Overview of The Megyn Kelly Show with Emily Jashinsky
This episode is a wide-ranging political and media rundown centered on three big themes: the collapse of political credibility, the left’s internal contradictions, and the state of legacy media. Megyn Kelly and Emily Jashinsky dig into Graham Platner’s scandal-plagued Maine Senate run, Tom Steyer’s California campaign and his embrace of trans-athlete politics, Jill Biden’s awkward memoir rollout and the ongoing Biden cover-up, and the growing rebellion inside CBS News under Bari Weiss’s new leadership. They also touch on James Talarico’s strange online persona and why Tom Steyer’s choice of Jon Hamm as a campaign voice is such a bad look.
Maine Senate Race: Graham Platner’s Scandals and Bad Denials
Kelly and Jashinsky spend much of the first half on Maine Democrat Graham Platner, whom they see as a deeply damaged candidate whose denials are making things worse.
What’s alleged
- Platner is accused of:
- sexting multiple women while married
- maintaining a disturbing Reddit presence
- having a Kik account, which they note is associated with sexual exploitation concerns
- having a Nazi tattoo he initially denied knowing about
- They argue the reporting is serious because it came from his own wife through campaign channels, not from random opposition research.
Their take on his response
- Amy Platner’s explanation centered on:
- a “great marriage”
- infertility
- therapy
- the stress of a Senate campaign
- Kelly argues this framing is evasive and overly therapized.
- Graham Platner’s own denials are described as obvious non-denials:
- he blames “gossip” and “journalistic malpractice”
- refuses to clearly say whether the texts existed
- eventually basically admits the dispute is about “what Genevieve McDonald claims,” which Kelly says is not a real denial
Broader point
- Jashinsky says many voters have become cynical about politicians’ personal lives, but Platner’s bigger issue is credibility and emotional instability, not just infidelity.
- They also note that his online behavior and mental-health history raise real questions about whether he is fit for the stress of the Senate.
Political impact
- If Platner survives the primary, he could still be favored by Democrats desperate to defeat Susan Collins.
- But Kelly and Jashinsky think the scandal gives Republicans plenty of material and could make him less viable in a general election.
California Elections: Tom Steyer, Trans Sports, and a Deep Blue State Mess
The conversation then shifts to California’s gubernatorial and mayoral races, where Kelly and Jashinsky see another example of ideological extremism and political dysfunction.
Tom Steyer’s strategy
- Steyer is surging in the governor’s race and is making trans-athlete rights a central issue.
- He publicly praised A.B. Hernandez, a male athlete competing in girls’ sports, and said the governor’s job is to “stand between danger and Californians.”
- Kelly and Jashinsky mock that framing, arguing the real danger is to girls in sports.
Their critique
- They see Steyer as embodying a radically left worldview in which government’s job is to shield people from “all malign influences.”
- Kelly argues this is the kind of paternalistic, government-centric thinking that has helped ruin California.
Steve Hilton and the runoff
- They repeatedly worry that Steve Hilton may be pushed out of the top two runoff spots.
- Their frustration is that California voters may end up with two Democrats again, despite the state’s worsening problems.
Los Angeles mayoral race
- They also highlight the absurdity of Karen Bass being in strong position for reelection despite the city’s failures, especially on homelessness and public safety.
- The broader point: one-party dominance produces weak, entrenched, and often disastrous candidates.
Jill Biden’s Memoir Tour and the Biden Cover-Up
Kelly and Jashinsky are especially harsh on Jill Biden’s book rollout, which they say exposes the same media and political bubble that protected Joe Biden for years.
What Jill Biden said
- On Today, she insisted her book is about her life, not politics.
- She complained that media coverage was focused on gossip rather than “real issues.”
- She admitted she saw Joe Biden’s debate performance and, in the moment, was scared he had “had a stroke.”
- She also said she would not have encouraged him to run again if she could do it over.
Kelly’s reaction
- Kelly says Jill Biden is trying to reframe herself as inspirational while avoiding accountability.
