The TRUTH About Jill's Treatment of Joe Biden, Bari Weiss' Leadership, and "Strangers" Accuracy, with Maureen Callahan | Ep. 1332

Episode of The Megyn Kelly Show · June 4, 2026 · 1 h 43 min

Megyn Kelly and Maureen Callahan discuss California's slow vote count, Belle Burden's memoir Strangers, turmoil at CBS News under Bari Weiss, Jill Biden, Blake Lively and Ted Danson.

Summary

Megyn Kelly opened by criticizing the delayed counting of mail-in ballots in California's governor and Los Angeles mayor primaries, arguing that weeks of waiting with more than half the vote outstanding would undermine public confidence, while noting she does not generally subscribe to stolen-election claims.

Maureen Callahan, host of The Nerve, joined to discuss Belle Burden's bestselling memoir Strangers, about her husband leaving her during the pandemic. Kelly and Callahan cited a New Yorker investigation reporting Burden held roughly $63 million in trusts and assets, and argued the book misrepresented her financial vulnerability. Callahan called the book an act of revenge against her ex-husband, and both criticized publisher Dial Press and editor Whitney Frick, who also edited Amy Griffin's disputed memoir The Tell, as well as the uncritical promotion by Oprah Winfrey, Drew Barrymore and Gwyneth Paltrow. Kelly also promoted her husband Doug Brunt's book The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel.

The pair then discussed CBS News after the firing of Scott Pelley from 60 Minutes. Kelly agreed 60 Minutes had a left-leaning bias but argued Bari Weiss and the Ellisons mismanaged the talent, contrasting them with Roger Ailes. Callahan said Weiss was a poor manager and predicted she would not last a year. A clip of Steve Kroft describing 60 Minutes as a snake pit prompted a discussion of workplace jealousy across industries.

In the final segment they criticized Jill Biden's book tour appearances with an infirm Joe Biden, Blake Lively's attempt to use and expand California's section 47.1 fee-recovery law against Justin Baldoni over the objections of its drafter Victoria Burke, and W. Kamau Bell's forgiving interview with Ted Danson about his 1992 blackface performance, which Kelly contrasted with her own treatment at NBC.

Chapters

  1. 0:00

    California's delayed election results

    Kelly criticized the slow mail-in ballot count in the California governor and LA mayor primaries.

  2. 3:05

    Introducing Strangers

    Kelly introduced Belle Burden's bestselling memoir and the New Yorker revelations about her wealth.

  3. 7:54

    Burden's marriage narrative

    Callahan and Kelly dissected the book's portrayal of the marriage, the divorce and Burden's privilege.

  4. 32:12

    Oprah and Drew Barrymore interviews

    Clips of Burden's talk-show appearances framing herself as a financial cautionary tale were played and criticized.

  5. 35:10

    Finances, prenup and class

    The hosts reviewed Burden's reported assets, the prenuptial agreement and the couple's social dynamics.

  6. 44:17

    Publisher responsibility and Doug Brunt's book

    Kelly and Callahan criticized Dial Press's handling of disputed memoirs and Kelly read a review of Doug Brunt's new book.

  7. 55:48

    Turmoil at CBS News

    The pair discussed Scott Pelley's firing and Bari Weiss's management of 60 Minutes.

  8. 1:08:13

    Pelley tributes and workplace jealousy

    Clips from Tony Dokoupil, Jimmy Kimmel and Steve Kroft led to a discussion of media as a snake pit.

  9. 1:24:33

    Jill Biden's book tour

    Kelly and Callahan criticized Jill Biden's remarks and her bringing Joe Biden to a book event.

  10. 1:28:07

    Blake Lively and section 47.1

    Kelly relayed Victoria Burke's objection to Lively's effort to use and expand the law.

  11. 1:34:58

    Ted Danson's blackface apology

    Kelly contrasted Kamau Bell's treatment of Ted Danson with the backlash she faced at NBC.

Key points

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

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly argues the delayed mail-in vote count in California is suspicious.

    “I'm sorry, but if you don't smell a rat, your olfactory nerves are not working”

    Listen from 0:46 · 2026 California gubernatorial election

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly says she does not generally believe stolen-election claims and wants hard evidence for such allegations.

    “I want to see cold, hard proof if somebody is going to make allegations of a stolen election”

    Listen from 0:54 · 2026 California gubernatorial election

  • Maureen Callahan

    Callahan argues that Burden wrote Strangers as revenge against her ex-husband.

    “This is the sole reason this book exists. It is to punish the husband who had the temerity to leave her”

    Listen from 19:44 · Strangers (Belle Burden memoir)

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly says the memoir omitted Burden's large trust fund while emphasizing financial insecurity.

    “She gets $600,000 a year from him in child support only. I mean, at minimum. Undisclosed is her $67 million trust fund”

    Listen from 21:40 · Strangers (Belle Burden memoir)

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly says that, from her experience, more money does not increase happiness once bills can be paid comfortably.

    “that your happiness does not change the more money you get. Once you get past the stage of I can pay my bills without feeling sick”

    Listen from 24:42

  • Maureen Callahan

    Callahan rejects Burden's claim that she did not understand her finances, given her wealthy upbringing.

    “A woman who comes from that level of wealth has had a team of accountants and lawyers and money managers since birth”

    Listen from 36:47 · Strangers (Belle Burden memoir)

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly criticizes Dial Press's statement that publishers simply trust authors' memories, saying it invites lawsuits.

