Neocon PANIC Over Blue Tsunami, with Jesse Kelly, Plus Shock Twist in Markle Investigation, and Blago on Prison and Freedom | Ep. 1435
Episode of The Megyn Kelly Show · November 5, 2026 · 1 h 43 min
Megyn Kelly and Jesse Kelly dissect the GOP's 2026 midterm rout and the Iran war, then cover the Markle probe, a Florida jet crash, and Rod Blagojevich.
Summary
Megyn Kelly opened by discussing Republicans' heavy losses in the 2026 midterm elections with radio host Jesse Kelly. Jesse Kelly called it a punishment election driven by rising prices and the Iran war, lamenting that Texas had turned blue, while suggesting the wipeout cleared out pro-amnesty Republicans. Megyn Kelly accused neoconservatives such as Mark Levin, Mark Thiessen and Ari Fleischer of blaming JD Vance's ceasefire rather than the war itself, citing exit polls and Wall Street Journal reporting. Jesse Kelly framed the fight as a proxy war over the 2028 Republican nomination and argued that unpopular foreign wars doom parties.
The pair criticized what they described as Trump's arrogance toward supporters on Epstein, gas prices and corruption, with Megyn Kelly citing exit polls showing 90% of voters rated corruption a major factor. They discussed a preview of Democratic oversight investigations from Rep. Robert Garcia, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, Nithya Raman's Los Angeles mayoral win, and Megyn Kelly's argument that Republicans may lose up to two Supreme Court seats because Samuel Alito did not retire in time.
Megyn Kelly then criticized Russell Brand's rape conviction in the UK, reported that Philippine police had widened their child sex investigation of Thomas Markle Sr. to include his son Thomas Markle Jr., condemned Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's planned child digital safety address in Brussels, and reviewed NTSB findings in a Florida Learjet crash, including evidence of pieces separating before impact and possible underestimation of severe turbulence.
Finally, former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich predicted Democrats would overreach with investigations rather than address affordability, advised against DeSantis joining the administration, described his surprise at the election, recounted his nearly eight years in prison from his new book, and urged Russell Brand to find purpose in his children.
Chapters
- 0:00
Introduction and Hegseth shake-up reports
Megyn Kelly introduces the post-midterm fallout, reports of Pete Hegseth's possible replacement by Ron DeSantis, and guest Jesse Kelly.
- 2:26
A punishment election
Jesse Kelly calls the midterms a historic repudiation over prices and the Iran war, while noting pro-amnesty Republicans were cleared out.
- 7:45
Neocon spin blaming the ceasefire
Megyn Kelly accuses war hawks of blaming JD Vance's ceasefire, and Jesse Kelly frames it as a 2028 succession fight.
- 16:06
Why the Iran war was unpopular
Jesse Kelly argues unpopular foreign wars destroy parties, and the hosts cite Wall Street Journal and New York Times reporting on Trump's decisions.
- 25:32
Trump's arrogance, Epstein and corruption
The hosts criticize Trump's messaging to supporters on Epstein and gas prices and discuss corruption concerns highlighted by exit polls.
- 35:02
Coming Democratic investigations
A clip of Robert Garcia outlines planned oversight probes, and Jesse Kelly warns the administration faces a rocky two years.
- 38:41
Electoral College, LA mayor and power grabs
Megyn Kelly explains the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, and the hosts discuss Democratic proposals and Nithya Raman's Los Angeles win.
- 44:41
Supreme Court seats at risk
Megyn Kelly argues Alito's failure to retire may cost Republicans up to two seats, and Jesse Kelly warns the Senate loss will last years.
- 51:59
Ilhan Omar and Russell Brand verdict
Megyn Kelly notes Ilhan Omar's re-election and criticizes Russell Brand's conviction, detailing testimony from one accuser.
- 56:48
Markle child abuse investigation
Megyn Kelly reports on FBI plans to search Thomas Markle Sr.'s LA storage units and Philippine police widening the probe to Thomas Markle Jr.
- 1:11:09
Florida Learjet crash investigation
Megyn Kelly reviews NTSB findings, severe turbulence, and air traffic control recordings related to the crash.
- 1:25:24
Rod Blagojevich on Democrats and the GOP
Blagojevich predicts Democratic overreach on investigations, discusses Hegseth and DeSantis, and gives his reaction to the election results.
