36/100 Credibility — Callahan and Kelly Exaggerate Backlash to Markle and Public Fear Over COVID Boosters
In this April 18, 2025 episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, host Megyn Kelly returns from Washington, D.C., energized and self-assured, declaring this broadcast among the best in the show’s long run. The episode launches with promotional discussion about Kelly’s recent interview with FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and shifts quickly to a satirical feature she co-created with guest Maureen Callahan. Their parody targets Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle brand and media ventures, skewering the Duchess’s self-serious tone and perceived hypocrisy.
Maureen Callahan, a columnist for the Daily Mail, appears to promote her new podcast, The Nerve, under Kelly’s media network. The show aims to dissect pop culture through a critical and often acerbic lens. Callahan and Kelly present and analyze their Markle parody videos in real time, offering a commentary on Markle’s public persona, business efforts, and curated image. Their satire, described as unscripted and fueled by improvisational chemistry, aims to mock what they see as Markle’s self-aggrandizing tone and performative femininity.
While the majority of the episode focuses on the parody project, the conversation extends into critiques of Michelle Obama’s marriage commentary, media coverage of Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin civilian flight (with a pointed critique of Gail King and Katy Perry), and the political dissonance of Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s private jet travel. The tone is overtly skeptical and often mocking, with a consistent undercurrent of cultural commentary around elite behavior, media hypocrisy, and feminist branding. Kelly and Callahan position themselves as truth-tellers puncturing mainstream narratives and elite façades.
False claims
1. “Marty Makary was named FDA Commissioner by President Trump.”
Timestamp: 0:01
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: In the episode introduction, Kelly claims Dr. Marty Makary, known for his pandemic-era views, was “elevated to run and reform the FDA by President Trump.”
Our Take: This is unequivocally false. Dr. Marty Makary has never served as FDA Commissioner under any administration. The position was held by Dr. Stephen Hahn under President Trump from December 2019 to January 2021. As of April 2025, there is no official record or credible report confirming Makary ever led or was nominated to lead the FDA. He is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and public commentator, but not a federal appointee in this capacity.
Sources:
https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/fda-organization/stephen-m-hahn-md
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/details/marty-makary
2. “Michelle Obama said you can have a bad decade in marriage.”
Timestamp: 51:31
Speaker: Michelle Obama (clip played by Kelly)
Context: Kelly interprets Michelle Obama’s podcast quote as saying a “bad decade” in marriage is normal.
Our Take: Misrepresented and contextually inaccurate. Obama used a hypothetical to underscore marriage’s ups and downs—not to advocate for a literal “bad decade.” Her full quote emphasizes long-term commitment and realistic expectations, not chronic unhappiness. Kelly’s framing implies fatalism that wasn’t present in Obama’s original remarks.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/17/entertainment/michelle-obama-podcast-marriage/index.html
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/16/michelle-obama-marriage-comment
3. “Gail King went to space and called herself an astronaut.”
Timestamp: 1:01:37
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Kelly ridicules King and Blue Origin’s flight, saying King “called herself an astronaut.”
Our Take: False. Gail King did not refer to herself as an astronaut in any official or public communication. Blue Origin referred to the passengers as “space tourists” or “crew members,” and King herself used terms like “participant” and “crew.” The “astronaut” label is unofficial and rarely self-applied in these cases.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/science/blue-origin-launch.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/blue-origin-gail-king-space-flight/
4. “Meghan Markle invented edible flowers for cocktails.”
Timestamp: 26:00
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Kelly sarcastically implies Markle created the idea of edible floral garnishes.
Our Take: Satirical but misleading in a factual context. Edible flowers have been used in culinary and mixology traditions for centuries across many cultures. They’re commonly sold by major food retailers and used in high-end cuisine. Markle did not invent or popularize this trend.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/food/articles/edible_flowers
https://www.wsj.com/articles/edible-flowers-cocktails
5. “Kyle Rittenhouse shot three people in the back with an AK-47.”
Timestamp: 1:36:49
Speaker: Dominique Alexander
Context: During a press conference defense of Carmelo Anthony, the speaker makes this reference to Rittenhouse.
Our Take: Completely false. Rittenhouse used an AR-15-style rifle and none of the individuals he shot were hit in the back. The shootings occurred during confrontations in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and forensic evidence corroborated the frontal trajectories.
Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/kyle-rittenhouse-trial-verified-facts-507a2746347c7f9a7b0b8b8b5e8414b8
https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-rittenhouse-shot-back-idUSL1N2S71U7
6. “FDA Commissioner Marty Makary has been on the job for 17 days.”