    “What do you mean we trust them that they are recounting their memories truthfully? That's how you get sued”

    Listen from 44:17 · The Tell (Amy Griffin memoir)

  • Maureen Callahan

    Callahan says publishers' legal reviews protect against lawsuits rather than fact-check, so prudent authors hire outside fact-checkers.

    “As the author, it's prudent to spend your money to hire an outside fact checker to make sure that everything, you've got your eyes dotted”

    Listen from 46:55 · The Tell (Amy Griffin memoir)

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly agrees with critics that 60 Minutes has a left-leaning bias.

    “They're not wrong that 60 Minutes has a bias problem, And it leans left”

    Listen from 55:48 · 60 Minutes

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly argues that CBS leadership mismanaged its talent, as shown by internal drama becoming a days-long national story.

    “Whenever the drama of inside your company blows up to the point where it is a multiple day story on every news outlet in the country, you've done something wrong”

    Listen from 57:03 · Organizational culture

  • Maureen Callahan

    Callahan says she has heard from a source that Bari Weiss is a poor manager, including at The Free Press.

    “Barry's terrible at managing people. Terrible. She was terrible at the free press”

    Listen from 1:00:25 · CBS News

  • Maureen CallahanPrediction · due Jun 2027

    Callahan predicts Bari Weiss will not last more than a year in her CBS News role.

    “She's not going to last more than a year in this job”

    Listen from 1:05:57 · CBS News

  • Linked moment · 1:06:09Skip to 1:06:09 using a listen link in the info box.

    Maureen Callahan

    Callahan argues Weiss knows how to oppose and destroy institutions rather than build them.

    “I actually think that what's going on here is that Barry doesn't know how to create. She knows how to destroy”

    Listen from 1:06:09 · CBS News

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly predicts the resentful remaining CBS staff will continually leak against Weiss.

    “They're like the CIA. They will be leaking on Barry now to the end of time”

    Listen from 1:06:49 · CBS News

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly recounts that Bill O'Reilly warned her, when she was offered a Fox primetime show, that cable primetime was a snake pit.

    “And he said, cable news primetime is a snake pit. and was really kind of warning me to watch my back”

    Listen from 1:14:51 · Organizational culture

  • Maureen Callahan

    Callahan argues workplace competition can intensify as one rises because there are fewer top positions.

    “sometimes I think it can get more intense, you know, because now you're fighting for fewer positions in rarefied air”

    Listen from 1:18:58 · Organizational culture

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly predicts Scott Pelley will move to a PBS program like Frontline rather than independent media.

    “My prediction would be next move will be like PBS, you know, like a frontline type program”

    Listen from 1:20:36 · 60 Minutes

  • Maureen Callahan

    Callahan, citing her own parents' illnesses, criticizes Jill Biden for bringing an ill Joe Biden to a book event.

    “That is not a kind act that you do for the man you say you love more than anybody”

    Listen from 1:27:59 · Jill Biden book tour

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly argues Lively is using the 47.1 provision to cast herself as a champion of women against the drafter's wishes.

    “It's about Blake trying to make herself look like she's a champion for all women and to bring this provision nationally internationally”

    Listen from 1:33:57 · California Civil Code section 47.1

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly contends Kamau Bell forgave Ted Danson because of his contrition while having attacked her over her blackface comments.

    “This was like a lick fest by this Kamau Bell, who is completely forgiving of Ted Danson because he was self-flagellating over it”

    Listen from 1:38:50 · Blackface

People

In the conversation

  • Megyn KellyConservative broadcaster and podcaster
  • Maureen CallahanAmerican journalist, Daily Mail columnist and host of The Nerve podcast

Discussed

Topics

More from The Megyn Kelly Show

From the publisher

Megyn Kelly begins the show discussing the ongoing delays in California election results, why it could take weeks to determine the runoff in the governor race and LA mayor race, legitimate concerns about confidence in California's election system, and more. Then Maureen Callahan, host of The Nerve, joins to discuss Belle Burden’s bestselling divorce memoir "Strangers," questions about the accuracy of the book’s portrayal of her marriage and financial situation, Burden's spin about relationships and accountability, the lies in "Strangers" about Belle Burden's significant personal wealth from before the marriage, revelations about her trust fund worth more than $60 million, the spin during her book tour interviews with Oprah and Drew Barrymore, the turmoil at CBS News following the firing of Scott Pelley, criticism of Bari Weiss' leadership and management style, the unfolding PR disaster, Tony Dokoupil’s emotional farewell to Pelley, why cable news, corporate media, and social media is such a "snake pit," whether all competitive industries feature jealousy and workplace toxicity, Jill Biden's treatment of a clearly infirmed Joe Biden on display, her gross book tour, Blake Lively using a victim's law to try to get legal fees, the way her fight is hurting real victims and more. Subscribe to Maureen's show The Nerve:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nerve-with-maureen-callahan/id1808684702Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4kR07GQGQAJaMNtLc9Cg2oYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenerveshow?sub_confirmation=1Substack: https://thenerveshow.com/ Supersure Insurance: Simplify your business insurance and get a free coverage report at https://Supersure.com/MegynThe Wellness Company: Don’t let a sudden illness derail your summer—secure your peace of mind and save $45 on a Medical EmergencyKit today by visiting https://UrgentCareKit.com/MK and using promo code MK.Relief Factor: Declare your independence from pain—try the 3-Week QuickStart for just $19.95 at…

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 28, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: News Commentary·Books·Politics