← Straight Shooter with Stephen A.
Straight Shooter with Stephen A.
Interview Only: Stephen A takes on a No BS and No agenda conversation with Megyn Kelly.
00:48:59
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- [00:00]
Megyn Kelly
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- [00:26]
Stephen A. Smith
No purchase necessary VGW Group Void where prohibited by law 21 + terms and conditions apply. AT&T has a new guarantee because most things in life are not guaranteed. Like getting through self checkout by yourself. Not guaranteed in a world where Nothing is guaranteed. AT&T is bringing something new to the table. AT&T is introducing a guarantee with connectivity you can depend on deals you want and service you deserve or they make it right. Learn more@att.com guarantee@&t connecting changes everything. Terms and conditions apply. Visit att.com. guarantee for detail. Welcome to the special edition of the Stephen A. Smith Show. Coming at you as I love to do it the very least three times a week over the digital airways of YouTube and of course, iHeartRadio. As always, I'd like to take a moment to pause and thank my subscribers and followers constantly listening and watching me over iHeartradio, where there's been millions of downloads over the last few months. And of course over the Digital Airways of YouTube where I've now eclipsed 1.18 million subscribers. Can't thank y'all for the love and support. Enough. Keep it coming. And I'm gonna keep on coming. This is a special edition, but not because of, you know, special subject. It's a special interview, special person appearing on the show. She's been in the news a lot lately, especially during the election. If you watch the Megyn Kelly Show, Sirius XM, YouTube, various other places. She's a monster right now. She's big time, over 3 million subscribers and growing and growing and growing every single day. Her topics are very poignant, her opinions are very poignant. Her perspective is real. She is a journalist, a former journalist, still a journalist, actually. She's a lawyer, she's been a host, Fox News, NBC, et cetera. She's going through a lot in her career, but she's had an opportunity and a sort of a renaissance, to be quite honest with you, with the things that she is doing. She clearly is in support of Donald Trump. Was in support of Donald Trump as he was running for election. Ultimately, he won the presidency. One would like to believe one could. Tamashi had something to do with that, with her unwavering support of him. Considering their history with one another, some people would say that was a surprise. But nevertheless, she's gone all in. Some people have labeled her an extreme conservative. Some people even associated her with maga. She calls herself a registered independent. No matter which way you slice it, at times she appears incredibly controversial. As far as I'm concerned. She's usually very factual, if not always. She doesn't mess around. She lets you know where she stands and she usually has details and facts to back it up. I'm fascinated by her personally in terms of the job that she does over the airwaves, whether it be digital streaming or otherwise. Her career has spoken for itself. She's been highly successful and I'm looking forward to talking to her. I am not going to agree with everything that she says, nor do I expect you to, but I have repeatedly told y'all that on this platform we hear from both sides. And I don't want to hear any noise about Stephen A talking to yet somebody else on the right. There's a whole bunch of folks on the left that I have invited on this show, that I have had on this show that I'm willing to have on this show in the future. But the same is applicable to the right. No matter what you feel, I don't give a damn. I'm going to hear from everybody. And if there's one person I definitely wanted to hear from, it is Megyn Kelly. She is a monolith. She is the truth and a half. And I'm looking forward to talking with her even when I don't believe what she's saying or I want to challenge what she has said. She has proven to be highly credible over the years, and I'm fascinated by her growth because she seems to be skyrocketing. I want to hear what she has to say. I want to hear her perspective on things and why. And I think it's something you'd want to hear as well. That's why I asked her to come on the show, and I'm lucky enough to have her accept my invitation. The one and only Megan Kelly up next right here on the Stephen A. Smith Show. Don't go away. All right, folks, I need you all to stop what you're doing and listen up. You know, I love this Time of year, right? The NBA playoffs are here and with all this action going on, the Stephen A. Smith show wants to make sure you take advantage of it all. That's why we've partnered with Prize Picks, the best place to win cash while watching sports. The app is easy to use. Just pick more or less on a few player stats and you can win up to 2000 times your cash on a single lineup. Best of all, Prize Picks will give you 50 when you play your first five dollar lineup. Win or lose, you'll get 50 bucks for playing. So use promo code SAS and download the app now. Again, download the app and use code SAs to get $50 instantly after your first five dollar lineup. Prize picks hey, hey. Run your game today. I'll give you my picks for Thursday's game between my beloved New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons. So let's get to it. First up, will Cade Cunningham score more or less than 28 and a half points? Have you seen his brother play? I mean he looks like the best player on the court. Smooth as silk. Brothers got sides in them. Got a J, can get to the hole. Got a mid range game, can finish at the basket. The brother special, I'm going with more than 28 and a half points. He averaging about 30 already. Next up, will Jalen Brunson score More less than 28 and a half points? Yes he will, but it'll be tougher. He, he. I got so much admiration for big body Brunson as my brother Kendrick Perkins loves to call him. All right, undersized, thick, stocky, big and herky jerky moves. Finds a way to get a shot off and make things happen. Plus hitting the three, getting into the lane, etc. Those some big boys that play for the Detroit Pistons. But he's the only weapon that's shown up for the New York Knicks offensively. I'm going to go with more for Jalen Brunson on this one. Next up, will Detroit Tobias Harris score more or less than 14 and a half points? He did game two. I don't think he will in this particular game. I think he's going to be primarily focused on defending against Carl Anthony Townsend because he did so, so successfully in game two. I think prior offense won't be a priority on his home court because I think others will fill up, you know, fill in the, the, the spots. The Beasley of the world, the Durans of the world and others. I think he'll score less than 14 and a half points but he'll put most of his work in on the defensive end of the floor along with rebounding. Finally, will Mikel Bridger score more or less a half points? I would like to say I hope so, but I don't believe so. I didn't like the way he looked in game two. He missed all four of his shots in the fourth quarter, including that wide open three with at the top of the key with 11 seconds left in the game. I think he was a bit fatigued. I think that we got to keep an eye out on for him because he's played, you know, all 82 games and often see the minutes that he's logged, etc. It's one of those situations where he could be worn down and I don't know how ready he's going to be for Game three. So that's it for me right there. Okay, let's go over the list again. More for for Kade Cunningham, more for Jalen Brunson, less for Tobias Harris and less for Mikhail Bridges. Even Steven as they call it. You know what I mean? That's what I'm trying to do here. Understanding that how it goes when you're talking about Prize Picks with Stephen A. So go to the Prize Picks app and check out the Stephen A. Smith show community play. It's boosted 25%. You heard me.
