Along with addressing her meeting with Donald Trump earlier in the day, Kelly File host Megyn Kelly began Wednesday’s show by clashing with MSNBC host/liberal activist Reverend Al Sharpton over what transpired in Ferguson, Missouri to the point that Sharpton rudely told Kelly to “calm down.”
In what was part of a wide-ranging interview dealing with the African-American vote, President Obama’s legacy, and Black Lives Matter, Kelly turned to Ferguson roughly eight minutes in and, after summarizing how the case ended, wondered if Sharpton “feel[s] bad about what you said” about Officer Darren Wilson.
Of course, Sharpton deflected and sought to debate the semantics of what the DOJ report did and did not find about whether Wilson violated Michael Brown’s civil rights.
Kelly paused the interview to reappear live in her studio to read a few portions of the DOJ report that set the record straight that there was no evidence to prove “that Wilson was unreasonable in his fear that Michael Brown would once again attempt to harm him and gain control of his gun.”
When the interview resumed, Sharpton attempted to convince Kelly that the DOJ report was somehow in conflict with “what eyewitnesses and others who called us into Ferguson” relayed when they were “put...on my television show” where “they told us what they saw, so if I say what I believe to be the case, based on talking to several witnesses, I should apologize for what?”
The Fox News host shot back that Sharpton’s beliefs about the shooting have “been disproven” and, instead of engaging on substance, Sharpton lectured Kelly for simply having a daily TV show in which she “state[s] what you believe.”
Naturally, Kelly corrected him by informing him that she doesn’t share her opinions and Sharpton responded that he, of course, is “an opinion guy” on MSNBC.
It was at this point that the confrontation escalated when Kelly pushed Sharpton to accepting responsibility for the impact the incident has had on Wilson’s life:
KELLY: Okay, but when your opinion is proven to be wrong by the Department of Justice, Barack Obama’s Department of Justice and a man's life is ruined, I mean Darren Wilson — Daren Wilson has no job. He has no life. He hasn't been rehired. Do you bear some responsibility?
SHARPTON: If you and I talk to the same witnesses and the DOJ talks to the same witnesses, and they don't believe him and you and I do, it doesn't make us wrong. It means —
KELLY: But you don't talk to all the witnesses. The DOJ does. They get people in there and it can be a crime to lie to an FBI agent. It is not a crime to lie to Reverend Al.
Clearly beat, Sharpton informed her that she need to “calm down” and this did not sit well with the FNC star as she told him to “watch it.” When Sharpton seemed confused and asked if there was anything “wrong with that,” Kelly told him: “Ask Bill O'Reilly about that. I had to lecture him on that one himself.”
The interview ended moments later when, after trying to ask Sharpton if he ever “correct[ed] the record” on what really happened in Ferguson, Sharpton grabbed Kelly’s microphone and demanded to know if she saw and covered him protesting with those that wanted to see Wilson indicted.
The relevant portions of the transcript from FNC’s The Kelly File on April 13 can be found below.
FNC’s The Kelly File
February 13, 2016
9:08 p.m. Eastern
MEGYN KELLY: Let me take you back to Ferguson, Missouri, and the case there against Officer Darren Wilson. He shot and killed Michael Brown. He said it was in self-defense. You came out publicly and said it wasn't in self-defense, that there was no deadly threat to officer Darren Wilson. The DOJ found that was no correct, they could find no evidence that he was not in fear of his life and exonerated him. Do you feel bad about what you said?
REVEREND AL SHARPTON: No. Do you want the story? What DOJ said — the DOJ said they did not find evidence to prosecute him on civil rights.
KELLY: They said there was no reason to disbelieve. No evidence to disbelieve his story he was in fear of his life.
SHARPTON: They said that he was not in violation of civil rights and that they found no evidence that he was in fear or that he was not in fear of his —
KELLY: No, no. They said there was no evidence to disprove his statement that he was in fear of his life. [BACK IN STUDIO] So we're stopping here for a moment because this is a key point and one a lot of people missed or glossed over in the hot debate after a grand jury decided not to indict officer Darren Wilson after the DOJ came out and said they didn't have the case against him. The report from the Department of Justice specifically says the following, on page 11, quote: “The evidence does not support finding that Wilson was unreasonable in his fear that Michael Brown would once again attempt to harm him and gain control of his gun.” And again on page 12, quote: “There is no (reliable) evidence...to disprove officer Wilson's...belief that he feared for his safety.” That's from the Department of Justice. Let's pick it up again with Reverend Al.
SHARPTON: Well, first of all, if the DOJ said that, then that is contrary to what eyewitnesses and others who called us into Ferguson, mind you, Megyn.
KELLY: But they investigated.
SHARPTON: Can I finish answering your question? I thought you asked one. When we talked to the witnesses, and put them on my television show, they told us what they saw, so if I say what I believe to be the case, based on talking to several witnesses, I should apologize for what?
KELLY: My question is, now that’s been disproven.
SHARPTON: But it — no, what has been — first of all, if you — supposing the DOJ gets new evidence and it's not disproven. I stated what I believe. When — you get on TV every night and state what you believe.
KELLY: No, I don't.
SHARPTON: You don't?
KELLY: No.
SHARPTON: Well, I do.
KELLY: I know because you are an opinion guy. I'm an journalist.
SHARPTON: Well, I’m an opinion — yes, you just answered your own question. I'm an opinion guy.
KELLY: Okay, but when your opinion is proven to be wrong by the Department of Justice, Barack Obama’s Department of Justice and a man's life is ruined, I mean Darren Wilson — Daren Wilson has no job. He has no life. He hasn't been rehired. Do you bear some responsibility?
SHARPTON: If you and I talk to the same witnesses and the DOJ talks to the same witnesses, and they don't believe him and you and I do, it doesn't make us wrong. It means —
KELLY: But you don't talk to all the witnesses. The DOJ does. They get people in there and it can be a crime to lie to an FBI agent. It is not a crime to lie to Reverend Al.
SHARPTON: Megyn, calm down. Whether I —
KELLY: Now watch it with calm down.
SHARPTON: What? What? Is there something wrong with that?
KELLY: Ask Bill O'Reilly about that. I had to lecture him on that one himself.
SHARPTON: Go by what she said. If I talked to witnesses and I believe them, the DOJ may talk to more witnesses, but then you can't come and ask me to apologize for believing something that I was not privy to.
KELLY: Okay, so you are just going back to the moment.
SHARPTON: But anyway —
KELLY: I'm talking about after the fact.
SHARPTON: You’re talking about the moment I said.
KELLY: When the DOJ comes back to you and says you are wrong, why don't you apologize at that point?
SHARPTON: Apologize for believing it.
KELLY: For what you said, for telling the world that there was no deadly threat when there was.
SHARPTON: But I said what I believed.
KELLY: Did you correct the record?
SHARPTON: Did I correct what record?
KELLY: Did you go on your television program and report to the world what the DOJ had actually found?
SHARPTON: I reported what the DOJ said. That they didn’t knopw —
KELLY: About the death of Michael Brown?
SHARPTON: I don't know that I stated the line you want, but you didn’t see me out there, protesting afterward, did you? [GRABS HER MICROPHONE] Did you?
KELLY: I think that's a good place to wrap. [BACK IN STUDIO] How about that?
