Megyn Kelly told Vanity Fair correspondent Aidan McLaughlin that Ben Shapiro and Bari Weiss are "making antisemites" by pressuring conservatives to publicly condemn critics of Israel. She compared their demands to left‑wing purity tests and said Shapiro’s approach risks fracturing the conservative movement. The dispute escalated after Shapiro publicly criticized Kelly at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, a move Kelly described as a "betrayal by a friend."
Megyn Kelly Says Ben Shapiro’s ‘Israel‑First’ Rhetoric Is ‘Making Antisemites’ — Sparks Tory Rift
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly accused Daily Wire co‑founder Ben Shapiro and CBS News editor‑in‑chief Bari Weiss of contributing to a rise in antisemitism by trying to suppress criticism of Israel, she told Vanity Fair Washington correspondent Aidan McLaughlin.
Speaking after delivering remarks at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest — where Shapiro had earlier criticized several conservatives — Kelly said she believes "the country is turning" and that "young Republicans are turning on Israel." She told McLaughlin she sees Shapiro and Weiss as “actually fueling the rise of antisemitism through their attempts to censor criticism of Israel.”
Kelly’s Accusation and Her View on Conservative Unity
Kelly was blunt in her assessment:
“They are making antisemites… Tucker is not making antisemites. They are.”
She compared Shapiro’s insistence that conservatives publicly denounce figures like Candace Owens to what she described as left‑wing purity tests and performative virtue‑signaling. Invoking the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests as a contrast, Kelly said she would not participate in what she characterized as an exclusionary litmus test. In her interview she repeated a profanity‑laced refusal to follow those demands:
"‘Denounce, denounce, condemn, disassociate.’ F*ck you!”
Kelly also accused Shapiro of privileging Israel over American conservative cohesion. "Ben is Israel first," she said, adding that his unexpected public attack on her "felt like a betrayal by a friend." She warned that such public feuds threaten to divide a conservative movement that, in her view, had been coalescing after the death of Charlie.
Shapiro’s Remarks and Reactions
Earlier at AmericaFest, Shapiro criticized Kelly, former Fox host Tucker Carlson and former White House strategist Steve Bannon, calling Kelly a “friend” while accusing her of "moral and logical absurdity" and "cowardice" for not more forcefully disavowing Owens.
CBS columnist Bari Weiss praised Shapiro’s speech on social media with the line, "Only Cowards Tolerate Conspiracy Theorists." Kelly responded publicly, saying:
"Only cowards take to the national stage or X to attack their 'friends' without so much as a phone call to discuss it. And also didn’t tag me bc she is afraid."
Why It Matters
The exchange highlights growing tensions within conservative media over Israel, public denunciations of political allies, and the boundaries of acceptable rhetoric. Supporters of Shapiro argue strong public repudiations are necessary to combat extremism; critics like Kelly say such demands can stifle debate and may even backfire by fueling resentment and antisemitism.
Source: Excerpted from Kelly's interview with Aidan McLaughlin and reporting following Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest.
