NPR's Embarrassing Excuse, Another Socialist Victory, and Smug Serena Williams, with Matt Taibbi and Rob Finnerty | Ep. 1351

Episode of The Megyn Kelly Show · July 1, 2026 · 1 h 42 min

Megyn Kelly talks with Matt Taibbi about socialist Democratic primary wins and NPR's false Alito retirement report, then with Rob Finnerty about Pride, media bias, and Serena Williams.

Summary

Megyn Kelly opened with Melat Kiros's Democratic primary victory over 15-term incumbent Diana DeGette in Denver, framing it as part of a socialist takeover of the Democratic Party. Matt Taibbi argued that opposition to Israel has become a litmus test in Democratic primaries, distinguished the new DSA candidates from Bernie Sanders's 2016 campaign, and said support for police and prison abolition comes mainly from elites unfamiliar with poor neighborhoods. He also criticized media adoption of activist terminology such as "assigned male at birth" following a Supreme Court ruling allowing states to bar transgender girls from girls' sports.

Kelly and Taibbi spent a long segment on NPR's erroneous report that Justice Samuel Alito was retiring. Nina Totenberg explained on air that she misheard "retirement announcements" and assumed Alito was retiring; Kelly called the explanation implausible and a fireable offense, criticized defenders Paul Farhi and Peter Baker, and recalled Totenberg's earlier disputed Gorsuch mask report. Taibbi compared the breakdown to Rolling Stone's UVA story and lamented declining accountability for media errors. They then discussed Jessica Gorman's testimony about her daughter Sheridan's killing, which Taibbi said exposed Democrats' tone-deafness.

With Rob Finnerty, Kelly replayed his Newsmax segment mocking anchors who adopt Spanish accents for names, then discussed coverage of the transgender sports ruling, Pride Month excesses and violence, Minneapolis's repeal of its bathhouse ban, and Jussie Smollett's Pride appearance, which Finnerty said showed the left faces no cancellation. Finnerty rejected J.B. Pritzker's claim that Trump has dementia and faulted media coverage of Joe Biden's health. The episode closed with criticism of Naomi Osaka's and Serena Williams's conduct at Wimbledon and discussion of Dwayne Johnson's decision to keep his politics private.

