During a break in live coverage of Thursday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, NBC anchor Megyn Kelly called out Democrats and the media for their obvious bias against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. In the midst of listening to testimony from accuser Christine Blasey Ford, she warned her colleagues against convicting Kavanaugh before hearing his defense.
“And how do you think, Megyn, Republicans and Democrats will take on Judge Kavanaugh?,” asked Today co-host Savannah Guthrie. Kelly replied: “Well, I mean, the proceeding, like to assess the position of Brett Kavanaugh right now is premature, because we’ve heard half the story, right? We’re only partially through this sort of mini-trial, for lack of a better term.”
While acknowledging that it was “natural for us all to be saying, ‘We believe her, she’s a very strong witness, and Kavanaugh’s in a lot of trouble,’” Kelly urged caution. Referencing an interview NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt conducted with Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand moments earlier, Kelly pointed out:
The Democrats aren’t open-minded either. They have rushed to defend this woman and to believe every word she says, and that’s fine, but don’t come out and complain that the other side is not open-minded. Because it’s the truth on both sides they’ve retreated to their partisan corners.
She concluded: “I still believe the guy’s got a very good chance of getting through.”
Minutes later, Guthrie was critical of the performance by Arizona prosecutor Rachel Mitchell, hired by Republican committee members to question Ford during the hearing: “It’s a very big task before Rachel Mitchell because she is approaching this as a lawyer. However, she’s getting interrupted every five minutes. So she can never quite get it going.”
Kelly also offered criticism of the questioning format, but made this point about the press coverage of the event: “The other thing is, the media’s not gonna write that closing argument for her, you know? The media is not exactly in Kavanaugh’s corner. And so, they’re gonna not take this strain that she’s tried to develop and run with it on the front of The Washington Post.”
Continuing the line of discussion, Guthrie argued: “But again, everything’s kind of with kid gloves, which I think is respectful, but this is not – this is such a strange circumstance, it’s not a true adversarial proceeding.” Kelly countered:
That’s right, because the Republicans have been shamed out of doing that. They have been shamed thanks to the #MeToo movement, thanks to the “if you don’t, quote, believe women, you’re a misogynist, you’re for sexual harassment” messages that they’ve been getting. They completely just passed the ball and said, “Be careful.”
Of course, many in the liberal media ran with that attack on Republicans.
Reporting from Capitol Hill minutes later, correspondent Kasie Hunt argued that “everyone is tuned into” the hearing and that “it’s going to be clear to everybody in this building that what Dr. Ford had to say today has really cut through.” Holt followed up: “But your point is well taken, I mean, there are people right now who are watching this, and you wonder, it’s not over, you know, how many open minds are left out there right now, as this progresses along.”
Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd at least tried to acknowledge the media bubble they were all in:
That’s the danger for us. In that, we live and breathe it, the senators live and breathe it, we see this as a political fight, a political argument. This is one of those moments where 330 million Americans are going to have a political opinion on something. Normally, you know how sometimes you do a political poll and 30% are undecided and not paying attention, not on this one. And so, I think one of the things that I’ve been very cautious, I know this is going to leave a mark on our politics, but I’m not yet convinced which way the wind blows on this. Because this is one of these moments the country’s experiencing together and it’s gonna be a cultural star in some way.
Kelly offered a reality check to her fellow journalists about the viewership: “Most Americans are not watching this, right? Most Americans are at their jobs right now or taking care of their kids, and they’re going to see clips of it on the evening news.” Todd declared: “I don’t buy that one. I don’t buy that one. I think more people are watching this than you think.”
Kelly reiterated:
Not 330 million. I think most people are going about their daily business and have already decided whether this is a political hit job on Brett Kavanaugh that’s totally unfair or whether this woman is a heroine for the #MeToo age who somehow found the courage to come forward and speak the truth in a way that’s going to change the balance of the Supreme Court potentially forever. And they’ll, you know, if history is any indicator, they will look at the clips and they will look at they’re favorite channels tonight for affirmation of they’re world view.
Throughout the entire day, Kelly worked to be a voice of balance to her liberal colleagues.
Here are excerpts of the September 27 coverage from early Thursday afternoon:
1:07 PM ET
(...)
LESTER HOLT: We’re a few minutes away from the scheduled return from the break for this hearing to resume again.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: So there are a few more senators, and of course, we know that Rachel Mitchell’s going to get her chance to question as well. Then there will be a longer break, and then it’s Brett Kavanaugh’s turn. And how do you think, Megyn, Republicans and Democrats will take on Judge Kavanaugh?