- [08:13]
Megyn Kelly
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- [08:26]
Megyn Kelly
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Stephen A. Smith
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- [08:44]
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- [09:18]
Stephen A. Smith
My next guest is a journalist, an attorney of course, a political commentator and host of her own daily show on Sirius XM's Triumph Channel. Please Welcome. I think it's safe to call her the incomparable one herself. The one and only Megyn Kelly is on the Stephen A. Smith Show. Hi, Megan. How are you? How's everything?
- [09:37]
Megyn Kelly
I'm great. Thanks for having me.
- [09:40]
Stephen A. Smith
Please, the honor is all mine. First of all, I want to hear congratulations on order. You were named to the Time list of the 100 most influential people for a second time, by the way, if I remember correctly, I'd like to know. Congratulations. I'd like to say first of all. And secondly, how does that feel for you?
- [09:56]
Megyn Kelly
Thank you for that. I. Can I tell you something? Maybe you can help me decide this. Should I go to this thing? It's a big gala on Thursday. And I'll tell you something, Stephen A. I. When I first got named to the list back in 2014, I thought it was a big deal because my career was just kind of on the upswing, and it meant something to me. Now, I have to be honest, it means absolutely nothing to me. I. When they called, I was like, whatever. All these people hate me and everything I stand for, and they're very annoying. But then I was like, maybe I'll show up just so I can sort of telegraph the fu message in, like, a really great dress on the red carpet. Then I'm like, well, that's not the spirit. I've really been wrestling with, whether I should even pay any attention to this at all or just go on about my life.
- [10:38]
Stephen A. Smith
Megan, I am the worst person in the world. You should ask that question, too, because I could give less than a damn about these things. Most time, I like to show courtesy and respect to people who give it to me. But I'm not in this business to be celebrated. I want to be respected. I want to get paid for my hard work. But in the same breath, I don't need applause and accolades and celebratory folks around me. I could care less. Not to mention the fact that you did say a lot of them can't stand you, so why should you be in their presence? But then again, it's recognizing how influential you are and showing up, you know, that might not be such a bad thing. And you don't mind rubbing into somebody's face from time to time. I could tell that about you.
- [11:17]
Megyn Kelly
Yeah, I mean, I guess I'm just not really looking to achieve the approval of anybody who would be at that thing. But then I heard that there's a possibility both Meghan Markle and Blake Lively will be there. In which case I was like, well, I'M definitely going, I'm going with my iPhone and I'm going to have to go over them and try to get them to say something to me. Like, I've reported so much on both of them, like, that's almost irresistible. So I don't know. I have a couple of days to decide.
- [11:43]
Stephen A. Smith
Listen, you think about it. Whatever choice you want to make, you want to make. And listen, nobody can say a damn thing to you because it's been earned. Make no mistake about it. I mean, you're a person that's been around for, for a long time. You've done exceptional work. I know it's not, it's not, it's not, I'm not supposed to say these things, but I am a fan. I have been a guest on your show. I do watch you a lot and dammit, you've proven me wrong on several occasions. So here I stand down with that. You know, Megyn Kelly, when you talk about people not liking you, most of them can't stand you. Why do you think people would feel such negative thoughts towards you today if you had to guess?
- [12:17]
Megyn Kelly
Well, if you're, if you have Trump derangement syndrome, then you don't like me because I've supported the president and defended a lot of the things that they tell us are Hitler esque about Trump. So, you know, I get caught up in that whole fervor and a lot of people hate Fox News, so they don't like me from those years. A lot of people believe, you know, just negative things, negative hit pieces that are put out on you over the years and they tend to be very left. Normal lefties, I think, are fine with me. All my friends are normal lefties. But far left lefties, those are not my fans and that's fine. You know, I'm not everybody's cup of tea. I, I can be, I can be off putting in certain commentary of mine, but you know, for the most part, if you know me, you probably like me.
- [12:56]
Stephen A. Smith
Well, do you find yourself to be a righty or do you find somebody, do you find yourself to be somebody who's just anti left because of what the left represents in the eyes of a lot of people in this day and age?
- [13:09]
Megyn Kelly
That's a good question because I don't really describe myself as conservative. When people write about me, they say like, oh, conservative podcaster. And it always kind of jars me a little like, that's, that's, that's not quite right. I'm a registered independent. I was raised a Democrat. I voted Democrat for many Many years. And then I just started drifting rightward. When the country lost its mind. I, you know, when I was on Fox, I would say I'm pro. I was probably about a 6 on the ideological scale if Hannity's a 10. And now I'm like an 8.5. But I don't really feel like I changed at all. I just feel like the country changed, and I looked down at the same spot where my feet were, and things had shifted underneath me. But I'm definitely not a liberal. You know, I can't think of anything I'm liberal on. So I think it's probably a fair label to call me a conservative. It just doesn't really resonate with me.