Chapters

0:00
Melat Kiros defeats Diana DeGette
Kelly introduced the Denver primary result and the DSA platform, playing Kiros's victory speech.
6:24
Taibbi on the DSA and the Israel litmus test
Taibbi discussed Israel as a Democratic litmus test, contrasted the DSA with Bernie Sanders, and explained elite support for police abolition.
16:08
Media language on gender and the Supreme Court ruling
Taibbi criticized media use of activist terms like 'assigned male at birth' after the sports ruling.
20:35
NPR's false Alito retirement report
Kelly and Taibbi dissected Nina Totenberg's explanation, NPR's editorial failure, and media defenders of the report.
43:08
Kiros on ICE and Sheridan Gorman's mother's testimony
Kelly played Kiros calling for ICE abolition and Jessica Gorman's rebuke of Democrats at a House hearing.
52:58
Rob Finnerty and Spanish-accent pronunciation
Kelly introduced Finnerty with his viral segment mocking anchors who adopt Spanish accents for names.
58:22
Coverage of the transgender sports ruling
Kelly and Finnerty criticized NBC coverage and the claim that few transgender athletes compete.
1:02:58
Pride Month and Minneapolis bathhouses
They discussed Pride event conduct and violence and Minneapolis's repeal of its bathhouse ban.
1:12:30
Jussie Smollett's comeback
Finnerty argued Smollett's Pride appearance showed the left faces no cancel culture and faulted media credulity.
1:19:20
Pritzker's dementia claim about Trump
Finnerty rejected Pritzker's claim and criticized media coverage of Joe Biden's cognitive decline.
1:28:41
Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams at Wimbledon
Kelly and Finnerty criticized Osaka's entrance and Williams's handshake, skipped press conference, and past conduct.
1:39:46
Dwayne Johnson stays out of politics
They praised Johnson's decision to keep his politics private and discussed celebrities alienating audiences.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Matt Taibbi
Taibbi argues that support for Israel has become disqualifying in Democratic primaries and is a major factor in DSA success.
“If you haven't taken a stance on it, if you're a supporter of Israel, you're really not electable anymore in the Democratic Party”
Listen from 7:20 · Democratic Socialists of America
Matt Taibbi
Taibbi predicts that the general electorate will rebuke the new DSA candidates once exposed to them.
“I think the people are, there's going to be a rebuke there, but it'll be interesting to see how the party reacts to that”
Listen from 8:49 · Democratic Socialists of America
Matt Taibbi
Taibbi argues, based on his reporting on Eric Garner, that police and prison abolition appeal mainly to elites rather than the poor.
“who think that police abolition is this idea that's going to be universally embraced by the poor, or prison abolition for that matter”
Listen from 12:02 · Democratic Socialists of America
Matt Taibbi
Taibbi recounts that activists gained leverage over newsroom language, starting with requirements to say 'undocumented' instead of 'illegal'.
“I remember the first time that it came up in a fact-checking meeting that we had to use the term undocumented instead of illegal”
Listen from 19:09 · Media credibility and independent journalism
Matt Taibbi
Taibbi argues that no competent journalist would publish based on a single unnamed source who did not even assert the claim.
“You would never, ever go to print with one unnamed source where the source doesn't even tell you what you're asserting”
Listen from 27:42 · NPR false report of Samuel Alito retirement
Megyn Kelly
Kelly states that Totenberg's earlier report about Gorsuch and masks was so wrong that Gorsuch and Sotomayor jointly refuted it.
“She was 100 percent wrong. She was so wrong that both justices Gorsuch and and Sotomayor issued a rare joint refutation of Nina's reporting”
Listen from 30:15 · NPR false report of Samuel Alito retirement
Linked moment · 31:04Skip to 31:04 using a listen link in the info box.
Megyn Kelly
Kelly argues that Totenberg's false Alito report should be a fireable offense despite her long tenure.
“This is absolutely a fireable offense, even for a Nina Totenberg who's been there for 50 years”
Listen from 31:04 · NPR false report of Samuel Alito retirement
Matt Taibbi
Taibbi argues that news outlets now commonly make mistakes without corrections or consequences.
“Now it's become incredibly common for newspapers to make mistakes and either not own up to it at all, not issue a correction”
Listen from 33:32 · Media credibility and independent journalism
Megyn Kelly
Kelly says that as a Supreme Court reporter she would only report a retirement if told by the justice or the justice's spouse.
“I would not go to air with that unless I heard it directly from the justice or the justice's spouse”
Listen from 34:41 · NPR false report of Samuel Alito retirement
Matt Taibbi
Taibbi cites Rolling Stone's UVA story as a cautionary tale about editors trusting reporters without verification.
“It was a mistake to just simply trust the reporter absent some kind of verification”
Listen from 38:03 · Media credibility and independent journalism
Matt Taibbi
Taibbi argues that Democrats at the hearing prioritized messaging over basic human decency toward grieving families.
“They have decided that certain messaging imperatives are more important than seeming human at times”
Listen from 49:21 · Killing of Sheridan Gorman
Rob Finnerty
Finnerty criticizes journalists who adopt Spanish accents when pronouncing Hispanic names.
“whenever it is a Spanish name, we are all suddenly required and expected to shapeshift into the perfect Spanish accent”
Listen from 53:57 · Media credibility and independent journalism
Rob Finnerty
Finnerty argues that even a small number of transgender athletes harms women, citing Lia Thomas's NCAA title.
“Leah Thomas took that national championship, that division one national championship away from a real biological woman”
Listen from 1:02:51 · Transgender athletes in women's sports
Rob Finnerty
Finnerty contends that Pride events are becoming more extreme and violent each year.
“it's getting worse and more perverted and more sadistic every single year”
Listen from 1:05:20 · Pride Month
Rob Finnerty
Finnerty notes that bathhouses were closed in New York in the 1980s by Ed Koch because of the AIDS crisis.
“It was in the mid-1980s in New York, Ed Koch, the mayor then, who was a gay man, closed these in New York City because so many people were getting AIDS”
Listen from 1:09:06 · Minneapolis bathhouse ban repeal
Rob Finnerty
Finnerty argues that figures on the left face no lasting cancellation, citing Smollett's comeback.
“when you're on the left, it is it. There is no cancellation. You get to come back whenever you want”
Listen from 1:15:03 · Jussie Smollett hate crime hoax
Rob Finnerty
Finnerty rejects Pritzker's claim that Trump has dementia, while suggesting Trump should sleep more.
“Donald Trump is fine. Donald Trump has all his marbles. I think the man probably should sleep more”
Listen from 1:21:05 · Age and health concerns about Joe Biden
Rob Finnerty
Finnerty argues Biden would likely have been the 2024 Democratic nominee had the June 2024 debate not occurred.
“If that debate doesn't happen in June of 2024, he's probably the nominee”
Listen from 1:24:22 · Age and health concerns about Joe Biden
Megyn Kelly
Kelly says she does not respect Naomi Osaka, calling her weak and attention-seeking.
“I don't respect that. Naomi Osaka at all. She's not tough. She's weak”
Listen from 1:28:41 · 2026 Wimbledon Championships
Rob Finnerty
Finnerty argues Serena Williams should have congratulated Maya Joint properly and done her press conference after losing.
“Give this girl a proper handshake and a hug and congratulate her because this is a huge moment for tennis”
Listen from 1:35:30 · 2026 Wimbledon Championships
Rob Finnerty
Finnerty cites Johnny Carson's long success as evidence that entertainers benefit from keeping their politics private.
“Johnny Carson was number one for business. something like 30 years because nobody knew his politics”
Listen from 1:42:34 · Celebrities and political neutrality
Megyn Kelly
Kelly contends that Hollywood figures who avoid discussing politics are usually conservatives protecting their careers.
“Nine times out of 10, the ones who won't talk about their politics are righties”
Listen from 1:43:42 · Celebrities and political neutrality

