Megyn Kelly Falls for Fake Trump Post During ‘Emergency’ Broadcast, Faces Backlash Online
Host Faces Swift Backlash After Falling for Fake Trump Post During Live Broadcast, Raising Questions About Misinformation and Credibility
In her latest attempt to galvanize support from Donald Trump’s MAGA base, Megyn Kelly hosted an impromptu “emergency” episode of The Megyn Kelly Show on YouTube following reports of a second assassination attempt on the former president. The episode, which aired late in the evening, quickly took a turn for the worse when Kelly fell for a fake social media post purportedly from Donald Trump.
At 9:14 p.m., Kelly reacted live to a post falsely attributed to Trump that read “0-2,” seemingly referring to surviving two assassination attempts. The post was quickly debunked as a hoax, but not before Kelly, visibly shaken, discussed its significance on-air. The backlash from viewers was immediate, with one X (formerly Twitter) user bluntly responding, “It’s fake you fucking moron,” a sentiment echoed by others across social media.
The incident was an embarrassing misstep for Kelly, who has been positioning herself as a key voice in right-wing media, frequently appealing to Trump supporters and criticizing mainstream outlets. Despite the misfire, Kelly has boasted about the success of her independently run show, claiming that even with a small team of just six staffers, she has managed to achieve numbers that rival or surpass those of legacy media outlets.
Her YouTube channel, which currently boasts 2.3 million subscribers, had an impressive 116.8 million views in July, significantly more than the official YouTube channels of several major news organizations. By comparison, NBC News garnered 78 million views, CBS News 83 million, Sky News 87 million, the BBC News 72 million, and CNBC trailed with just 17 million views during the same period.
This is not the first time Kelly has courted controversy in her quest to capture the MAGA audience. After leaving Fox News and launching her independent media venture, she has increasingly aligned herself with conservative causes, often defending Trump and his supporters against what she describes as biased mainstream media attacks.
Despite the backlash, Kelly has yet to issue an apology or retraction for the mishap, instead continuing to promote her show as an alternative to traditional news outlets.