In new memoir, Megyn Kelly says Trump was tipped off to debate question
In her new memoir, Settle for More, Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly revealed that Donald Trump was tipped off to a question before the first debate of the Republican primary last year, The New York Times reports.
The paper obtained an early copy of the book, due out Nov. 15, in which Kelly writes that before the debate in August 2015, Trump called Fox News executives to say he heard Kelly's first question was to be a "very pointed question directed at him." Kelly wrote she was concerned because this was true — the first question was about Trump's derogatory remarks about women. She does not say who she believes might have been behind the leak, but does go into more detail about earlier threats she received from Trump; after she ran a segment on The Kelly File that he didn't like, Kelly writes that he refused to go on the show again until she called him. She did, and he threatened to unleash his "beautiful Twitter account" against her, adding, "I still may." All of this behavior was "bizarre," she said, "especially for a man who wanted the nuclear codes."
Earlier in the year before he announced his candidacy, Trump tried to woo her, Kelly says, sending her notes and offering a stay for her and her husband at his Florida resort. "This is actually one of the untold stories of the 2016 campaign," she wrote. "I was not the only journalist to whom Trump offered gifts clearly meant to shape coverage. Many reporters have told me that Trump worked hard to offer them something fabulous — from hotel rooms to rides on his 757." Kelly also shared that she was on the receiving end of sexual advances by her boss Roger Ailes, who left the company this summer after former anchor Gretchen Carlson came forward with accusations of sexual harassment. In 2006, she says, Ailes tried to grab her and kiss her on the lips, and as she attempted to run out of the room, he asked, "When is your contract up?" Read more at The New York Times. Catherine Garcia
Subscribe to 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.
Update 8:39 a.m.: Megyn Kelly has disputed reports that Donald Trump was leaked a question. "For the record, my book Settle for More does not suggest Trump had any debate [questions] in advance, nor do I believe that he did," she tweeted.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - February 2, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Groundhog Day, cryptocurrency, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 sunny-side up cartoons about egg prices
Cartoons Artists take on inflated prices, double standards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
'Swimming in the sky' in northern Brazil
The Week Recommends The pools of Lençóis Maranhenses are clear and blue
By The Week UK Published
-
Trump says 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico start Feb. 1
Speed Read The tariffs imposed on America's neighbors could drive up US prices and invite retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump blames diversity, Democrats for DC air tragedy
Speed Read The president suggested that efforts to recruit more diverse air traffic controllers contributed to the deadly air crash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
White House withdraws Trump's spending freeze
Speed Read President Donald Trump's budget office has rescinded a directive that froze trillions of dollars in federal aid and sowed bipartisan chaos
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OpenAI announces ChatGPT Gov for government use
Speed Read The artificial intelligence research company has launched a new version of its chatbot tailored for the US government
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Caroline Kennedy urges Senate to reject RFK Jr.
Speed Read Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s cousin said he should not become President Donald Trump's health secretary, calling his medical views 'dangerous'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
GOP senator reneged on voting against Hegseth
Speed Read North Carolina senator Thom Tillis provided the deciding vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump sparks chaos with spending, aid freezes
Speed Read A sudden freeze on federal grants and loans by President Donald Trump's administration has created widespread confusion
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump feuds with Colombia on deportee flights
Speed Read Colombia has backed off from a trade war with the U.S., reaching an agreement on accepting deported migrants following tariff threats from President Donald Trump
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published