People

In the conversation

Megyn KellyConservative broadcaster and podcaster
Matt TaibbiAmerican journalist and editor of Racket News on Substack
Rob FinnertyAmerican journalist and host of Finnerty on Newsmax

Discussed

Diana DeGetteColorado congresswoman facing a DSA primary challenge
Samuel AlitoSupreme Court justice rumored to be considering retirement
Bernie SandersU.S. Senator from Vermont who discussed mail-in ballots before the 2020 election
Hakeem JeffriesHouse Democratic leader Haywood met about NIL
Paul FarhiFormer Washington Post media reporter who defended NPR's correction
Peter BakerNew York Times White House correspondent
Krishnadev CalamurNPR editor who published the Alito story
Craig MelvinNBC Today show anchor criticized for a warning before reading ruling language
Peyton McNabbFormer high school volleyball player injured by a transgender opponent
Lia ThomasTransgender swimmer who won an NCAA Division I title at Penn
Jussie SmollettActor convicted over a staged hate crime, who appeared at a Harlem Pride event
Robin RobertsABC News anchor who interviewed Smollett
Jake TapperCNN anchor whose program is being reformatted in a podcast style
Joe BidenFormer president whose economic approval is compared to Trump's
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject
Naomi OsakaJapanese tennis player criticized over her Wimbledon entrance
Serena WilliamsTennis great possibly returning to competition
Maya JointAustralian tennis player who beat Serena Williams at Wimbledon
Harmony TanFrench tennis player who beat Williams at Wimbledon in 2022
Dwayne JohnsonActor who said he will keep his politics private
Wil WheatonActor who called Dwayne Johnson a coward
Ruth Bader GinsburgLate Supreme Court justice who dissented in Shelby County v. Holder
Eric GarnerStaten Island man killed by police, subject of a Taibbi book
Ed KochFormer New York City mayor who closed bathhouses during the AIDS crisis

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From the publisher

Megyn Kelly is joined by Matt Taibbi, editor of "Racket News" on Substack, to discuss the rise of socialists within the Democratic party, 29-year-old Colorado candidate Melat Kiros’ major victory over the long-time Democrat incumbent, the wild positions she has that are growing in the Democratic party, NPR’s embarrassing false report that Justice Samuel Alito was retiring, Nina Totenberg’s widely-criticized explanation for the mistake, the shocking backstory to the fake story and Totenberg's history of mistakes, Sheridan Gorman's mom's powerful testimony before the House yesterday, calling out Democrats for not protecting Americans and trying to focus on other issues, and more. Then Rob Finnerty, host of "Finnerty" on NEWSMAX, to discuss corporate media refusing to tell the truth about boys in girls' sports, the reality of the issue ignored by the left, a new law in Minneapolis allowing bathhouses again, Jussie Smollett's bizarre comeback appearance at a Pride event, the lawlessness seen at Pride events throughout June, Naomi Osaka making her Wimbledon appearance all about herself, Serena Williams' failed comeback and poor sportsmanship, and more. Taibbi- https://www.racket.news/ Finnerty- https://www.newsmaxtv.com/Shows/finnerty Supersure Insurance: Upgrade your business insurance to a year-round SuperAgency at https://Supersure.com/Megyn The Wellness Company: Don’t let a sudden illness derail your summer—secure your peace of mind and save $45 on a Medical Emergency Kit today by visiting https://UrgentCareKit.com/MK and using promo code MK. Herald Group: Learn more at https://GuardYourCard.com Birch Gold: Text MK to 989898 and get a free America 250 silver round with qualifying purchase

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 29, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: News Commentary·Politics·Tennis