Former Fox News star Megyn Kelly was a guest on Stephen A. Smith‘s show this week and was asked about her renewed loyalty to President Donald Trump. After a 10-year feud, Kelly endorsed Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Note: The feud began at a 2015 GOP presidential debate where Kelly, the moderator, said in a question directed at Trump, “You’ve called women you don’t like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals.”
Immediately after the debate Trump criticized Kelly on Twitter and wrote: “Wow Megyn Kelly really bombed tonight.” Later on CNN, Trump said of Kelly, “There was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.”
Wow, @megynkelly really bombed tonight. People are going wild on twitter! Funny to watch.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2015
Looking back at the feud, Kelly told Smith: “It was highly unpleasant. But over time, I was able, and I’m actually proud of it, I was able to check my personal feelings about the guy and start getting back to what needs to be my focus as a journalist, which is the professional relationship with the guy.”
.@megynkelly: “I’ve had far more negative press than Michelle Obama. I guarantee you I have. Because I have been hated by both the right and the left. You let it go. You move on. Sometimes you even befriend the people who said the nasty things about you, because life is life.… pic.twitter.com/SkAGKZIvkf
— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) April 25, 2025
On her own show this week, criticizing former First Lady Michelle Obama for criticizing media coverage surrounding personal choices she’s made (including skipping Trump’s second inauguration), Kelly said: “I’ve had far more negative press than Michelle Obama. I guarantee you I have. Because I have been hated by both the right and the left. You let it go. You move on. Sometimes you even befriend the people who said the nasty things about you, because life is life. It’s short. And the less grievances you can hold onto, the better.”
Whether Michelle Obama has received gentler treatment in the media than Megyn Kelly has is difficult to measure — both famous women are in the public eye and both have been the targets of flattering and unflattering press scrutiny.
We admire Michelle Obama for skipping Donald Trump’s inauguration. In a world that often pressures people into conformity and showing up just for tradition’s sake, she chose to prioritize her truth and well-being instead. pic.twitter.com/J0VRwYadz0
— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) April 23, 2025
Perusing the comments on X, which function without the gatekeepers and standards of mainstream media, it’s clear that both women are often subjected to raw ad hominem attacks — with those on Obama frequently including a racist component.
Obama — unlike Kelly — has shown little interest in papering over egregious insults for the sake of letting bygones be bygones. Kelly’s opposite approach — her professed willingness to forgive poor treatment by those like Trump — is praised by some in the comments, while others see it as a sign of weakness more than strength.
If someone insults me, I’m not going to crawl back begging them to take me back like you did.
— Scott Grady (@DaRefScottGrady) April 25, 2025