- [13:56]
Stephen A. Smith
When do you believe that the country shifted to a point where you could no longer find yourself remotely identifying with the left? What year was that? What issue was that? When do you believe that happened for you?
- [14:09]
Megyn Kelly
Well, it was probably 2017, 18, 19. And then the explosion of 2020 wokeness really did me in because I was always railing against what we used to call political correctness. You know, that, remember, Bill Marshall was called politically incorrect. It wasn't called wokeness up until, like, the late teens or, you know, 1920 or 2020. And that I really. That's. I'm devoting my life to fighting wokeism. I can't stand it. I think it's the most pernicious, dangerous force that's in America today or in the world today in some ways. So if there's anything associated, you know, an association between the left and wokeness, I abhor it, I fight it. I want nothing to do with it. And I would never wear a team jersey that would associate me with that. And I think most Republicans feel that way, and most conservatives do, too. So whatever that is, I'm totally anti it. You know, so is Bill Maher, incidentally, but he still votes Democrat. But I am just as vehemently anti woke, and I vote Republican these days.
- [15:11]
Stephen A. Smith
Define wokeism in the eyes of Megyn Kelly because so many people sit up there and talk about. Well, woke used to mean something different. I know that woke meant being conscientious and being observant and paying attention to what was going on. But obviously that's taken on a different definition over the last several years. So in your mind, what you abhor about wokeism, how it's defined in your mind, tell us what that is.
- [15:35]
Megyn Kelly
Well, it's an obsession with identity, and it tends to be. It could be feminism, as the left uses that term, which is very Unattractive to me, but it's. The two main pillars are race essentialism and gender radicalism, where they tell young white kids in school that they're born with original sin that can never be overcome. And they tell young brown and black kids in school that they're born with some sort of inherent perceived defect that we're really sorry they were born with, but we'll try to give them a bunch of advantages to get them through, which is totally disempowering. And on the gender madness, it's. There's really no such thing as gender. It's a social construct. You know, you can be whatever you want to be. Biological sex is totally irrelevant, and sex is merely assigned at birth by some errant doctor. But you'll decide you'll just be a little baby until you tell your parents whether you're a girl or a boy. And by the way, if you make a mistake, you can easily, with very little trouble, switch over to the other sex later without talking about the severe impacts that has on you physically and psychologically. All of that is just. I can't. I mean, I can start down any of those lanes, but they're all very, very dangerous.
- [16:42]
Stephen A. Smith
Why do you believe the left took on that course? I mean, I will tell this to you, and I will confess this to you as a black man in the United States of America, a part of a populace that represents a little bit over 13% of the population, closer to 14, around 13.6%, I think. One of the things that I found utterly appalling is that some of these issues usurped African Americans, immigrants who came across the border legally, of course, some of the Hispanic population or what have you. It seemed on the left to usurp the interest of that voting bloc that supported Democrats for decades. And to me, that's not mentioned enough, but I'm not afraid to mention it, and I've mentioned it on several occasions. Why do you believe the left went about that business, especially when it came to transgender issues, for example, when it might have affected 1% of the population, if not less, compared to that 13% or more, as it pertains to the black or Hispanic population? Why would the left do that, in your estimation?
- [17:40]
Megyn Kelly
I mean, I think a huge piece of it is the death of religion amongst the left. You know, they just became more and more secular, and the more they squeezed God out of the public square and out of their private lives, the emptier they felt and the more the natural need for something, something higher than themselves, bigger than themselves. Dominated. And if it wasn't going to be Jesus or God or, you know, Muhammad, it wound up being skin color and your lady parts and your oppression, which really worked for them. And by the way, it worked for them politically too. So it had added benefits. Made them feel like they were part of something that mattered. Made them feel somewhat better than, you know, like I'm better than you because I actually care about women, you see, I actually care about trans people. See, I care about black people. If you don't, if you don't favor race quotas, you, you're a racist. You know, those kinds of messages made them feel higher than better than, which worked to fill some sort of, you know, ego need they had. But I really think ground zero on the whole thing was pushing religion out of people's lives, pushing technology in increased isolation, and just that fundamental human need to hold on to something, to belong to something. And in the same way some people reach for a bottle or a drug, these people reached for this false God of wokeism with really dangerous effects.
- [19:03]
Stephen A. Smith
I'm fascinated to be talking to you because there's a lot of things that you say that some of it I may not agree with. Most of it I do. Most importantly, I find you to be incredibly thorough. You do not play. And I know that when I come on Megyn Kelly show, I better be ready to answer some questions. I better know what the hell I'm talking about or at least fess up to the fact that I don't. Otherwise I'm going to get raped through the coast. Cause she is no joke. That's how I view you. And I don't mind telling anybody that. But the flip side to it is that you've acknowledged reading up on you, doing some research, and you've acknowledged that you've become far more opinionated over these last few years than you had ever been in the past. When you were working at Fox News with the Kelly Files, when you were working at NBC, of course, no question about that. And things have transitioned. You're in the news today, for example, because yesterday you just brought up religion as opposed to secular and what have you. And you were in the news for, you know, criticizing the Pope because of this position on the legals. When you look at yourself, first of all, talk about that, why you took that position, particularly in the immediate aftermath of his death. But most importantly, this fearlessness you appear to have now, more so than ever before, to express your opinions and your thoughts, no matter what the subject matter is. Talk about that for a second well.
