Conservative commentator and former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly is drawing headlines after sharply criticizing President Donald Trump’s handling of renewed scrutiny surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case. Calling the fallout “self-inflicted,” Kelly made clear she has little sympathy for Trump amid his growing frustration.
“This is self-inflicted,” Kelly said bluntly on her podcast. “It’s hard to have a lot of sympathy.” Her comments come as backlash intensifies over a recently released Justice Department memo stating Epstein died by suicide and that no incriminating “client list” exists—a conclusion that contradicts years of speculation, particularly among Trump’s conservative base.
“Now the president’s very annoyed that it won’t go away,” Kelly added. “It won’t go away because of the way he’s handled it.” She specifically criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi for releasing the memo during a slow summer news cycle without a press conference or proper clarification.
“Whoever told the Justice Department that this could somehow be buried and that people would move on and that the Trump administration could get away with that ridiculous two-page summation of ‘You’re not getting any more information because there’s no there there’ should be fired,” Kelly said. “That person is an idiot and didn’t understand the Republican base, certainly the core MAGA base.”
Kelly also voiced deep skepticism over Ghislaine Maxwell’s credibility, calling into question any cooperation she might offer in connection with Epstein’s crimes. “Can we really trust anything this woman says when it’s either this, give something up, or someone up, or spend 20 years in jail?” Kelly asked.
She backed fellow broadcaster Piers Morgan’s critique of the administration’s vague handling of the Epstein files, agreeing with his analogy of “leading everybody up to the water’s edge, and then not giving anyone a drink.” Meanwhile, Trump has tried to distance himself from Epstein, claiming their friendship ended not because of Epstein’s predatory behavior, but due to a dispute over hiring 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre and other staff from the Mar-a-Lago spa.
Giuffre, a key Epstein survivor, passed away on April 24 at her farm in Neergabby, Western Australia, a loss that reignited online discussion around the case. Kelly’s remarks have sparked a mix of surprise and criticism online. While some expressed agreement, others accused her of political flip-flopping.
“With respect, Meg, you have done everything you could to help him gather power,” one user posted. Another warned, “MAGA only cares about their Messiah, and they won’t take kindly to your apostasy.” Though some praised her candor, others predicted she’d soon reverse course. As one commenter sarcastically noted, “In a week’s time, she’ll do a complete 180 degrees and start worshiping The Donald again.”