Overview of The Megyn Kelly Show (Ep. 1373)
This episode centered on several intersecting themes: the Democratic Party’s leftward shift, candidate quality problems in key races, the ongoing debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports, a widening plagiarism and credibility scandal involving a Cambridge professor, and a wide-ranging interview with Matt Taibbi. The show also featured a lighter closing conversation with Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears about his memoir, music career, and personal struggles.
Democratic Party Fractures and Candidate Problems
Maine and the Troy Jackson controversy
Megyn and Matt Taibbi opened with Maine politics, where Democrats are still struggling to settle on a viable Senate challenger to Susan Collins after prior candidates collapsed. The replacement candidate, Troy Jackson, became a source of ridicule after reporting revealed he is married to his second cousin.
Key points:
- The campaign brushed off the reporting as politically motivated.
- Taibbi argued the standard defense of “blame Trump” has become a reflexive way to avoid serious questions.
- The exchange underscored how weak candidate vetting and awkward personal scandals are hurting Democrats.
Wisconsin’s Francesca Hong and the DSA
The discussion then shifted to Wisconsin, where Francesca Hong, a DSA-backed gubernatorial hopeful, is leading in the Democratic primary.
Megyn and Taibbi criticized her for:
- Supporting radical DSA positions such as defunding police, abolishing ICE, prison reduction, Medicare for All, and a 32-hour workweek.
- Publicly revising her harsh anti-Thanksgiving comments into a softer, more politically acceptable position.
- Embracing rhetoric about “proximity to whiteness,” including referencing her biracial son in a way Megyn found deeply inappropriate.
Taibbi’s main argument:
- The DSA’s rise reflects a broader ideological breakdown in the Democratic Party.
- Their platform is increasingly anti-institutional and hostile to checks and balances.
- Educational and historical ignorance about socialism is allowing radical ideas to seem appealing to younger voters.
Ohio Republican Family Drama and Political Fallout
Another major segment focused on Ohio, where Republican Senator Bernie Moreno denounced his ex-son-in-law, House candidate Max Miller, as unfit for office amid ugly divorce-related allegations.
What was discussed:
- Moreno said Miller’s behavior toward his daughter made his “skin crawl.”
- Miller responded by releasing audio recordings intended to rebut abuse allegations.
- The audio included a disputed incident involving hot water and another involving alleged drug use and needles.
Main takeaway:
- Megyn emphasized how messy divorce/custody disputes can become public political weapons.
- Taibbi said it’s dangerous when accusations alone can vaporize political careers, especially when the full facts are unclear.
- He noted that parties increasingly use internal scandals to police their own candidates.
The Cambridge Plagiarism and Credibility Scandal
A large portion of the episode was devoted to Jason Arday, the Cambridge professor whose biography and academic record are increasingly being questioned.
Allegations and contradictions discussed:
- Claims that he volunteered with WaterAid abroad were challenged by the charity, which says it does not send volunteers overseas.
- A University of Glasgow claim that he was a visiting professor there was denied by the university.
- Cambridge quietly removed or altered parts of his public bio, including degree and title references.
- Journalists have identified numerous apparent plagiarism and writing-quality issues in his academic work.
Other troubling claims covered:
- He said he ran 600 miles in six days, later walking that back to 12 days.
- He said he completed his PhD defense shortly after brain surgery and while dealing with serious medical issues.
- He has accused critics of racism and said he has been threatened with knives, bullets, mutilated animals, and other intimidation—claims the show said appear unsupported.
Taibbi’s assessment:
- Institutions are defending him because he represents the “right” ideological and racial narrative.
- Once a source is caught lying about one thing, the broader pattern of fabrication often becomes obvious.
- The academic establishment is protecting a myth rather than upholding standards.
The Trans Athletes Debate and Megyn’s Response
Later in the show, Megyn directly responded to criticism of her comments about transgender athletes in women’s sports, especially after commentary from a Mediaite writer.
Megyn’s central argument
- Female athletes are being physically harmed and competitively disadvantaged.
- Women’s sports should be for biological females.
- Media and activists are minimizing real injuries and real fairness concerns.
Examples highlighted
Megyn rattled through multiple cases to counter claims that transgender participation is harmless:
- A Massachusetts girls’ basketball player injured in a game involving a male competitor.
- Peyton McNabb, the North Carolina volleyball player whose injuries from a male spike caused long-term effects, including vision and balance issues.
- A wrestling case in Washington where a 15-year-old girl alleged a male opponent’s fingers penetrated her through her uniform.
- A Massachusetts field hockey player who had her teeth knocked out by a male opponent.
- International examples from rugby, swimming, soccer, and weightlifting where female athletes were reportedly injured, displaced, or overwhelmed by male-bodied competitors.
Aryna Sabalenka and WTA policy
Megyn praised tennis star Aryna Sabalenka for supporting a new WTA policy requiring gender testing and restricting women’s competition to biological females.
The point:
- Unlike many celebrities, Sabalenka publicly said what most athletes know: male physiology creates an unfair and unsafe advantage.
- Megyn framed this as an example of courage and common sense in elite women’s sports.
Seth Moulton’s reversal
The segment ended with criticism of Democrat Seth Moulton, who once expressed concern about his daughters competing against males but later walked that back under political pressure.
Megyn’s view:
- He sounded cowardly and politically opportunistic.
- Democrats often say the right thing briefly, then retreat when activism pushes back.
Interview with Matt Taibbi
Throughout the show, Taibbi served as Megyn’s sharp, skeptical foil. His major themes included:
- The Democratic Party is suffering from candidate-quality collapse.
- Institutions increasingly reward ideology over competence.
- Academia, journalism, and politics are all facing a credibility crisis because facts are subordinated to narrative.
- Trans issues, socialism, and racial grievance politics are being used to mobilize voters without honest debate.
Notable idea:
- Taibbi argued that people are being encouraged to believe in comforting myths rather than unpleasant realities, and that this harms both institutions and public trust.
Closing Interview: Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears
The episode closed on a more reflective note with Roland Orzabal, co-founder of Tears for Fears, discussing his memoir Welcome to Your Life, Love, Death, and Tears for Fears.
Topics covered:
- The origins of Tears for Fears and how he met Kurt Smith.
- Writing hits like “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Shout,” and “Mad World.”
- The band’s breakup and eventual reunion.
- Orzabal’s struggle with grief, alcoholism, primal therapy, and personal loss.
- The death of his first wife, Caroline, and the complicated emotional path that led to his later marriage to Emily.
Takeaway:
- Orzabal came across as candid, thoughtful, and introspective.
- The conversation framed his memoir as both a music story and a personal account of survival and self-understanding.
Main Takeaways
- The Democratic Party is facing major internal tensions, especially on the left flank.
- Candidate scandals and weak vetting are becoming a recurring problem for both parties.
- Megyn made a forceful case that women’s sports are being undermined by transgender inclusion policies.
- Institutions like Cambridge, media outlets, and advocacy groups are being accused of protecting preferred narratives rather than confronting facts.
- The episode balanced sharp political commentary with a surprisingly personal and reflective music interview to close.