- [20:18]
Megyn Kelly
The latter is an acquired skill because for most of my career as a journalist, the goal was to hide your opinions, you know, to definitely not share them and to quiet your bias and really just report the facts. And whatever you thought personally, you kept in your personal lane. That that's pretty much how I spent my time as a journalist. And then I got elevated to the primetime of Fox and that show was the first that became a little bit more opinion. But if you go back and you watch the Kelly File, you won't see a lot of my opinion. You know, I'll argue with people who say moronic things, but I wasn't really saying this is where I stand on X, Y or Z.
- [20:52]
Stephen A. Smith
Right.
- [20:52]
Megyn Kelly
And even when I launched the past, yeah, I, I tried to do that and I remember had an argument with Mark Cuban and he lost that argument. But he did win the following point where he said he was pressing me to give my opinion. And I said, well, no, I don't have to do that. You know, you're the guest. And he said, oh no, not in this lane. You're going to have to give your opinion here. And he was correct. And so five years after launching the show, you know, I give it a lot more freely. It's why people tune in. You know, they want to know where you stand, they want to know what you think about things. It's just a totally different game than straight new journalism on the Pope. You know, look, this was a very liberal Pope. He was a very progressive guy within the Catholic Church and he was controversial amongst really die hard Christians. They didn't really much love what he did to the Catholic Church. They certainly didn't love his, his announcements on immigration and how we really needed to welcome all the migrants. It's like, you know what, why don't you tell it to Lake and Riley's family as they grieve the loss of their daughter and Jocelyn Ngaro's family as they grieve the loss of their daughter, their 12 year old in Texas. Like, we don't need a guy who lives in the Vatican surrounded by walls telling us we can't have walls and we need to have an open borders policy. He was from Latin America. Most of the immigrants coming into the United States that are, you know, we're trying to deal with right now are from Latin America. You know, he clearly had a bias the other way. And the Catholic Church, and this has been my own beef, but that of many Catholics has been taking a bunch of money in cooperation with the government to try to Find homes for these illegal immigrants who come in here. So, like on Sunday mass, I never know what my money's going to anymore. Now I try to make sure, is this going to help priests, this church, or this rectory? Because I do not want to help find housing for illegals.
- [22:42]
Stephen A. Smith
But, Megan, you know this better than me, at least as well as me, because we've both been in journalism for decades now. There's one thing to say that. It's another thing entirely to say that in the immediate aftermath of his passing, you know, back in the day, they would have been like, why are you saying this now? Could this not have waited a few days? Or whatever? So I think along those lines. And the question that enters my mind is, I'm not questioning that you feel what you said you feel. I'm wondering the timing of it. Did you do it because of your disgust with the left and how, especially back in the day. And if they could do it this way, even right now, they would have asked the question, what about the quorum? What about waiting? The man just passed away. Where's the level of sensitivity? They would ask that question. Megyn Kelly, what would you say to people who would say something like that to.
- [23:30]
Megyn Kelly
That didn't even cross my mind to not say that. I mean, we're talking about a public figure, one of the most famous figures in the world and leader of the Catholic Church. And necessarily when a person like that dies, there will be a recitation of some of the key points of his or her legacy. And in his case, you know, his anti or his pro illegal immigration or immigrant stance was a major piece of his platform, at least insofar as it dealt with the Americas. So, I mean, it would be. I'd be remiss not to mention it. You know, I remember after Kobe died, there was a big debate because some journalists were like, he was a rapist. And I remember being like, that is too much. Because he died so tragically and it had been so many years and he was with his daughter. It was just such a heartbreaker. We were in deep shock and mourning. He was gone. And that, to me did feel very tone deaf. But this is a world leader. Like, of course you're going to talk about what did they stand for? How did they change the church, what were their public positions, and how does it affect America? Because he was the leader of 1.2 billion Catholics all over the earth, not just the United States. And so how did he relate to us over here? As a journalist in America, you're always looking to do that, like tell people, what did he mean to people here? Good and bad. That's just the way you do it.
- [24:48]
Stephen A. Smith
What do you think about people who will look at you and they'll say, what do you stand for, Megyn Kelly, especially now because of your support for the President. You endorsed him, you showed up at the rally, I think it was the night before election, made sure to encourage everybody to vote for him, you said you voted for him, et cetera, et cetera. And we all know how he treated you back in 2015 when you were at Fox with the Republican primary debate and what have you. And he felt that your question was nasty cuz you brought up quotes that he had said about women in the past, calling them pigs, amongst other things. And all of a sudden he goes on air and said that you were bleeding out of your eyes or wherever it was or whatever. There are people that still look at you to this very day and say, how could you support somebody that would talk about you that way? This sudden, not sudden shift, but this dramatic shift that you had. What about you? What do you stand for and where do you stand on at this particular moment in time and why is that the case? What do you say to people who ask those questions about you at this particular moment in time?