Linked moment · 1:35:37Skip to 1:35:37 using a listen link in the info box.
1:35:37Prison life and Blagojevich's book
Blagojevich compares prison gangs to politicians and describes inmates, his prison band, and finding purpose during incarceration.
- 1:39:28
Advice for Russell Brand
Blagojevich urges Russell Brand to endure for his children and calls for fixing the justice system.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Jesse Kelly
Jesse Kelly argues the midterms were a punishment election against Trump and Republicans over prices.
“People could try to wash their hands of it, but this was a punishment election”
- Megyn Kelly
Megyn Kelly argues the neoconservatives who pushed the Iran war are now misleading the public about the cause of the losses.
“We are being gaslit yet again by the same crew that got us into this about”
- Jesse Kelly
Jesse Kelly argues that most post-election infighting is a proxy war over the 2028 Republican nomination and JD Vance.
“About 99% of the political arguments you see from political people online now are simply a proxy war for the 2028 Republican nomination”
Listen from 10:10 · 2028 Republican Party presidential primaries
- Megyn Kelly
Megyn Kelly cites exit polls showing the Iran war was crucial or important to most voters, contradicting pre-election claims.
“The exit polls show that the Iran war was either crucial or important to 74% of the voters yesterday”
- Jesse Kelly
Jesse Kelly argues that fighting a war without popular support is political suicide for a leader and his party.
“So if the people are not with you at all, you are signing your political death warrant and the death warrant of your party if you go fight one”
- Jesse Kelly
Jesse Kelly argues that the America First movement exists independently of Trump, who led but did not create it.
“Donald Trump did not start MAGA. He's the first leader of the America First Movement and deserves a ton of credit for being the first leader”
- Megyn Kelly
Megyn Kelly cites exit polls showing government corruption was a major factor for most voters, including many Republicans.
“90% of the voters rated that crucial or a major factor, including almost half of Republican voters, 43%, who said crucial or major”
Listen from 31:24 · Political corruption in the United States
- Jesse Kelly
Jesse Kelly says sources have warned him that Democratic corruption investigations of the administration may find real wrongdoing.
“This might not be a hoax like the last two impeachments. There might be some some meat on that bone”
Listen from 33:55 · Political corruption in the United States
- Megyn Kelly
Megyn Kelly calls a Democratic push for the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact radical and believes voters would punish it.
“And I do believe the voters would punish the Democrats if they did such a thing”
Listen from 39:48 · National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
- Jesse Kelly
Jesse Kelly recounts that walking Los Angeles was the closest he has come to fearing for his life in the U.S.
“That is as close to fearing for my life as I have ever had in the United States of America”
- Megyn Kelly
Megyn Kelly argues that because a Democratic Senate will block Trump nominees, Republicans may effectively lose up to two Supreme Court seats.
“not only did Republicans lose the Senate and the House on Tuesday, they may likely have lost up to two Supreme Court seats”
- Jesse KellyPrediction · due Dec 2028
Jesse Kelly predicts Republicans will probably not regain the Senate in 2028 even if they win the presidency.
“even if we win in 2028 we're probably if you look at the map if you look the way it shakes out we're probably still not going to have the senate”
- Megyn Kelly
Megyn Kelly argues Russell Brand's rape conviction is an outrage given the accuser's own testimony and prior statements.
“That is the woman whose rape allegation is now going to send Russell Brand to jail for somewhere between five and ten years”
- Megyn Kelly
Megyn Kelly criticizes Meghan Markle and Prince Harry being platformed on children's online safety while allegedly staying silent about her father.
“How the F are they getting platformed as spokespeople on child safety online?”
Listen from 1:08:40 · Thomas Markle child abuse investigation
- Megyn Kelly
Megyn Kelly suggests the earlier recording points to a pattern of the Learjet crew underestimating turbulence danger.
“So it does seem like there was potentially a pattern of underestimating the danger on board this Learjet, potentially by this same flight crew”
- Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich predicts the new Democratic majority will focus on investigating Trump and his circle rather than affordability.
“My prediction is that the Democrats are going to go crazy with weaponization, that they're going to spend a lot of time, way too much time, investigating President Trump”
Listen from 1:27:08 · Political corruption in the United States
- Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich says an appellate court reversed the Senate-seat sale count as routine political log rolling.
