Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly is facing significant backlash after making controversial statements about Jeffrey Epstein on her podcast, with The Daily Show delivering a scathing response to her arguments.
Conservative Pundits Downplay Epstein Files
On Thursday's episode of The Daily Show, host Josh Johnson addressed how right-wing commentators are responding to newly released House emails that suggest President Donald Trump was aware of Epstein's criminal activities during their friendship. The program showed multiple clips of MAGA-aligned pundits dismissing the Epstein files as "an attempt to smear the president," "a distraction," and "a little bit played out."
Johnson found these attempts to minimize the story unconvincing, stating: "If you want to downplay this story, you need a master, all right? Megyn Kelly, you're a master of spin. Show us what you got."
Kelly's Controversial Epstein Defense
The show then played clips from Kelly's Wednesday podcast episode where the former attorney made several eyebrow-raising claims about Epstein. In one segment, Kelly argued that Epstein was "not a pedophile" because he "wasn't into, like, 8-year-olds. But he liked the very young teen types."
Another clip featured Kelly asserting: "There's a difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old, you know?" This comment prompted an immediate and audible groan from The Daily Show's entire studio audience.
After the audience reaction subsided, Johnson directed a pointed question at Kelly, referencing her legal background: "How the hell was Megyn Kelly ever an attorney?" He then mocked what her courtroom arguments might have sounded like: "'Your honor, my client only engaged in diet pedophilia!'"
Johnson's Final Verdict
The Daily Show host concluded with a powerful statement addressing Kelly's controversial distinction: "Ma'am, everyone knows there's a big difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year old. But everyone also knows there's never a good reason to be talking about that difference."
While Kelly did describe Epstein's crimes as "disgusting" on her podcast, saying "Whatever. It's sick. Every time we start talking about Epstein, it makes your skin crawl. … The whole thing is just disgusting," she nonetheless emphasized that sexually assaulting a teenager isn't as severe as assaulting a younger child.
Kelly explained that she was parsing the definition of pedophilia after consulting with an unnamed source who was "very, very close to this case" and shared similar views. The timing of these comments comes as new evidence continues to emerge about Epstein's connections to powerful figures, including former President Trump.