- [25:48]
Megyn Kelly
I think they're totally fair. And I appreciate you changing it from sudden shift to dramatic because it really wasn't sudden. It was a slow climb between Trump and yours truly. When he was attacking me for that nine month period, I really was not his fan and I wasn't really gearing up to vote for Trump because he was staying on me like a dog with a bone and it was highly unpleasant. But over time I was able, and I'm actually proud of it, I was able to check my personal feelings about the guy and start getting back to what needs to be my focus as a journalist, which is the professional relationship with the guy, the professional Trump. And what I saw was somebody who governed in a way that I very much respected. There were a couple of key moments in Trump 1.0 where I really did like the head, the double head take at him like, oh my God, look what he's doing. Like when he stood by Brett Kavanaugh, among other things. And I really respected it and saw him in a new light. And then we got Joe Biden and I mean, it was such a disastrous four years. I probably would have run open, armed into the arms of any Republican. But Trump is just the anti Biden in so many ways and was just tailor made for this moment, to take him down and to take the reins of the country back and to take the country back itself. So I really, you know, I don't know how to say this in a way that, you know, isn't weird, but I, professionally, I fell in love with Trump, the, the president, because I believed him that he would close the border. You know, I, I believed him that he would fight back against the gender madness, which has become a very big issue for me for many reasons. You know, I, I believed him that he was going to get, try to get DEI out of our colleges and our woke schools and that he would push back on this. Like, truly, not to sound like Tipper Gore, but smut that's being peddled to our K through five schools in the name of like, health ed or whatever they're calling it. But it's absolutely disgusting. Like the sex acts that show up in elementary school libraries, all that stuff. Trump's not having any of that. I believe that he would lower our taxes. I believe that he would be against forever wars. I, I still believe all those things. I believe he rolled back regulation so that we could get the economy fired up again. I don't believe in the climate extremists and they're stupid fake models that already had us underwater by this point in time, and yet we're fine. So I really, I believed in Trump and I do believe in Trump and he's doing all the things he said he would do now. They're throwing up obstacles in his way. But I'm 100% rooting for him. So I'm, if anything, I'm just thrilled that I saw the light on him and that I was able to, like, push my own feelings to the side and get past that. And he got past his negative feelings about me, such that I could stand up for him before the election and.
- [28:37]
Stephen A. Smith
Hopefully convince some people, much to my own peril. I'm going to share with you what I disagree with you about when it comes to President Trump, but not before I pay some bills. I'll be right back. The marvelous Megyn Kelly right here with Stephen A. Back with more in a minute. All right, everybody, listen up. With all the big time sports action that's happening each and every day, the Stephen A. Smith show wants to make sure you are taking advantage of it all. That's why we've partnered with Prize Picks. The best place to win cash while watching sports. The app is really easy to use to make a lineup. All you have to do is pick more or less on A few player stats. Choose from any of your favorite players. Luka Doncic, Jimmy Butler, and Zach LaVine, all in the same entry. Then sit back and watch. The list is absolutely endless. You can play prize picks in over 40 states, including California and Texas. Best of all, Prize picks will give you 50 when you play your first five dollar lineup. Win or lose, you'll get 50 bucks. Just use promo code SAS and download prize picks right now. Again, download the app and use code SAS to get 50 instantly after your first five dollar lineup prize picks run your game.
- [29:44]
Narrator
Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 247 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care. The 40s and free agents Podcast with Daniel Jeremiah and Greg Rosenthal has has prepared you for the 2025 NFL Draft.
- [30:24]
Stephen A. Smith
We've told you what last year's playoff teams need to return to the postseason.
- [30:27]
Narrator
And how teams with new coaches should approach the draft.
- [30:30]
Stephen A. Smith
So as draft season comes to a close, we've got you covered. Before your favorite team goes on the clock, we'll break it all down once all 257 picks have been made.
- [30:39]
Narrator
Listen to the 40s and free agents podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [30:53]
Stephen A. Smith
Welcome back to Stephen A. Smith show right here with Megyn Kelly. Over 3 million plus subscribers on her YouTube channel. YouTube channel. She is absolutely phenomenal. I don't give a damn what anybody says. I watch as often as I can, okay? And I'm learning along the way. So I'm gonna open myself to being taught here. Megyn Kelly on a couple of issues involving the President of the United States. I'm not gonna say your president. He's our president. He's a President of the United States. I can't stand when people, people do that. That's not right. That's just disrespectful. He's the President of the United States of America. So let's get that out the way. Dei, let me explain to you what I think and then I don't mind hearing what you have to say. I'm looking forward to it. I don't have an issue with people who want DEI gone. If it is indeed what you say it is, that there's preferential treatment when we're talking about diversity, equity and inclusion, that there are people that are incompetent, that are placed in and position. Certainly I understand that part. My problem, Megyn Kelly, is how do we ignore its existence to begin with, where it originated from. If this nation, whether it's corporate America or beyond, was exercising fairness and truly, truly looking for the best candidates and not engaging in favoritism that favored primarily white males, then there would have never been any need for dei, just like there would not have been any need for affirmative action or other things. And so for me, when I think about it, that's what I believe. Folks who speak against DEI specifically on the right obviously is missing. They don't bring up that element to that. You say what?
