Megyn Kelly hosts a “prove me wrong” session during AmericaFest, the first Turning Point USA summit since the death of Charlie Kirk, in Phoenix, Arizona, US, Dec. 19, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Caitlin O’Hara

For a number of months, people urged Megyn Kelly to criticize Candace Owens for absurd propaganda theories, including that Israel somehow was behind the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Ben Shapiro, co-founder of The Daily Wire, is one of the main people who, amid rising antisemitism and absurd hatred against Erika Kirk, called Kelly a coward.

Kelly was jealous of the attention that Owens and Carlson were getting by embracing antisemitic conspiracy theories, and decided she wanted some of their audiences.

Kelly started hosting conspiracy theorists who are shills for Candace Owens — and it became clear that Kelly only cares about clicks and views.

But maybe a part of Kelly fears she will lose credibility if she doesn’t call out some wild theories — so she has tried to do that a little bit. She wants to have her cake and eat it too — and that’s what grifters do.

Kelly is exceptionally smart and she knows that Owens is a person who behaves in a sickening faction. And because Kelly has an audience of more than four million, she still has a lot of cachet.

As an attorney, Kelly understands evidence. So why does she refuse to talk about the killing of Kirk without completely rejecting Owens’ (and Carlson’s) absurd accusations?

She must think her audience is dumb to claim that Israel manipulated her to be too pro-Israel, when she could not be manipulated on any other subject. Yet she doesn’t even try to defend this view.

It is understandable that Kelly wants attention. It is understandable that she’s angry from being ousted by NBC and Fox, and she is a much better talent than many on those stations.

But that’s not an excuse to change your views due to criticism, and you don’t shy away from attacking others because you think it will be unpopular.

Kelly is not as good an actress as Owens. Owens can say things she knows are totally insane with full conviction. Kelly can’t, and you can hear in her voice when she is going through the motions.

We don’t know what will happen in the future, but Kelly saying that she likes Ana Kasparian is a sign that she wants to throw Jews under the bus. If Kelly stopped doing anything for ratings and went back to the common sense positions she used to advocate for, it would be a lot better for America.

The author is a writer based in New York.