Megyn Kelly on People's corroboration of alleged Trump assault: 'If this is a conspiracy, wow!'
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
On Tuesday evening, People magazine named six friends and colleagues who corroborated writer Natasha Stoynoff's account of being sexually assaulted by Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2005, and printed their own recollections. On Fox News Tuesday night, Megyn Kelly was impressed by People's "extraordinary response." "It's not just, 'we trust our writer' — it's 'Here are six people who she told the night of the alleged attack, the day after the alleged attack, an independent witness who says she was there for the Melania Trump exchange,'" she told guest Howard Kurtz. "I mean, if this is a conspiracy, wow, it's a really well organized by People."
"Well, I don't think the election's gonna turn on this," Kurtz said, but the fact that these six people can give a "detailed account" of this decade-old story "adds credibility to her account, because why would she make this up 10, 11 years ago?" This is mostly still in the news, he added, because Trump himself keeps on attacking his accusers as liars and attacking the media for carrying their allegations.
"And not just that," Kelly said. "He doesn't just come out and say, 'It isn't true, I'm not going to dignify this with a back-and-forth,' he attacks their looks. He's been pointing everybody... to pictures of this reporter, suggesting, 'I would never, I don't find her attractive.'" Whether or not Trump finds them attractive "just for the record makes no difference when it comes to harassment," Kelly said. "It's not about 'I'm so attracted to you I can't keep my hands to myself,' it's about power." Watch below. Peter Weber
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Political cartoons for February 16Cartoons Monday’s political cartoons include President's Day, a valentine from the Epstein files, and more
-
Regent Hong Kong: a tranquil haven with a prime waterfront spotThe Week Recommends The trendy hotel recently underwent an extensive two-year revamp
-
The problem with diagnosing profound autismThe Explainer Experts are reconsidering the idea of autism as a spectrum, which could impact diagnoses and policy making for the condition
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
-
US to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train armySpeed Read Trump has accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks
-
Grand jury rejects charging 6 Democrats for ‘orders’ videoSpeed Read The jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers for a video in which they urged military members to resist illegal orders
