Megyn Kelly has ripped into CNN host Abby Phillip in a sneering monologue about “balanced coverage.”
The 55-year-old conservative media personality attacked Phillip for defending lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after she drew criticism for her comments on foreign policy at the Munich Security Conference last weekend.
Phillip, 37, spent much of Wednesday’s edition of NewsNight asking panelists why Ocasio-Cortez’s awkward pause before answering a question on China and Taiwan has become a “field day” for Trumpy types, when the president delivers rambling and meandering speeches on a regular basis.
“It should come as no surprise MAGA is having a field day with this one,” Phillip said. She later asked, “A flub for AOC, but the question is also, what happens when the president—the actual president of the United States—does very similar things on the world stage?”
In another segment during the debate, Phillip asked, “AOC probably should have been more ready for that question, but are we going to really pretend that the actual president of the United States has not made similar or perhaps worse flubs on the global stage?”
A montage of her conversation was posted on X, which The Megyn Kelly Show in turn reshared alongside a clip of its own, claiming Kelly “destroys” Phillip.
Kelly looked directly into the camera to address the CNN host. “Are we really going to pretend that you are the answer to CNN’s need for fair and balanced coverage and new audience?” She asked. “Because you’re failing. No one watches you. Your audience has been cut to below 400,000, which is a complete embarrassment.
“You ought to be fired and your cocky, smug sense of self ought to be wiped away in one ratings period because no one watches you. What does it say that you are the most interesting thing on CNN and literally nobody’s watching you?”
Phillip’s show featured a bipartisan panel that included The View co-host Ana Navarro and conservative businessman Kevin O’Leary, as well as podcaster Leigh McGowan, commentator Cari Champion, and TV personality John Tabacco.
While AOC’s answer about whether the U.S. would send troops in if China were to invade Taiwan was attacked by MAGA, some members of the panel felt that she had managed the situation well.
“The reality is that she was taking a beat,” Champion said. “And yes, she wasn‘t great—for less than 20 seconds, if you ask me—but I thought she was doing something that the president of the United States rarely does and that‘s think before she speaks. She was trying to get her words together so she knew how to handle it appropriately.”
President Trump took a less positive view of the New York congresswoman’s appearance in Europe.
“Her performance was horrible. I was surprised, actually. I didn’t know she was stupid,” he told reporters while onboard Air Force One on Thursday, adding that he would have dealt with it differently.
“I would’ve just said ‘it’s none of your business right now.’ Because I wouldn’t answer that question. I wouldn’t respond to a question like that,” he said, The Hill reports.
“It’s war. When it comes to war, you don’t talk about your strategies. She could have done that briefly. She had no idea. I don’t think she knew what Taiwan was.”
The Telegraph also reported that, during the flight, he said, “I watched AOC answering questions in Munich—this was not a good look for the United States.”
