Talking to Megyn Kelly on Thursday's NBC Late Night, host Seth Meyers touted how the Fox News anchor had recently "sort of grilled" former Vice President Dick Cheney and "called him to task for...the things he was wrong about with Iraq." Meyers worried: "...was that terrifying? Is it terrifying to call out Dick Cheney?" [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
Kelly dismissed the notion: "Not at all, no....You know, that is what I do for a living." She went on to recall: "...[Dick Cheney], Liz Cheney, and Lynne Cheney went on a Politico round table afterwards and Mike Allen said, 'Oh, you know, Megyn Kelly of Fox News, no enemy to you, called you out in this fashion.' And Mrs. Cheney said, 'Of course she did.' She said that is what journalists are expected to do."
Kelly added: "I'm not an enemy to Dick Cheney and I'm not a friend of Dick Cheney. I'm a journalist who has to ask tough questions. And he came in and answered them." That was greeted with cheers and applause from the audience.
Interesting that Meyers chose to highlight Kelly asking tough questions to Cheney and ignored her routinely taking the Obama administration to task on her nightly program.
Meyers went on to observe: "You describe yourself as a fair, down-the-middle journalist. You're between, your show is on between two, I would describe as very conservative, journalists. You're on after Bill O'Reilly, you're on before Sean Hannity....is it hard on Fox News to convince people or make people believe this idea that you are sort of a down-the-middle journalist?"
Kelly replied: "No. I mean, I think they know. They watch the show. You know, I do sort of a news analysis show in the evening....they still use me in a straight news capacity. And I enjoy that. I like doing the presidential debates. I like going out there on election night. That's the big thrill."
When will Meyers question if viewers see Brian Williams as an objective journalist?
Here is a portion of the Thursday, July 31 exchange aired early on the morning of Friday, August 1:
1:17 AM ET
(...)
SETH MEYERS: You recently – Vice President Cheney or ex-Vice President Cheney, he's no longer, for those who don't know. [Laughter] He wrote an op-ed criticizing President Obama for the way he has handled Iraq. And you had him on the show and you sort of grilled him, you sort of called him to task for the fact – the things he was wrong about with Iraq. And, I have to ask, was that terrifying? Is it terrifying to call out Dick Cheney?
MEGYN KELLY: Not at all, no.
MEYERS: That's great. [Cheers and applause]
KELLY: You know, that is what I do for a living.
MEYERS: Right.
KELLY: It got a lot of attention. You know and it was interesting, because he went on – he, Liz Cheney, and Lynne Cheney went on a Politico round table afterwards and Mike Allen said, "Oh, you know, Megyn Kelly of Fox News, no enemy to you, called you out in this fashion." And Mrs. Cheney said, "Of course she did." She said that is what journalists are expected to do. And I really appreciated her saying that. Because I said on my own show he was right. I'm not an enemy to Dick Cheney and I'm not a friend of Dick Cheney. I'm a journalist who has to ask tough questions. And he came in and answered them. [Cheers and applause]
MEYERS: You describe yourself as a fair, down-the-middle journalist. You're between, your show is on between two, I would describe as very conservative, journalists. You're on after Bill O'Reilly, you're on before Sean Hannity-
KELLY: O'Reilly hates that label. He's – I think he's more of a populist.
MEYERS: He hates a lot of stuff, yeah. [Laughter and applause]
KELLY: He does. He does. My dream is that someday I'll be number one, and not him and he'll write a book called "Killing Megyn." [Laughter]
MEYERS: There you go, that'd be very nice.
KELLY: No, actually he's – he and I are good friends. But yes, he does opinion and Sean does opinion.
MEYERS: And is it hard – but you know, is it hard on Fox News to convince people or make people believe this idea that you are sort of a down-the-middle journalist?
KELLY: No. I mean, I think they know. They watch the show. You know, I do sort of a news analysis show in the evening. But I'm not out there like O'Reilly, you know, calling for the troops to do X, Y or Z. Or advising President Obama on how he needs to behave. It's not my thing. But, you know, we'll put pundits on who will offer their opinions.
And for me, you know, they still use me in a straight news capacity. And I enjoy that. I like doing the presidential debates. I like going out there on election night. That's the big thrill.
MEYERS: Well, thank you so much and I hope you come back again. It's just been wonderful to have you here.
KELLY: Thank you very much. Thanks for having me.
MEYERS: Megyn Kelly, everyone.