- [32:29]
Megyn Kelly
Well, I think it's mixing a lot of things. I mean, I don't think there's anything wrong with diversity. And if I, you know, were remaking America, I would make sure we had it in all forms in all places. I'd make sure we have lots of different people with lots of different backgrounds and lots of different ideological views running different corporations. But that's not really what DEI is. DEI is mostly focused on, on the E, the equity, which is just a joke. Equity means you have the right to end up in the same place irrespective of how much effort goes into it. That is not an American value. That is not something I value or share in at all. You have, I mean that it's like the whole, you know, at my kids schools they still have dei at least at my daughter's school. And they were asking what does it mean? What is equity? And I was explaining and the woman actually said, I mean this is just this year, she said at our new school to which we fled to try to get from the super woke school in New York. Said exactly what I said is the definition of equity. Right to wind up in the same place. And I said, you know what, Yardley? That is, that is what equity is. And so on Halloween you should go out there and you should work hard and go to every single house in the neighborhood and get a huge bucket of candy. Then you should go over to some kid's house who didn't trick or treat at all, who was too lazy, who just sat in front of his TV watching some stupid show and you should give him half your candy because he has the right, he has the right to end up in the Same place. And then when you go to take your exams, you have to let the girl who didn't study at all, who just phoned it in because she was on the phone with her friends, copy off your paper. She is entitled to the same grade you have, irrespective of how hard you've worked. And she hasn't. That's equity and it's immoral. So I'm completely opposed to it. And this is like what Kamala Harris ran on. Diversity is a different story. And I think we really were working toward it, and we were doing pretty well as a country. You know, I think when I grew up and I was in College in the 90s and thereafter, it was something. Race was being diminished, and we were starting to look at people as whole human beings. We were seeing interracial marriage go up. It was just becoming less of a thing than in, like, the 70s, when race was still very much people's focus. And then we set ourselves back by making it the top thing that we were supposed to notice about other people. And that created a wall between us that created more of a divide between the races in a way I had never experienced in my 50 years on this earth. Now 54. And so I think many of us just.
- [34:51]
Stephen A. Smith
You don't look it, by the way. You don't look it.
- [34:53]
Megyn Kelly
Thank you.
- [34:53]
Stephen A. Smith
You don't look it at all. I just want to let you know that. Okay, but go ahead.
- [34:56]
Megyn Kelly
So that that was my problem. And then we had the messaging around it. And I'll tell you. So just one example. My kids school in New York, one of the best schools in the nation. This is the school from which we fled. I have two boys and a girl, and our boys were at this boys school, and they actually made it mandatory reading for the faculty there. This thought piece by this one professor who posited that in every classroom where white children learn, there is a future killer cop and that white mothers are indoctrinating their children in black death. In response to which I said, we're out of here. This is such bullshit. My brother's a cop, first of all. And the nerve, the nerve to look at our sweet little boys. What my boy was in kindergarten and say, yeah, there's a future killer cop because of his white skin. It's blatantly racist. And by the way, most of DEI hiring and firing and whatever practices are illegal. It is illegal to even count race as a factor in hiring or firing. All these companies and these banks who are like, well, in the end, it, you know, tips the scales if she's a woman or if he's a black man.
- [36:12]
Stephen A. Smith
Wrong.
- [36:13]
Megyn Kelly
You just violated the law. You're not allowed to consider it at all. But we lost our minds after George Floyd. We decided we were going to throw the law out the window or just not enforce it and start living and dying by immutable characteristics, like I should get extra points because I have a vag or you should get extra points because your skin is brown. It's just utter madness.
- [36:34]
Stephen A. Smith
What do you say? And I'm certainly not equating him with those examples that you just gave because I get where you're coming from. I could research some of those things. I could come and push back a little bit. But I have to confess, you made some good points again, Megy Kelly. But let's get to Pete Hagg says, because I got to tell you, I know that's a friend of yours, a former colleague of yours at FOX News. And I want to let you know, and I want to, before I ask this question, I want to let you know I'm not bringing up any of the allegations against that man. My issues against him. I've never brought that stuff up and I'm not about to. I saw your interview with him. And by the way, I applaud you for how you went down the line because you were absolutely right when you said nobody else did that with him. You went point by point with the accusations that were levied against him in terms of his behavior, his sexual behavior, proclivities, et cetera, et cetera. You did all of that. So I'm not here to get on him about that. Here's my issue with Pete Hegseth. He was a weekend host on Fox News. Megyn Kelly, and now he is the secretary of defense for the United States of America, overseeing a department with three and a half million people, two million of whom are civilians, by the way. I understand that he served our military honorably and he is to be respected. And I am not here to disrespect him. But when we talk about dei, okay, when we talk about somebody being given a hand up for, my God, doesn't that qualify? Megyn Kelly, doesn't that qualify?
- [37:58]
Megyn Kelly
No. I mean, let me just start by saying Barack Obama was a community organizer. That's it. That's it. He had no executive experience, but he was elected. We made him commander in chief. Yeah, but I'm just saying if you want to qualifications to do the job, much rather look at Pete's resume than Barack Obama's. But Pete, Yes. He was a weekend Fox and Friends host, but I can. I mean, Trump was a celebrity apprentice host. Like your, your stint hosting on TV or not hosting doesn't determine whether you can do the job. Pete was hired because of his military service and his then after his military service, his years devoting himself to helping vets through Concerned Veterans for America and another charity group that he formed to help veterans get their voices out there in politics. But he served at Gitmo. He left Princeton voluntarily and enlisted so that he could help fight. After 9 11, nobody leaves Princeton to join the armed forces. Nobody. But Pete did. Then he went, volunteered again to go to Iraq during the most dangerous time. This is when people were being beheaded in Iraq. He was like, send me. Okay. He went. Then Afghanistan, same thing. Went back again. And those three deployments taught Pete a thing or two about what it means to be a war fighter and how, how much of a hair trigger we've had in this country over the past couple of decades and how neocons are really super enthusiastic about fighting every single war in every single pocket of the globe without spending a lot of time thinking about what it's doing to our actual men. But Pete was changed from a neocon to more of a dove. And that's one of the reasons why Trump chose him.