“in July of 2015, Megan, the so-called fake sale of the Senate seat was reversed by the appellate court”
- Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich believes DeSantis has presidential aspirations and therefore will not join the Trump administration.
“If he has presidential aspirations, and I strongly suspect that he does, after all, he ran before”
Listen from 1:32:17 · 2028 Republican Party presidential primaries
- Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich says he expected Republicans to hold the Senate and Democrats to win the House, and was shocked by the scale of losses.
“I thought the Republicans would hold on to the Senate. I thought the Democrats were very likely to win the House”
- Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich says his eight years in prison taught him that purpose makes any hardship endurable.
“but I learned that, you know, you can endure anything if you have purpose”
People
In the conversation
- Megyn KellyConservative broadcaster and podcaster
- Jesse KellyAmerican conservative talk radio host of 'The Jesse Kelly Show' and 'I'm Right', and Marine Corps veteran
- Rod BlagojevichFormer Democratic governor of Illinois and author of "Framed, F*cked, and Freed"
Discussed
- Pete HegsethU.S. Secretary of Defense overseeing the Iran campaign
- JD VanceVice President of the United States
- Lindsey GrahamU.S. Senator named by Kelly as an advocate for the Iran war
- Mark LevinConservative radio host who pressed for strikes on Iran
- Ari FleischerFormer White House press secretary who blamed the ceasefire
- Ben ShapiroConservative commentator who advocated the Iran war
- Samuel AlitoSupreme Court justice rumored to be considering retirement
- Clarence ThomasU.S. Supreme Court justice in the voting rights ruling majority
- Nithya RamanLos Angeles city councilmember and democratic socialist mayoral candidate
- Spencer PrattReality TV personality running for mayor of Los Angeles
- Russell BrandBritish comedian convicted of rape and sexual assault
- Meghan MarkleDuchess of Sussex, cited as a PR cautionary example
- Thomas MarkleMeghan Markle's father, under child abuse investigation
- Thomas Markle Jr.Meghan Markle's half-brother, now a person of interest in Philippine probe
- Alina HabbaFormer Trump lawyer and former U.S. attorney for New Jersey
- Marsha BlackburnTennessee governor-elect who could appoint a senator
- Viktor FranklAustrian psychiatrist and author known for writing on meaning and the space between stimulus and response
Topics
- 2026 United States midterm elections
- United States war with Iran
- 2028 Republican Party presidential primaries
- Political corruption in the United States
- National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
- Supreme Court of the United States
- Russell Brand sexual assault trial
- Thomas Markle child abuse investigation
- 2026 Palm Beach Learjet crash
- Framed, F*cked, and Freed
- Incarceration in the United States
- Jeffrey Epstein
- 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election
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From the publisher
Megyn Kelly is joined by Jesse Kelly, host of The Jesse Kelly Show, to discuss the GOP establishment’s new spin that the Iran war wasn't the cause of the massive midterm losses but it was the ceasefire, the truth about the issues that mattered to Americans, neocons panicking that their power is coming to an end after the disastrous 2026 election, the truth about how their push for the Iran war has led to harming Americans, what Republicans should expect over the next two years from Democratic investigations, why the fallout from 2026 will be felt for years and possibly decades to come, and more. Then Megyn dives into new reporting that Meghan Markle’s half-brother Thomas Markle Jr. is also being investigated as part of the investigation involving her father, Thomas Markle Sr., the shocking details about what police are learning, the latest developments in the investigation into the Florida private plane crash, why "severe turbulence" is such a key component of the investigation, and more. Then Rod Blagojevich, author of "Framed, F*cked, and Freed," joins to discuss what Democrats will do in 2027 and why we should expect them to overreach, what happens to the GOP, what prison was really like for him, the moment he was able to return home to his family, and more. Kelly- https://www.jessekellyshow.com/ Blagojevich- https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/9781510785236/framed-fcked-and-freed/ Byrna: Go to https://Byrna.com or your local Sportsman's Warehouse today. Birch Gold: Text MK to 989898 for a free info kit and to claim eligibility for your free silver on a qualifying purchase through November 11th The Wellness Company: Be prepared for late-night health emergencies by ordering your prescription Medical Emergency Kit at https://UrgentCareKit.com/MK and saving $45 with promo code MK today. HomeServe: Protect your home systems from expensive repairs with https://HomeServe.com/mks and get 50% off your first year of coverage.
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on November 6, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.