The Anti‑Defamation League condemned Megyn Kelly after she suggested that Jewish critics — including Ben Shapiro and Bari Weiss — are "making antisemites" by trying to limit criticism of Israel. The ADL called the claim a dangerous form of victim‑blaming and said it does not excuse inflammatory rhetoric from figures like Tucker Carlson. The organization also highlighted recent statements by Candace Owens and Carlson that it says normalize antisemitic tropes and could endanger Jewish communities.
ADL Rebukes Megyn Kelly After She Says Jewish Critics ‘Make Antisemites’
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) publicly criticized SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly on Tuesday after comments she made in a recent Vanity Fair interview, in which she suggested that Jewish critics are responsible for creating antisemitism.
Discussing her disputes with The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro and CBS News’ Bari Weiss — and defending figures such as Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson — Kelly reportedly argued that attempts by some Jewish commentators to limit criticism of Israel are fueling antisemitism.
“They are making antisemites,” Kelly said. “Tucker is not making antisemites. They are.”
The ADL strongly rejected both the characterization and the ethics of that claim, saying it crosses a dangerous line by blaming Jewish people for hate directed against them.
“Megyn Kelly’s recent comments cross a dangerous line. Accusing Jews of ‘making antisemites’ blames Jewish people for the hate directed against them — a classic victim‑blaming trope,” the organization wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The ADL added that Kelly’s assertion in no way excuses inflammatory rhetoric from other public figures. The organization specifically referenced recent remarks by Tucker Carlson about the 1967 USS Liberty incident, saying Carlson has promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories for years. The ADL also warned that rhetoric invoking dual‑loyalty tropes — for example, labeling Ben Shapiro as “Israel first” — revives long‑standing antisemitic stereotypes that have fueled persecution.
ADL statements further highlighted other concerning public episodes it says contribute to a toxic environment: Candace Owens has, the ADL noted, promoted the antisemitic text The Talmudic Jew and suggested the Israeli government could be linked to the death of Charlie Kirk earlier this year. The ADL also pointed to Carlson’s history of inviting extremist figures on his show and promoting revisionist or conspiratorial narratives, including an incident at Kirk’s memorial service the ADL described as a wink toward blaming Jews for deaths.
While Kelly framed her comments as a critique of what she views as censorship of Israel criticism, civil‑rights groups assert that blaming a targeted community for hostility directed at it both misstates causation and endangers that community by normalizing harmful tropes.
Note: The original report first appeared on Mediaite.
