‘Empty Vessel’: Conservatives Roast Megyn Kelly Over Flip-Flop on Islam

(Screenshot)

Prominent conservatives marveled at Megyn Kelly’s flip-flop on Islam this week after Kelly waxed poetic about Tucker Carlson’s increasing popularity among Muslims during a recent conversation with Mark Halperin.

“His [Carlson’s] show is doing fine, it’s not like he’s hurting for audience, but I think he’s understanding there may be some new listeners over here. You know, like, he’s gotten very, very popular lately, I read, with Muslim viewers, because he’s been standing up for Islam. You know? And I have to tell you, Mark, it’s been something I’ve noticed just since I’ve gotten sort of more clear-eyed on Israel, that a lot of the anti-Muslim rhetoric that’s put out there originates with people who are very, very pro-Israel, who kind of need us to demonize them. And I’ve taken a look recently at my own rhetoric on this to say, like, ‘Have I been manipulated?’ I want to make sure I’m not getting manipulated,” said Kelly. “But I think he’s having a lot Muslim viewers flock to him. I know for a fact he has a lot young men flocking to him. And so while he may have lost some contingent of the Fox News audience that’s very, very pro-Israel, and, you know, pro-Trump, and you can’t say anything about Trump, for every one of those who leaves, there is another newer, younger audience member who does wanna hear these traditional lines challenged, and hear just new independent thinking. I mean, I’m experiencing some of that myself, and Tucker probably times ten.”

As Nathan Livingstone pointed out on X, Kelly struck a much different chord this January, when she argued:

Islam is not consistent with the values of America, of the West. They should stay in countries that don’t care about keeping church and state separated. They should say in countries that don’t care about protecting free speech. They should state in countries that don’t about women’s rights. That’s where Islam can fester and grow. It’s great! I mean, I’m sure if that’s like your thing, and you don’t care about, like, genital mutilation, you might really enjoy living in an Islamic country. If you don’t mind living in a life as a woman where you have to keep every inch of your body except for your eyeballs covered, yeah, some place in the Middle East could be for you. It’s not my thing, it’s not America’s thing, and it’s not a thing that we should want or encourage in the West.

Kelly had also submitted last October that “Islamophobia is a fake term made up to silence us.”

“We’re allowed to not want Islam taking over American cities,” she mused at the time. “Don’t be shamed out of that totally sensible position.”

Many on the right were unmoved by Kelly’s new perspective — or her explanation for it.

“You’re wrong, @megynkelly. Being pro- or anti-Israel doesn’t change the facts about Islam,” declared Steven Crowder.

“Just a thought… maybe ‘Anti-Muslim sentiment’ ACTUALLY comes from the fact that 198M Muslims worldwide support the use of violence against civilian targets to defend Islam,” he added in a follow-up post.

Ben Shapiro, Kelly’s friend-turned-enemy, scornfully urged her to “Go get them clicks.”

“She’s just an empty vessel. When she was at Fox, she was a conservative. At NBC she became liberal. She was anti Trump when she thought he’d lose. She was pro Trump when it was convenient. Now, she just mimics Tucker for hits,” mused The Washington Examiner‘s David Harsanyi. “Kelly thinks she’s speaking for ‘young people” who reject the stodgy conventional wisdom re Islamists, etc. Find your dignity, woman. You’re freaking 55 years old. Acting like a feedback loop for mobs of ignoramuses and moral degenerates online isn’t going to save your youth.”

Dave Rubin predicted, “Megyn will pivot back to Trump soon and try to gaslight her own audience that none of this happened. Unfortunately for her the internet is forever.”

And Fox News’ Mark Levin, a frequent sparring partner of Kelly’s whose anatomy she has speculating about, made reference to the imbroglio without naming her.

But wait, there’s more:

https://x.com/ianmiles/status/2052092725319901544?s=20

— —

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!