Tucker Carlson Says He’s Leaving GOP, Far-Left Mamdani-Backed Candidates Win NYC Primaries, How World Cup Renewed American Patriotism, w/ Halperin & Palihapitya | Ep. 1346

Episode of The Megyn Kelly Show · June 24, 2026 · 1 h 42 min

Megyn Kelly, Mark Halperin and Chamath Palihapitiya discuss Mamdani-backed NYC primary wins, Tucker Carlson leaving the GOP, AI's economic impact, and World Cup patriotism.

Summary

Megyn Kelly opened with the New York City Democratic House primaries, in which three candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani won, including Claire Valdez, Brad Lander over incumbent Dan Goldman, and Darializa Avila Chevalier, whose deleted social media posts Kelly read. Mark Halperin argued the progressive wing holds the energy in the Democratic Party nationally, citing Graham Platner in Maine and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, and said Israel and AIPAC have become a decisive litmus issue. Kelly and Halperin disagreed on how much antisemitism drives criticism of Israel, with Kelly arguing most critics came to their views through Gaza and the Iran war. They also discussed Jack Schlossberg's defeat and the New York Times' coverage of it, departures of Al Green and others, and Donald Trump's cancellation of a housing affordability bill signing in favor of pushing the SAVE Act.

Chamath Palihapitiya argued far-left candidates are skilled at harnessing social media outrage and pointed to social media bans for children in Canada, the UK and Australia as a possible corrective. Drawing on growing up on welfare, he said voters want an even starting line rather than an even finish line. Responding to a clip of Tucker Carlson saying he would no longer support the Republican Party over Israel, Palihapitiya urged separating frustration with Benjamin Netanyahu or AIPAC from hostility toward Jews or Israelis, comparing AIPAC's trajectory to the NRA's.

On artificial intelligence, Palihapitiya called AI the most powerful economic leveler he had seen, criticized "doomers" and Anthropic for what he called gatekeeping driven by financial incentives, and predicted Citadel would employ more people despite Ken Griffin's concerns about automation. He cited animation at Disney, radiology and law as fields where technology grew jobs, and proposed know-your-customer rules for the most powerful models. The episode closed with the JPMorgan Chase executive fired for stealing a Knicks trash can, Larry David's criticism of the White House UFC event, and how the 2026 FIFA World Cup renewed American patriotism.

Chapters

  1. 0:00

    NYC primaries: Mamdani-backed candidates win

    Kelly outlines the three New York House primary results and Darializa Avila Chevalier's controversial posts.

  2. 9:27

    Halperin on the Democratic left's rise

    Halperin argues progressive energy dominates the Democratic Party nationally and that Israel has become a litmus test.

  3. 13:13

    Israel criticism and antisemitism debate

    Kelly and Halperin disagree over how much antisemitism underlies criticism of Israel.

  4. 17:58

    Socialism's popularity among Democrats

    Harry Enten's data on socialism's favorability and Chevalier's views on deportation are discussed.

  5. 26:03

    Schlossberg's loss and other departures

    The hosts mock Jack Schlossberg's defeat and the New York Times coverage, and note exits of Al Green and others.

  6. 31:22

    Trump cancels housing bill signing

    Kelly and Halperin question Trump's decision to scuttle a housing affordability bill in favor of the SAVE Act.

  7. 37:02

    Palihapitiya on outrage politics and social media

    Palihapitiya links far-left success to social media and discusses economic insecurity and welfare.

  8. 50:57

    Tucker Carlson leaves the GOP; Israel and AIPAC

    After Carlson's clip, Palihapitiya distinguishes criticism of Netanyahu and AIPAC from antisemitism.

  9. 59:52

    AI as economic leveler and the doomers

    Palihapitiya defends AI, criticizes Anthropic and doomer narratives, and discusses investment scale.

  10. 1:05:17

    AI and jobs

    Palihapitiya disputes job-loss fears using Ken Griffin, animation, radiology and law examples, and critiques Silicon Valley leadership.

  11. 1:22:32

    AI safety and know-your-customer rules

    Palihapitiya proposes KYC requirements for the most dangerous AI models.

  12. 1:29:02

    Knicks trash can thief and Larry David

    The fired JPMorgan executive and Larry David's criticism of the White House UFC event are discussed.