- [39:34]
Stephen A. Smith
But, but Megan, let me be fair to you, and I want to be very, very clear. I'm not questioning his military service. I'm not questioning his record. What I'm saying. A matter of fact, I'd do you one better. I don't mind people who were ultra critical of Lloyd Austin, his predecessor, and say Pete could do better. I got all of that. What I'm talking about is the bare bones of your qualification. Do you understand? I'm talking from an administrative perspective, running a department with three and a half million. And you brought up Obama. Yes, he was a community organizer, but he was also a senator before he got elected as president. Teach you how to run anything up on Capitol Hill? I. I didn't say it did. I didn't say it did. I'm. But. But for years, that's how it happened. I'm talking about the process.
- [40:14]
Megyn Kelly
You saw a Senate should be the Defense Department chief. No, It's a no. She's an idiot. Like becoming a US Senator doesn't make you qualified to do anything other than sit at the US Senate and drink a bunch of coffee. But Pete, here's the reason. I'll bring it home for you. What was happening is we were relying too much on the so called experts and the so called generals. And that is how we wound up in two forever wars. You know, we have a, a ship of, yes, it's neocons and it's the industrial war machine and it's the Boeings of the world and people who make a lot of money off of military conflicts. And it had become this cottage industry where they saw conflict and they pushed us like, like an aircraft carrier. They had that much force behind the push to push us into these conflicts. And we had too many Republican leaders in particular who said, yes, I'll do it. And by the way, the Democrats weren't much better and today are even worse. Yes, I'll do it, I'll do it, I'll do it. And we're going to spread democracy through the Middle East. Okay, sure. How did that work out? We made a bunch more enemies. Countries hate us even more now and then we sacrificed generations of blood and treasure. And what happened with Trump, Trump 1.0 was he had, he sought firsthand with people like General Milley that he shouldn't be talking to the generals and just listening to them. And he actually brought in a bunch of generals to advise him on what we should do about Afghanistan and closing that down. And then he brought in a bunch of enlisted guys. And one of the reasons why the, the machine, the military war machine didn't like Trump was because he said, I'm done listening to the generals, I want to know what the enlisted troops have to say. And they all said, get us out of this war, it's pointless now. And so Trump learned that he needs to talk to the actual war fighters about whether we're winning and losing, whether it's a battle worth fighting, what the actual sacrifice looks like. And there was no better person than Pete, who by the way attained the rank of major, which is great. You know, he's not a four star general, but he was an officer and he was also an actual fighting soldier in the actual armed forces who had put his life on the line.
- [42:18]
Stephen A. Smith
Two more questions before I let you get out of here because I know you gotta run out. I thank you so much for your time. Question number one, you were critical of Christine Ohm. I mean, and obviously so, I mean, you didn't like in the fatigues with the commercials or whatever, you spoke out against her. So you, you, you ain't playing around. You gonna call balls and strikes, I'll give you credit for that. But considering her and how she just got, I think it was her pocketbook. Stolen, stolen over the weekend at a restaurant in D.C. including a passport, driver's license, keys, and government access badge. When you consider the security of this nation. We're talking about Pete Hegseth with this whole controversy. He's in with the text messages and stuff like that, and having folks in the text chain and national security issues being over, you know, with his wife and his brother included in the text. And then you got Kristi. No, that's our homeland security. That's our national defense. How secure should we feel when the Trump administration appears to be having those kind of problems at this particular in the moment?
- [43:14]
Megyn Kelly
I'm not worried about that at all. I really kind of know, want to know where Kristi Noam was about to flee to. She had her passport and three grand in cash. Who travels with that like that? I was like, what? I. I guess that's her personal habit. I never use cash. Who uses cash anymore? I don't have two nickels anymore. It's like, whatever. Okay. So that doesn't bother me. But the Pete thing, I laid it out on my show today, exactly what's happening to him. But what happened there, Stephen A. Really wasn't his fault. The signal thing, that was his fault, and it wasn't a good idea. And I don't defend it. But what's happening to him in terms of the hit pieces coming out against him is a more interesting story. They started having leaks from the Pentagon with of top secret information like our plans for the Panama Canal and to potentially get them in line if they don't want to help us getting China out of there in terms of influence. Pentagon plans that the president had asked for. You can't have that shit. You cannot have the Pentagon leaking war plans to NBC News, which happened. So they opened up a leak investigation. He wound up saying, these are the three guys who we believe did the leaks. They got escorted out of the building on Friday. And day after day since they were escorted out, there's been a hit piece on new information that just happens to reflect very poorly on Pete. So you have to keep it in perspective and follow the timeline. It's clearly a campaign to bring him down. The president sees it. The president has said he's not persuaded by it. And I think that's probably how this will land.
- [44:39]
Stephen A. Smith
Last question. He says stuff like he has said in defense of himself and, you know, pointed out how these people that were let go and release suddenly this information, these stories are coming out day by day by day, which is obviously another finger being pointed at the left, left. This Media. Who's, who's, who's coming after him? It appears Steve Bannon was on this show last week. He had a lot of interesting things to say. Pushing for Trump in a third term. I'm not going for that. The 22nd Amendment, Megyn Kelly. I'm not going for that. No, no, no president shall serve more than two terms. Don't try to change it up now. But ultimately my last question to you would be this. It's the Steve banners of the world. It's a Pete Hegseth who's overseeing the Department of Defense. It's somebody like a Megyn Kelly who for all we know, was probably reached out to by the Trump administration. But things are going for you so well right now. Why would you do something like that? In the end, when we look at Megyn Kelly at this point in time in her life and in her career, how happy are you doing what you're doing? And what kind of noise do you anticipate you making in the years to come, not just with your show, but with a podcast network that it's now reported you're starting with all the things that you have going on and your voice resonating more and more profoundly with each passion. What do you see for yourself coming down the road?