- She calls out the contradiction between:
- defending Joe Biden publicly after the debate
- now revealing how bad it looked in private
- She argues Jill Biden is just as complicit as the rest of the Biden inner circle in keeping Joe in the race.
Media failure
- The interviewers are portrayed as too soft and deferential.
- Rita Braver of CBS is singled out for not asking follow-up questions when Jill Biden made explosive comments about Joe’s condition.
- Kelly sees this as one more example of legacy media’s collapse into access journalism and emotional solidarity.
Bigger takeaway
- Jashinsky says the Biden family’s power loss is changing how the press treats them.
- She argues the whole scandal worsens public trust in Democrats and contributes to the broader credibility crisis they now face.
CBS and Bari Weiss: Internal Revolt at 60 Minutes
Another major segment covers reported turmoil inside CBS News after Bari Weiss’s appointment and the hiring of Nick Bilton to oversee 60 Minutes.
The reported confrontation
- According to Dylan Byers and The Guardian:
- Scott Pelley challenged Bilton during an all-hands meeting
- Pelley said Bilton had scant qualifications for the job
- Pelley reportedly said Bari Weiss is “murdering 60 Minutes” and was brought in to kill it
Kelly’s view
- Kelly says she warned from the start that Weiss lacked broadcast TV experience and would be eaten alive by CBS’s internal culture.
- She sees the network as deeply insular and resistant to outsiders, especially someone who is not “of television.”
Jashinsky’s view
- Jashinsky says the old CBS guard is acting like bad gatekeepers.
- But she also agrees that broadcast experience matters and that the new leadership may struggle because they do not understand the format or culture of the organization.
Bottom line
- Kelly says the network is failing anyway and that Weiss has not gained internal respect.
- The segment frames CBS as another institution in decline, unable to adapt and increasingly at war with itself.
James Talarico’s Contradictions and the “Six Sexes” Problem
Kelly briefly returns to Texas politics to mock Democrat James Talarico, who is running for Senate.
What they find funny
- Talarico has been inconsistent about whether he eats meat.
- He has also tried to explain away or reverse his past statements about gender and sex.
The girlfriend reveal
- Kelly and Jashinsky discuss a poem/social media post from Talarico’s girlfriend that they find bizarre and over-the-top.
- Kelly uses it to poke fun at his image and question whether he is trying too hard to project masculinity.
Their broader point
- They see Talarico as another left-leaning politician trying to sound moderate while still holding positions they view as extreme.
Jon Hamm and Tom Steyer’s Campaign Ad Problem
The episode closes with a deep dive into Tom Steyer’s use of Jon Hamm in a campaign ad.
Why Kelly says this is a mistake
- She says a simple Google search would have flagged Hamm’s long-buried fraternity hazing scandal.
- Kelly and Jashinsky recount allegations that Hamm participated in severe hazing at the University of Texas, including:
- beating a pledge
- dragging him by the genitals
- burning him with a lighter
- causing serious physical injuries
The irony
- Steyer is selling himself as a protector and moral force while using a celebrity with this baggage.
- Kelly says this is especially bad for someone running as a progressive who claims to care about women and vulnerable people.
Key takeaway
- It’s another example, in their view, of Hollywood and Democratic politics ignoring serious misconduct when it comes from the “right” people.
Main Takeaways
- Authenticity now matters more than ever, but bad denials make scandals worse.
- Democrats are still paying for the Biden cover-up, and Jill Biden’s memoir tour is reopening the wound.
- California’s one-party dominance continues to produce weak, ideological, and often absurd politics.
- Legacy media is in institutional decline, with CBS especially showing internal revolt and credibility problems.
- The left’s moral standards are highly selective, especially when celebrity allies are involved.
What to Watch Next
- Maine Democratic primary: Platner’s future and whether the scandal changes the race.
- California primary: whether Steve Hilton makes the runoff and whether Steyer’s surge holds.
- Jill Biden’s memoir release: more fallout from her comments about Joe Biden’s condition.
- CBS News leadership fight: whether the internal backlash against Bari Weiss escalates.
- Texas Senate race: whether Talarico’s image problems continue to grow.