  13. 1:37:33

    World Cup and American patriotism

    An English fan's apology to America prompts reflection on how the World Cup renewed patriotism.

Key points

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

  • Mark Halperin

    Halperin says Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries lack the courage and skill to stand up to the party's left wing.

    “Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have known for a decade what's happening. And they do not have the nerve and the courage and the skill to stand up to that wing of the party”

    Listen from 9:27 · 2026 New York City Democratic congressional primaries

  • Mark Halperin

    Halperin argues the energy and power in the Democratic Party lies with its radical progressive wing, extending beyond New York.

    “And the energy and power in the Democratic Party is with this wing of the party. It's Israel, it's anti-establishment, it's anti-ICE, it's pro-radicalism”

    Listen from 9:39 · 2026 New York City Democratic congressional primaries

  • Mark Halperin

    Halperin says Israel is now the single decisive emotional issue in nearly any Democratic primary.

    “If there's a single litmus test, if there's a single emotional issue that could make or break candidacy, it would be this”

    Listen from 12:58 · American Israel Public Affairs Committee

  • Mark Halperin

    Halperin contends antisemitism is an unquantifiable but real factor in some opposition to Israel.

    “You can't ignore that some of this, you can't quantify it, some of it for some people, and I would say not an insignificant number of people, is driven by this”

    Listen from 14:30 · Antisemitism

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly argues most Americans critical of Israel came to that view honestly because of Gaza and the Iran war.

    “I think the vast majority of people in America who are critical of Israel have come to it honestly. They watched what happened in Gaza for two freaking years”

    Listen from 15:47 · Antisemitism

  • Mark Halperin

    Halperin predicts more controversial past statements by Chevalier and similar candidates will surface.

    “I think we're going to find more videos, more statements, more social media posts that she's failed to fully scrub from human history”

    Listen from 23:56 · 2026 New York City Democratic congressional primaries

  • Mark Halperin

    Halperin calls Trump's cancellation of the housing bill signing confusing, saying he lacks the leverage he thinks he has.

    “But the president likes leverage, and I guess he thinks he has leverage here, but he doesn't”

    Listen from 34:19 · SAVE Act

  • Chamath Palihapitiya

    Palihapitiya argues banning social media for children under 16 could reduce susceptibility to outrage-driven politics.

    “I think if you deprive an entire generation of social media, I think you'll see the incentives change because their desire to be fed by this attention outrage machine will be less”

    Listen from 40:07 · Social media and adolescent mental health

  • Chamath Palihapitiya

    Palihapitiya, citing his childhood on welfare, argues voters want an even starting line rather than redistribution evening the finish line.

    “The problem is if you just even the finish line, you become a ward of the state. I think you know this, but I grew up on welfare”

    Listen from 44:44 · Democratic Socialists of America

  • Tucker Carlson

    Carlson says he will not support the Republican Party because it puts a foreign country's interests above Americans'.

    “how could you support how could i or any american voters support a political party that's not loyal to the united states that puts the interests of a foreign country above those of its own citizens”

    Listen from 52:47 · Tucker Carlson leaving the Republican Party

  • Chamath Palihapitiya

    Palihapitiya urges people to distinguish frustration with Netanyahu from hostility to Israel or Jews.

    “So please think about whether you're actually anti-Israel or anti-Jew or whether you're just very frustrated with Bibi”

    Listen from 54:18 · American Israel Public Affairs Committee

  • Chamath Palihapitiya

    Palihapitiya calls AI the most important economic leveler he has seen.

    “It is the most important and powerful economic leveler I've ever seen”

    Listen from 1:00:54 · Artificial intelligence

  • Linked moment · 1:06:57Skip to 1:06:57 using a listen link in the info box.

    Chamath PalihapitiyaPrediction · due Dec 2027

    Palihapitiya predicts that within 18 months Citadel will have more employees and higher assets under management despite Ken Griffin's AI concerns.

    “I will bet any amount of money two things are true. One is that he actually has more people working at Citadel, not less. And two, his assets under management have gone up”

    Listen from 1:06:57 · Technological unemployment

  • Chamath Palihapitiya

    Palihapitiya argues Anthropic promotes catastrophic AI narratives because its costly approach requires vast capital.