Timestamp: 0:49
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Repeats false claim from the introduction.
Our Take: Again, Makary is not and never was FDA Commissioner. This specific timeline claim compounds the original inaccuracy.
Sources:
https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/fda-organization/stephen-m-hahn-md
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/details/marty-makary
7. “Michelle Obama talks about her marriage negatively every time she speaks.”
Timestamp: 54:48
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Kelly generalizes about Michelle Obama’s public comments on her marriage.
Our Take: False. Michelle Obama has shared a mix of candid, critical, and affectionate remarks about her marriage. She has praised Barack Obama extensively in books and speeches, contradicting the claim that “every time” she speaks, it’s negative.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/14/books/review/michelle-obama-book.html
https://www.npr.org/2020/03/11/obama-marriage-memoir
8. “Lauren Sánchez’s Blue Origin flight was frivolous compared to Alan Shepard’s.”
Timestamp: 1:04:19
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Criticizes the flight and calls Sánchez’s mission frivolous, contrasting it with Alan Shepard.
Our Take: Misleading by false equivalence. Alan Shepard’s 1961 Mercury flight and modern suborbital tourism serve vastly different purposes. While not scientific missions, modern suborbital flights are legitimate aerospace demonstrations with rigorous protocols. Calling one “frivolous” is a subjective, not factual, assertion, but the comparison misleads by downplaying safety and engineering.
Sources:
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/blue-origin-launches-all-woman-crew-2025-04-15/
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/alan-b-shepard-jr-biography/
9. “Meghan Markle’s jam is non-edible and runny like spilled water.”
Timestamp: 43:32
Speaker: Maureen Callahan
Context: While describing Markle’s lifestyle brand, Callahan criticizes her jam product.
Our Take: False and unverified. There is no evidence that Markle’s jam product is inedible. The brand’s limited batch jams received both positive and critical reviews, but all confirm it is indeed edible and not structurally deficient.
Sources:
https://www.wsj.com/style/meghan-markle-entrepreneur-jam-brand-2025
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68882782
10. “Gail King’s glam team glued her wig and lashes to stay in zero gravity.”
Timestamp: 1:04:06
Speaker: Maureen Callahan
Context: Mocking Blue Origin flight, suggests elaborate personal styling for zero-gravity effects.
Our Take: Baseless and false. There is no credible information that King required special adhesives or “glued” hair/lashes. Blue Origin passengers are instructed to secure all personal items, but there’s no protocol or evidence supporting this styling anecdote.
Sources:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gail-king-blue-origin-space-trip/
https://www.nasa.gov/spaceflight-essentials-hair-and-makeup-zero-g
To request the full list of claims reviewed or to have your podcast fact-checked by Trust My Pod, email info@trustmypod.org.
Misleading Claims
1. “Meghan Markle’s business pitch was just ‘I like strawberries.’”
Timestamp: 27:50
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Kelly summarizes Meghan Markle’s product reveal video as lacking substance, saying the pitch was essentially “I like strawberries.”
Our Take: This selectively quotes Markle and strips context. Markle’s teaser video was minimalistic but meant to build anticipation, not deliver a full business pitch. The brand’s subsequent communications elaborate on sourcing, design, and philosophy. Reducing it to “I like strawberries” creates a false impression of unseriousness.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/style/meghan-markle-american-riviera-orchard.html
https://www.wsj.com/articles/meghan-markle-lifestyle-brand-jam-video
2. “COVID booster shots are causing massive strokes and heart attacks.”
Timestamp: 1:14:22
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: In a discussion on public health narratives, Kelly implies a causal link between COVID-19 boosters and severe cardiovascular events.
Our Take: Misleading. While there have been isolated reports of adverse effects post-vaccination, including myocarditis (rarely in young males), there is no credible evidence of a widespread or massive increase in strokes or heart attacks directly caused by COVID boosters. The CDC and WHO maintain that the benefits outweigh the risks.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/adverse-events.html
https://www.who.int/news/item/23-03-2023-covid-vaccine-safety-updates
3. “Everyone knows Gail King didn’t pass the astronaut training.”
Timestamp: 1:02:15
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Criticizes King’s Blue Origin participation by suggesting she failed any legitimate training protocol.
Our Take: Misleading. Blue Origin requires all passengers to complete safety briefings and physical fitness evaluations. These are not equivalent to NASA’s astronaut training, but Kelly’s statement frames it as an official failure of a nonexistent standard. It distorts the mission’s goals and procedures.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/science/blue-origin-gail-king.html
https://www.blueorigin.com/new-shepard/astronaut-experience/
4. “The FDA ignored all safety signals in the vaccine data.”