- [46:03]
Megyn Kelly
Well, I never have any delusions of grandeur. You know, I have the advantage of been having been raised by a mom whose message was generally I love you, you're not special. I'm open minded to specialness, but I've really seen nothing so far. But, you know, still love you, we're gonna have a great life. And that's still, my mom's still around and that's still her messaging. So I, I never think of myself in those grandiose terms of like my network and my voice. But my goal on the show is to remain relentlessly factual in a sea of misinformation, to just try to stay relentlessly factual and help people understand what's real. And the people who I've added to my, you know, podcast network, whose shows I'm going to help produce and promote, have that same commitment. You know, these are people you can trust. They have their own bent on the news and that's fine, but they'll let you know when it's their opinion versus what's they deal in the world of what is real. And I think there needs to be a place where you can still trust that that's the case. And for me, I have to say, life's never been better. I finally gotten things to the place where I can work, which I love and fulfills me. And I think it's a public service in a way, what we do. But I also have time to be with my family. I take my kids to school every day. I pick them up. I have dinner with them every single night of the week. My husband, too. And we spend our weekends together. You know, we're just in a sweet spot as a family, given my kids ages, which are 15, 14, and 11. They still love us and like us, and we feel the same about them. I wouldn't change it for the world. I would never go back to cable news, ever. Or broadcast news. There are rumors that I'm doing it every other week on the Internet. They're all lies. I don't know how people get away with making this stuff up. It's all lies. I love what I'm doing, and I wouldn't change a thing. I go to work in my stretchy pants every day. Stephen, a stretchy pants and sneakers couldn't do that at Fox News. I was in polyester with Spanx. Okay, It's a new day and I'm loving it.
- [48:02]
Stephen A. Smith
Should I be on the same channel as Megan Kelly, Meg Kelly and Stephen A. Smith end up on the same channel? I don't know if I'm qualified. I don't know if I'm qualified. It might be a very dangerous proposition for me, Megan, but I don't know.
- [48:12]
Megyn Kelly
Come on over the water. Spine.
- [48:16]
Stephen A. Smith
Megan, thank you so much. I really, really appreciate your time. By the way, Pete Hegsett gonna keep his job if you have to predict he's gonna keep his job, or has the Pentagon lost confidence?
- [48:24]
Megyn Kelly
I think so. I mean, I think we're gonna see more hit pieces on him in the. In the coming days and weeks. It's possible Trump will cut him loose, but I. If I had to put money on it, I'd say he keeps his job.
- [48:33]
Stephen A. Smith
Keep up the great work. You are always welcomed here anytime. I'm always gonna come on your show anytime you ask me to, schedule permitting, of course. Thank you so much for your time. I really. I wish we could have talked longer, but both of us are busy. We got some stuff to do. So thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it.
- [48:49]
Megyn Kelly
Thank you so much. Lots of love. See you soon.
- [48:51]
Stephen A. Smith
That was the phenomenal Megyn Kelly. And I call her phenomenal because I think she's thorough. She knows what the hell she's talking about. She knows what she feels and why is it. And she's not Afraid to let you know where she stands. And that's all you can ask. I know a lot of people listening to her. Her positions on Trump, her position on Hegseth, her position on dei, along with various other things. And you might disagree with her. You might find her positions abhorrent. I did not disagree with everything she said, nor did I find most of her positions abhorrent. Hmm. Might have wanted to wait a few days before she spoke on the Pope, who recently passed away. But she told you what she felt and why and why she felt the need to take that public stance about a public figure, a global public figure may not agree with it, but we understand it because she doesn't speak with ambiguity. She lets you know clear, clearly where she stands. And I respect that and I respect her. So I'm happy that she came on this show. I'm looking forward to her coming on in the future. I'm certainly looking forward to going back on her show because she's called me a couple of times and I've been happy to accept. And we live and we learn, ladies and gentlemen. We don't learn living in the cocoon, just hearing voices that agree with us every step of the way. March in lockstep with us. We hear from different and dissenting opinions and the perspectives that they provide. And along the way, we hear things that we're not hearing from other people. We hear things that we may not have believed, but then folks make it make sense for us. I think Megyn Kelly is one of those people. That's why I'm a fan. That's why I will listen to her show and watch her show as often as I possibly can. And I was happy to have her on the show today, even about points that I disagreed with her about, including dei, by the way. But her opinions are profoundly respected, and I understand where she's coming from. And I must admit, I walked away smarter after listening to her, listening to her, than I was before listening to her. That's what you want from Guest. Okay, so she'll be back on in the future, as will others on both the left and the right. Not running away from it. And you shouldn't either, if you truly care about edifying yourself and elevating your level of thinking. It's a thought process. You don't learn by just getting people to agree with you. You learn by hearing those who dissent and are clear in their reasons why. Think about that as you think about this show that we just had with Megyn Kelly, and you'll understand exactly where I'm coming from. Hope you enjoyed it. I know I did. Until next time, ladies and gentlemen, peace and love. Stephen A. Smith signing off later.
- [52:13]
Narrator
Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 247 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care. The 40s and free agents Podcast with Daniel Jeremiah and Greg Rosenthal has prepared you for the 2025 NFL Draft.
- [52:52]
Stephen A. Smith
We've told you what last year's playoff teams need to return to the postseason.
- [52:56]
Narrator
And how teams with new coaches should approach the draft.
- [52:58]
Stephen A. Smith
So as draft season comes to a close, we've got you covered. Before your favorite team goes on the clock, we'll break it all down. Once all 257 picks have been made.
- [53:07]
Narrator
Listen to the 40s and free agents podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.