    “So for whatever set of decisions that Anthropic has made, they need all the money. All of it. So when they talk to investors, they're trying to present this picture of this is going to be cataclysmic”

    Listen from 1:08:06 · Anthropic

  • Chamath Palihapitiya

    Palihapitiya says AI investment has reached about two percent of GDP, comparable to historic canal, railroad and highway buildouts.

    “It's 200 basis points of GDP now. It's five, six, seven, $800 billion a year”

    Listen from 1:12:24 · Artificial intelligence

  • Chamath Palihapitiya

    Palihapitiya claims radiology jobs grew after AI was implemented because human judgment remained necessary.

    “The number of jobs have far exceeded the number of jobs before AI. So AI now in two markets have grown the pie of jobs”

    Listen from 1:17:15 · Technological unemployment

  • Chamath Palihapitiya

    Palihapitiya proposes know-your-customer identification requirements for the most dangerous classes of AI models.

    “You should be forced to put your driver's license, your passport. We should know who you are. And that's a reasonable expectation to use that class of model”

    Listen from 1:23:58 · Artificial intelligence

  • Chamath Palihapitiya

    Palihapitiya argues celebrities like Larry David have lost cultural influence and that every president amplifies part of American culture.

    “I think more people care what Jake Paul thinks than what Larry David thinks”

    Listen from 1:35:36 · UFC White House event

  • Megyn Kelly

    Kelly argues the World Cup has done more to renew American patriotism than the semiquincentennial celebrations so far.

    “I think that the World Cup has done more to renew American patriotism than the 250th and the celebrations that have happened so far around it”

    Listen from 1:38:55 · 2026 FIFA World Cup

People

In the conversation

  • Megyn KellyConservative broadcaster and podcaster
  • Mark HalperinAmerican political journalist and host of the podcast Next Up
  • Chamath PalihapitiyaSri Lankan-born Canadian-American venture capitalist, founder of Social Capital and co-host of the All-In podcast
  • Tucker CarlsonConservative broadcaster cited as part of right-wing media

Discussed

  • Zohran MamdaniNew York Democratic politician described by Pape as a left-wing parallel to Trump's rapid rise
  • Jack SchlossbergSon of Caroline Kennedy and New York congressional candidate
  • Brad LanderFormer New York City comptroller who won the NY-10 primary
  • Dan GoldmanIncumbent NY-10 congressman defeated in the primary
  • Graham PlatnerPresumptive Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine
  • Benjamin NetanyahuPrime Minister of Israel
  • Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject
  • Jeffrey KatzenbergFormer Disney studio chief whose Pixar deal Palihapitiya recounted
  • Steve JobsCo-founder of Apple
  • Angie BaezJPMorgan Chase executive fired for stealing a Knicks trash can
  • George ConwayLawyer who lost the NY-12 Democratic primary
  • Al GreenTexas congressman who lost his seat

Topics

More from The Megyn Kelly Show

From the publisher

Megyn Kelly is joined by Mark Halperin, host of "Next Up with Mark Halperin,” to discuss the victories of candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York City, debates over Israel and antisemitism within the Democratic Party, the controversial background of Democratic Socialist candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, her history of controversial tweets, Jack Schlossberg’s defeat in NYC primary, the New York Times' ridiculous coverage of his loss, and more. Plus, Chamath Palihapitya, co-host of the "All-In Podcast," joins to discuss Tucker Carlson’s announcement that he is leaving the Republican Party, the debates over Israel and America’s role abroad, divisions within the GOP over the future of the party, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, the economic and political disruption caused by AI, whether the benefits will improve our future or create new problems, how AI may reshape traditional jobs, a JPMorgan executive fired for dumping garbage all over NYC to steal a Knicks-themed trash can, Larry David’s criticism about America 250 and White House UFC event, how the World Cup has renewed American Patriotism, and more. Halperin- https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpHalperin Palihapitiya- https://x.com/chamath Brooklyn Bedding: Upgrade your sleep with Brooklyn Bedding—Visit https://brooklynbedding.com and use promo code MEGYN for 30% off sitewide! Supersure Insurance: Upgrade your business insurance to a year-round SuperAgency at https://Supersure.com/Megyn Byrna: Go to https://Byrna.com or your local Sportsman's Warehouse today. Shopify: Launch your dream business with Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at https://Shopify.com/Megyn and start selling today!

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: Politics·Technology·News Commentary