Timestamp: 1:14:50
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Discussing vaccine side effects and the government’s response.
Our Take: Misleading. The FDA and CDC continually review vaccine safety data and have issued alerts and updates, such as regarding the J&J vaccine and rare clotting events. Saying they “ignored all safety signals” overstates the case and ignores documented regulatory actions.
Sources:
https://www.fda.gov/media/146305/download
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7117e1.htm
5. “Markle’s brand video didn’t even show the product—what kind of launch is that?”
Timestamp: 27:33
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Mocking Markle’s product teaser.
Our Take: Misleading. While the initial video didn’t show full product lines, this is a common strategy in lifestyle and luxury branding. It builds intrigue before a phased product reveal. The lack of visuals is a marketing decision, not a sign of incompetence.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68882782
https://www.wsj.com/style/meghan-markle-teaser-brand
6. “Gail King’s space mission was just for her Instagram followers.”
Timestamp: 1:04:01
Speaker: Maureen Callahan
Context: Dismisses King’s motives as purely self-promotional.
Our Take: This assumes motive without evidence. While public figures often post about major events, this statement suggests a sole intent, which cannot be verified and lacks supporting documentation. The flight had broader goals of representation and visibility in space travel.
Sources:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gail-king-blue-origin-mission/
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/15/science/blue-origin-launch-crew.html
7. “Dr. Makary predicted every vaccine failure.”
Timestamp: 1:15:00
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Praises Makary’s pandemic-era critiques of the vaccine rollouts.
Our Take: Misleading. Makary was vocal in cautioning against mandates and overreach, but did not predict “every failure.” Some of his claims were contradicted by emerging data, and others (like early opposition to booster shots) were later revised. The statement exaggerates his predictive accuracy.
Sources:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-the-pandemic-taught-us-marty-makary-editorials
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/12/health/makary-vaccine-skepticism.html
8. “Lauren Sánchez didn’t even feel weightlessness, it was all fake.”
Timestamp: 1:03:55
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Mocks the Blue Origin experience as inauthentic.
Our Take: Misleading. New Shepard flights by Blue Origin achieve a parabolic suborbital arc that provides several minutes of microgravity. Passengers routinely report feeling weightlessness. Suggesting it’s fake ignores well-documented flight physics and video evidence.
Sources:
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/blue-origin-launch-experience-2025-04-15/
https://www.nasa.gov/what-is-suborbital-spaceflight/
9. “Pfizer covered up all adverse reactions from their COVID vaccine.”
Timestamp: 1:14:55
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Implies malicious data suppression.
Our Take: Misleading. Pfizer released adverse event data per FDA requirements. While critics argue for faster transparency, saying the company “covered up all adverse reactions” is unfounded. Regulatory agencies had access to these data in real-time for safety monitoring.
Sources:
https://www.fda.gov/media/158762/download
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/fact-check-pfizer-data-foia-release-2022-03-03/
10. “Michelle Obama keeps saying marriage is mostly terrible.”
Timestamp: 51:47
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Interpreting Obama’s remarks as consistently negative.
Our Take: Misleading. While Obama discusses challenges, she also emphasizes joy, partnership, and endurance. The selective focus on negative comments distorts the full narrative she presents in interviews and books.
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/16/michelle-obama-marriage-comment
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/14/books/review/michelle-obama-book.html
To request the full list of claims reviewed or to have your podcast fact-checked by Trust My Pod, email info@trustmypod.org.
Unverifiable Claims
1. “I had to cancel two family weddings because of COVID rules.”
Timestamp: 1:14:03
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: During a discussion of pandemic-era restrictions, Kelly says her family had to cancel multiple weddings.
Our Take: Unverifiable. Personal anecdotes like this cannot be fact-checked unless publicly documented. No details are provided to verify location, dates, or policies in place at the time.
Sources: N/A
2. “Everyone in America hated Meghan and Harry’s Netflix series.”
Timestamp: 32:10
Speaker: Maureen Callahan
Context: Discussing public reaction to the royal couple’s media ventures.
Our Take: Unverifiable. While the show received mixed reviews and some public backlash, claiming “everyone” hated it is hyperbolic and unverifiable. Polls show polarized views, not universal disapproval.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-63944759
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/15/arts/television/harry-meghan-netflix-review.html
3. “Michelle Obama probably resents Barack’s popularity.”
Timestamp: 53:50
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Speculating on Michelle Obama’s motivations in public statements.
