpoena notices Mr. Comer has sent out... have been signed using a digital signature not written by the congressman himself."

4.2 Public and Political Reactions

The report was met with widespread ridicule on social media, with critics arguing that using a digital signature for standard correspondence is routine and not indicative of misconduct.

Shawn Davis, Co-founder of the Federalist [18:02]:

"Imagine being so stupid and corrupt as to write this article and think it's even remotely analogous to a cabal of White House staffers taking advantage of a president with dementia..."

Senator Cory Booker [18:02]:

"The auto pin just like I use an auto pin or Jim Jordan or anyone else in Congress just to sign correspondence... But no one uses an auto pin for legal documents. I can't use an auto pin to sign subpoenas."

4.3 Visual Evidence and Mockery

NBC included a photograph purportedly showing an inked signature from Congressman Comer on a subpoena. In response, Congressman Comer publicly mocked journalist Ryan Nobles by sharing an edited photo of him with clown makeup, suggesting the report was baseless.

5. Conclusion

Megyn Kelly wraps up the episode by summarizing the key developments:

• Mike Walsh's Confirmation: Despite intense scrutiny and bipartisan criticism, Walsh is poised for confirmation as UN Ambassador, backed by President Trump's administration.

• Cornell University's Legal Battles: The AFPI's civil rights complaint against Cornell highlights ongoing tensions over diversity initiatives and affirmative action in higher education, with significant legal and financial repercussions looming.

• NBC's Autopen Controversy: The NBC report on Congressman Comer has backfired, leading to widespread mockery and reinforcing the routine nature of digital signatures in official capacities.

Note: This summary excludes advertisements, promotional content, and non-essential segments to focus solely on the substantive discussions and analyses presented in the podcast episode.