Fox News host Megyn Kelly appeared on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday night to talk about a variety of things including her attendance at the annual White House Christmas Party.
Speaking to Kimmel, Kelly joked that while she was at the White House “boy did I see a lot of MSNBC anchors. I mean you couldn’t take two steps without hitting one...I think they got a few more invitations than we got.”
While discussing the White House party, Kimmel asked his Fox News guest “Is there a separate section for Fox News where there’s no food and dirty forks or something like that?” For her part, Kelly responded “you mean there was something other than outside in the rain, others were, they were inside the building?”
As the segment progressed, the Fox News host discussed her awkward encounter with President Obama and his wife:
I was in line waiting to go see him and I was talking to Tammy Haddad, whose got a media company. And she was saying “he's probably going to kiss you because he always kisses me so get ready. And Michelle Obama, she might kiss you.”
Doug, my husband, so we're like “oh, really, how’s it going to work?” So, now we're getting ready to be kissing and hugging, which is, like, okay, I have to get, okay, should I go to her first for that? Do I kiss her, too? So I'm thinking about that. Kind of threw me off. I get in there, there was no kissing and hugging.
Kelly concluded the segment by describing how she jokingly told Obama “maybe we'll be here in two years.” The Fox News host insisted that Obama must have thought “Oh, she's with Fox News, oh, I don't like Fox News, Oh I think that's -- that's for Republicans. She must mean the Republicans. Is this a shot at me at my Christmas party?”
See relevant transcript below.
ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live
December 17, 2014
JIMMY KIMMEL: You were at the White House last night for a party.
MEGYN KELLY: Yeah.
KIMMEL: Was that fun for you?
KELLY: Yeah, it was interesting. I had never been to the White House Christmas party before. This was a first for me.
KIMMEL: Is there a separate section for Fox News where there’s no food and dirty forks or something like that?
KELLY: You mean there was something other than outside in the rain, others were, they were inside the building?
KIMMEL: Do you ever feel any kind of discomfort when you go into a situation like that?
KELLY: No, but it was funny because last night, we went in and I mean the White House looked beautiful. It was spectacular. And I was looking for some Fox News colleagues because this is for broadcast news. And I saw a couple, I saw Bret Baier, I saw Ed Henry, our Chief White House Correspondent. And then, boy, oh, boy did I see a lot of MSNBC anchors. I mean you couldn’t take two steps without hitting one.
KIMMEL: Oh really?
KELLY: I think they got a few more invitations than we got.
KIMMEL: I wonder why that is?
KELLY: But, what I mean to say is, I'm very grateful to have been invited and I had a very lovely time.
KIMMEL: Did you speak to the president and the first lady?
KELLY: I had 30 seconds to get in and get out without embarrassing myself. And I blew it.
KIMMEL: What did you do?
KELLY: Well, I was in line waiting to go see him and I was talking to Tammy Haddad, whose got a media company. And she was saying “he's probably going to kiss you because he always kisses me so get ready. And Michelle Obama, she might kiss you.” Doug, my husband, so we're like “oh, really, how’s it going to work?” So, now we're getting ready to be kissing and hugging, which is, like, okay, I have to get, okay, should I go to her first for that? Do I kiss her, too? So I'm thinking about that. Kind of threw me off. I get in there, there was no kissing and hugging. I was misled in that regard.
KIMMEL: No one kissed? No one hugged?
KELLY: But he was very generous. I said to Michelle Obama “thank you for having us, Merry Christmas, you have a beautiful family.” I turned to him, I said “Merry Christmas” he said “Merry Christmas to you, having a good time?” “Yes” He said, “the White House is a pretty fun place, isn't it?” I said, it is. And speaking about me and my husband Doug, who is next to me, I said, “maybe we'll be here in two years.” And he looked at me, like, what? And I was like, what did I say? And I was -- it was a joke that we were going to run for office and we’d be in the White House in two years. And I think all he was thinking was, “who is we? Oh, she's with Fox News, oh, I don't like Fox News, Oh I think that's -- that's for Republicans. She must mean the Republicans. Is this a shot at me at my Christmas party?” And then you're like, oh, no, come back and of course, and then of course they're like, turn this way and smile. So, President Obama, I apologize. I didn't mean it that way.
KIMMEL: Look, we're really building bridges and mending fences all over the place right now.
KELLY: It was a little awkward.
