Political News

Pedo Protector’: Calls to cancel Megyn Kelly, who claimed Epstein ‘wasn’t a pedophile’ — intensify

Sharon Banks

New York, NY – In a November 13, episode of The Megyn Kelly Show that has since exploded across social media and dominated national headlines, former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, 54, found herself at the center of a ferocious backlash after attempting to downplay the severity of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse of minors.

During a conversation with conservative journalist Batya Ungar-Sargon, Kelly cited an unnamed source “very, very close to this case who is in a position to know virtually everything. Not everything, but virtually everything,” claiming the source told her Epstein “wasn’t a pedophile, just into the barely legal type, like, he liked 15-year-old girls.”

The remarks, which Kelly framed as “facts” rather than “an excuse,” have been widely condemned as victim-blaming, tone-deaf, and legally inaccurate.

Kelly began by acknowledging the revulsion Epstein’s case evokes but quickly pivoted to a source-driven narrative.

“He wasn’t into, like, 8-year-olds,” she said. “But he liked the very young teen types that could pass for even younger than they were, but would look legal to a passerby.” She insisted this was not a defense: “I’m not making an excuse. These are facts.”

Kelly admitted she had long believed Epstein was a “real pedophile” until hearing from Pam Bondi and Trump ally, who claimed investigators found “tens of thousands of videos of alleged — forgive me, they used to call it kiddie porn, now they call it child sexual abuse material — on his computer.”

However, Kelly expressed skepticism: “Only a pedophile gets off on young children abuse videos. She’s never clarified it, I don’t know whether it’s true. I have to be honest, I don’t really trust Pam Bondi’s word on the Epstein matters anymore.”

She then noted the absence of public testimony from very young victims: “We have yet to see anybody come forward and say, ‘I was under 10, I was under 14 when I first came within his purview.’”

This led to a definitional debate: “You can say that’s a distinction without a difference. I think there is a difference. There’s a difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old, you know?” Kelly concluded with a concession: “Whatever. It’s sick. Every time we start talking about Epstein, it makes your skin crawl. You’re right. The whole thing is just disgusting.”

The video clip below has amassed millions of viewers.

Immediate and Widespread Backlash

Despite Kelly calling Epstein “disgusting,” her hairsplitting on underage sex abuse was heavily criticized on social media.

The backlash was swift and bipartisan in its condemnation of Kelly’s framing. @MeTooNow posted, “Megyn Kelly normalizing 15-year-old rape victims as ‘barely legal’? Disgusting. @ChildAdvocate wrote, “Epstein’s victims were as young as 14. Kelly’s ‘distinction’ erases them. This is not journalism.” @VictimsVoice stated, “Pedophilia is attraction to prepubescent children. Hebephilia is 11–14. Ephebophilia is 15–19. ALL are criminal when acted upon. Kelly’s semantics don’t change rape.”

Even conservative voices distanced themselves. @GOPWomenUnited posted: “Defending Epstein’s ‘preferences’ is indefensible. Silence from MAGA on this is deafening.”

15 year olds aren’t “barely legal,” they are children. PERIOD.


Legal experts and child advocacy groups were quick to dismantle Kelly’s terminology. Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 2241) defines sexual abuse of anyone under 16 as aggravated sexual abuse, regardless of “passerby” perception.

FBI data shows Epstein’s network recruited girls as young as 14, with Virginia Giuffre testifying she was trafficked at 17 and recruited others younger.

Dr. Fred Berlin, Johns Hopkins child psychiatrist, told CNN: “Any sexual exploitation of a minor is predatory. Age-splitting minimizes trauma and enables abusers.” Kelly’s reference to no victims under 14 is factually false—court documents list at least three survivors who were 14 at first contact.

The episode aired one day after the House Oversight Committee released Phase 2 Epstein files on November 12, including 2015 emails where Epstein offered to “craft” a response for Trump to CNN questions about their relationship, flight logs showing Trump on Epstein’s jet seven times in the 1990s (Palm Beach to NYC, not Little Saint James), and a 2016 memo from Epstein’s assistant noting Trump called the Palm Beach mansion “a few times.”

Trump dismissed the files as a “Democrat hoax” on July 28, claiming they were “planted by Comey and Garland.”

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This is not Kelly’s first brush with public outrage. In 2018, she left NBC after defending blackface Halloween costumes. Also, in 2021, she launched The Megyn Kelly Show on SiriusXM after her Fox exit.

In 2024, she endorsed Trump, calling him “tough on child trafficking.” Her audience of 1.8 million weekly listeners is largely conservative, but even loyalists expressed discomfort. One Apple Podcasts review read: “Love Megyn, but this Epstein take was gross. Lost respect.

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