Megyn still proud of her Fox antics
No apologies as Fox star storms into NBC
Never back down, never say sorry. That seems to be the mantra of NBC News’ polarizing new anchor Megyn Kelly, who told the Daily News she makes no apologies for any of the wildly controversial things she said during her decade-long rise at Fox News Channel.
“Oh, no. I have no mea culpa to offer,” Kelly said. “I had the No. 1 show in all of cable news in the demo (advertiser-friendly viewers 25-to-54 years old) for the last full quarter that I was at Fox — and that’s because the viewers trusted me and knew that I was bringing them a compelling, responsible product.”
Among her most eyebrow-raising moments at Fox are:
Insisting Santa Claus is white (“a joke,” she later said).
Arguing that President Obama planned to force communities that are “too white (and) too privileged” to embrace diversity.
Dismissing a Department of Justice report that found racial bias and stereotyping in the Ferguson, Mo., police department.
And describing then-Supreme Court Justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s remarks about the importance of diversity on the bench as “reverse racism.”
Kelly, who has the ability to be both charming and forceful at once, aims to use her flair for the dramatic in a ballsy 7 p.m. faceoff with CBS powerhouse “60 Minutes.” Her new weekly news magazine, “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly,” debuts this week.
First get? Let’s just say she’ll be in Russia this week, angling for a sit-down with Vladimir Putin.
Each episode will run three segments anchored by Kelly and featuring NBC News correspondents like Harry Smith, Kate Snow, Craig Melvin, Jacob Soboroff, Keith Morrison and Josh Mankiewicz.
Kelly’s 9 a.m. morning show starts in September, and may be part of the “Today” show or may not. Her bosses are still deciding.
Either way, she’s been talking a lot to Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie, posing with the “Today” hosts at NBC and even trading text messages when coverage of her has been less than flattering.
“I try not to listen to that negative stuff,” Kelly said. “Matt, Savannah and I would text when yet another ridiculous cover story would come out. I’d say, ‘Why are they doing this? Why would they write that?’
“And Savannah would say: ‘Welcome to the (big leagues).’ ”
NBC News brass believe she is worth all the buzz, both good and bad: Kelly’s salary is believed to be north of $15 million a year, making her one of the highest-paid anchors at the network.
It’s all good news for Kelly, a lawyer, who found herself under fire from Fox viewers after she famously clashed with then-candidate Donald Trump at a Republican primary debate in 2015.
Worse, the incident with Trump fueled rumors that her former Fox News colleagues Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity (both big Trump pals) were fanning the flames behind the scenes. Insiders still claim they drove her out of Fox.
Kelly admitted she was unhappy at the end of her Fox tenure — but it’s not what everyone thinks.
“I was not leaving something when I departed Fox News, I was coming to something,” Kelly said. “I wanted a different kind of life where I could both work as a professional and see my children, who are very young, grow up.
“Just given the nature of being in prime time, that’s not an option in any news shop. That’s not how the hours work. While many people find a way of making it work, I got to the place where I was unhappy.”
Going to NBC News, she said, was the right move at the right time. “The balance had shifted to the point where it was unsustainable. I’ve changed my life for the better, I’ve settled for more.”