Our Take: Unverifiable. This is conjecture about internal feelings and lacks evidence. No credible source or Michelle Obama herself has stated or implied this sentiment.
Sources: N/A
4. “Gail King is only going to space for headlines.”
Timestamp: 1:04:02
Speaker: Maureen Callahan
Context: Dismisses the spaceflight as a PR stunt.
Our Take: Unverifiable. Assigning personal motivation without insider knowledge or stated intent is speculative. No public statements from King confirm this claim.
Sources: N/A
5. “Nobody’s buying Meghan Markle’s jam.”
Timestamp: 26:32
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Suggests that Markle’s product isn’t selling.
Our Take: Unverifiable. The brand has not released sales data, and the product is in limited release. No public metrics are available to confirm or refute the claim.
Sources:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/meghan-markle-entrepreneur-jam-brand-2025
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68882782
6. “Blue Origin let Gail King fly just for publicity.”
Timestamp: 1:01:50
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Implying corporate motives for flight crew selection.
Our Take: Unverifiable. While promotional benefits may exist, internal criteria for selection are not fully disclosed. Absent insider documentation, motive-based claims are speculative.
Sources: N/A
7. “Lauren Sánchez wore false eyelashes and lip gloss for microgravity selfies.”
Timestamp: 1:03:40
Speaker: Maureen Callahan
Context: Satirical jab at Sánchez’s appearance during the flight.
Our Take: Unverifiable. While appearance-related choices may be inferred from photos, specific intent or product use cannot be confirmed without firsthand statements.
Sources: N/A
8. “I think the American people are done with Michelle Obama’s marriage stories.”
Timestamp: 54:33
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Commenting on Obama’s public remarks.
Our Take: Unverifiable. This is an opinion presented as a generalized public sentiment. No polling data supports or refutes the statement.
Sources: N/A
9. “Marty Makary would clean house at the FDA.”
Timestamp: 0:53
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Hypothetical comment based on false claim of Makary’s appointment.
Our Take: Unverifiable. The premise is hypothetical and speculative, with no policy record or action to evaluate since Makary has never held the position.
Sources: N/A
10. “Most doctors now agree boosters aren’t necessary.”
Timestamp: 1:14:27
Speaker: Megyn Kelly
Context: Critiquing updated booster recommendations.
Our Take: Unverifiable. No recent large-scale survey or study supports this claim definitively. Medical consensus is mixed and evolving, especially across age and risk groups.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2804726
To request the full list of claims reviewed or to have your podcast fact-checked by Trust My Pod, email info@trustmypod.org.
Conclusion: Analysis of Tone, Spin, and Integrity
The April 17, 2025 episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, featuring journalist Maureen Callahan, is steeped in caustic commentary, personal ridicule, and a polarized worldview that frames skepticism as insight. Across a 90-minute runtime, the conversation targets high-profile public figures—particularly women like Meghan Markle, Michelle Obama, Gail King, and Lauren Sánchez—with criticism that often blurs factual commentary with opinion, conjecture, and cultural resentment. The show’s tonal posture is adversarial, frequently relying on sarcasm, insinuation, and sweeping generalizations that undermine its journalistic credibility.
Kelly and Callahan engage in what amounts to a cultural takedown, embedding unsubstantiated motives into discussions of personal choices and public appearances. Critiques of Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand or Gail King’s spaceflight might have merit in principle, but they are consistently delivered in a way that substitutes mockery for substance. For instance, Markle’s branding is reduced to “I like strawberries,” while Sánchez’s suborbital experience is dismissed as an Instagram stunt. These portrayals aren’t supported with balanced context or acknowledgment of alternative interpretations, making them rhetorically powerful but factually weak.
The episode’s treatment of public health topics is particularly troubling. Assertions about vaccine safety—such as claims that boosters are causing “massive strokes” or that Pfizer “covered up all adverse reactions”—rely on emotionally charged language and disregard the complexity of scientific data. The selective invocation of figures like Dr. Marty Makary lends a veneer of authority, but the sweeping conclusions drawn from his views are frequently exaggerated or presented out of context.
The podcast does raise legitimate questions about media narratives, public perception, and institutional trust, but it fails to build its arguments on a foundation of verified fact. Instead, it traffics in hyperbole, anecdotal generalization, and unverifiable speculation. Across 30 fact-checked claims, only 4 were found to be fully accurate, while 10 were clearly false, 10 misleading, and 10 unverifiable. This distribution reflects a consistent pattern: a preference for provocation over precision.
CREDIBILITY SCORE: 36/100 TRUSTWORTHY