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The right-wing comentator had a meltdown on her podcast after the pop icon endorsed Kamala Harris for president.
Megyn Kelly unleashed a tirade in response to pop superstar Taylor Swift’s Tuesday night endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for the 2024 election. Swift, who praised the duo for their leadership on LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive freedom, has sparked outrage from conservative pundits, with Kelly leading the charge on her podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show.
“I’m allowed to criticize Taylor Swift, and I don’t give a [f**k] who gets upset,” Kelly raged. “This is disgusting. If she wants to vote Harris-Walz, she can do it all she wants. But to say the reason she’s doing it is because of Tim Walz’s stance on LGBTQ? F you Taylor Swift.”
The controversy began after Swift posted to her 284 million Instagram followers, publicly endorsing Harris and Walz in the run-up to the election. “I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader,” Swift wrote about Harris, urging her fan base to vote early. Swift also highlighted Walz’s commitment to LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive freedoms, and in vitro fertilization.
“I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate, Tim Walz,” Swift continued. “He has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”
Kelly, however, was far from impressed. She furiously responded on her podcast, accusing Swift of alienating conservative fans and peddling misinformation. “You can kiss your sales to the Republican audience goodbye, Taylor,” Kelly raged. “Hope you enjoyed them while you had them.”
Kelly went further, misrepresenting Minnesota’s trans refuge law, falsely suggesting it allows the government to take custody of children for gender-affirming procedures without parental consent. “This woman is fine with his plan to take custody of the children from parents who don’t want them to chop off their body parts,” Kelly alleged. She went further, venting her frustration: “Fyou, Taylor Swift, and f all the people who want to see these children have body parts chopped off and watch them sterilized under the age of consent.”
In reality, children are not having surgical procedures, and the Minnesota law, signed by Walz in 2023, ensures families seeking gender-affirming care for their children are protected from legal repercussions in states where such procedures are restricted. It does not authorize the removal of children from their parents or mandate medical procedures without consent.
Swift’s endorsement, however, comes at a significant political moment. Just days before, Walz delivered a stirring speech at theHuman Rights Campaign National Dinner in Washington, D.C., reaffirming his commitment to LGBTQ+ rights. “We’re not going back to discrimination,” Walz declared, denouncing the Republican agenda that seeks to roll back protections for LGBTQ+ Americans.
Related: Tim Walz in fiery HRC speech: ‘I sure the hell don’t need JD Vance giving me advice’ on reproductive care
In his speech, Walz championed the rights of LGBTQ+ youth, particularly in the face of increasing anti-transgender legislation nationwide. “We’re not going to force our children into situations where they become suicidal,” he said. His remarks underscored his long-standing advocacy for equality, from his days as a high school teacher supporting the first gay-straight alliance at his school to his work in Congress on LGBTQ+ legislation, including his role in repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Swift’s endorsement of the Harris-Walz ticket quickly went viral. During a post-debate interview on MSNBC, Walz expressed surprise and gratitude for Swift’s backing. “That was eloquent, and it was clear,” Walz said. “That’s the type of courage we need in America to stand up.” He went on to praise Harris’s debate performance, contrasting her vision for the future with Trump’s “narcissism” and divisiveness.
Related: Rachel Maddow surprised Tim Walz with Taylor Swift’s endorsement & his reaction was priceless
Kelly’s outburst, while not surprising, shines a spotlight on the cultural and political chasm in the U.S., with LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive freedoms at the forefront of the election. While Kelly lambasted Swift’s endorsement, accusing her of endorsing policies that harm children, Swift’s message resonated with her largely progressive fan base, many of whom are likely to be motivated by her call to action.
In her post, Swift concluded with a call to vote, urging her fans to “combat misinformation with the truth,” a thinly veiled reference to false AI-generated claims of her endorsing Trump. Her words aim to rally her massive audience to reject fearmongering and vote for candidates who support equality and justice.
More than 330,000 people registered to vote from the link Swift included in her post, according to NBC News.