MEGYN KELLY: Well, I mean, the proceeding, like to assess the position of Brett Kavanaugh right now is premature, because we’ve heard half the story, right? We’re only partially through this sort of mini-trial, for lack of a better term. Although this actually looks nothing like an actual trial. And so, you generally believe the first witness who testifies, and the person cross-examining her isn’t really laying a lot of gloves on her. And so, it is natural for us all to be saying, “We believe her, she’s a very strong witness, and Kavanaugh’s in a lot of trouble.” So we’ll see.
This is how it happens at trial, too. He’ll get up there, he’s probably going to be somewhat compelling. He’s going to get a lot more incoming than she’s getting. They’re gonna feel perfectly comfortable punching him in the face rhetorically. And you know, this is not a guy, he actually wasn’t some hand-to-hand combat litigator, so I don’t know how high our expectations should be on him.
You know, the politics in it are ever-present. And to listen to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand stand up there and say that the Republicans are not looking for the truth is rich. She said, before she even heard him on Fox News, “I believe her. I believe her.” The Democrats aren’t open-minded either. They have rushed to defend this woman and to believe every word she says, and that’s fine, but don’t come out and complain that the other side is not open-minded. Because it’s the truth on both sides they’ve retreated to their partisan corners. I still believe the guy’s got a very good chance of getting through.
(...)
1:10 PM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: It’s a very big task before Rachel Mitchell because she is approaching this as a lawyer. However, she’s getting interrupted every five minutes. So she can never quite get it going. And even in the whole idea of the maps and where – who lives where, I think that was all just to set up the ultimate question of, “You had to get a ride, did anyone take you?” Well, she didn’t need to do all of that predicate stuff. She could have just said, how’d you get home, do you remember, wouldn't you have remembered who took you?” So I think this is just one of those situations where her wheelhouse, her comfort is clearly in a courtroom, and the things she’s doing and saying would probably be totally appropriate to that. But this is a political body and a political situation.
CHUCK TODD: Let me ask the two lawyers here. Given that she’s a prosecutor, she’s also used to having investigators, right? That somebody has done some investigative work for her. In this case, she didn’t really –
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: She got the assignment three days ago.
TODD: Exactly. So it’s not an easy assignment for her, right?
KELLY: Well, the other thing, as a prosecutor, you would never ask a question to which you did not already know the answer.
TODD: She, in this case –
KELLY: She’s gone fishing a couple of times and come up with nothing.
TODD: And that’s not something, my guess is, she is used to.
KELLY: The other thing is, the media’s not gonna write that closing argument for her, you know? The media is not exactly in Kavanaugh’s corner. And so, they’re gonna not take this strain that she’s tried to develop and run with it on the front of The Washington Post.
(...)
1:13 PM ET
GUTHRIE: But again, everything’s kind of with kid gloves, which I think is respectful, but this is not – this is such a strange circumstance, it’s not a true adversarial proceeding. And you know, those of us who believe in our justice system, you know, you believe that an adversarial proceeding will ultimately elicit the truth because both sides are zealously advocating, and you know, what you draw out of that. But that’s not what we see here.
KELLY: That’s right, because the Republicans have been shamed out of doing that. They have been shamed thanks to the #MeToo movement, thanks to the “if you don’t, quote, believe women, you’re a misogynist, you’re for sexual harassment” messages that they’ve been getting. They completely just passed the ball and said, “Be careful.”
And we do need to be respectful. I mean, it is – we’re in a sea change in this country, where women are finding their voices and coming forward in ways we’ve never seen them do before. And I do think that that’s – well, people say, “Why wouldn’t they have done this to Gorsuch?” Well, Gorsuch came before the #MeToo movement. And every justice or would-be justice who comes after this will be in a different place in time. And I think the Dems can look forward to this being done to any nominee that they put forward as well.
But so, we have to find a way of being respectful of the new paradigm we’re in, while also maintaining due process and a commitment to an adversarial process which we, as America, have decided is the best way forward to finding truth.
(...)
1:17 PM ET
KASIE HUNT: This is a political proceeding. And it’s one that I can’t help but notice that everyone is tuned into. I mean, I’m even receiving notes, you know, from family members who don’t necessarily tune in to this kind of thing regularly, and it’s on in airports, or their local restaurant. It’s almost impossible to escape. So while the midterm elections have been focused on the base politics of this, I think it’s going to be clear to everybody in this building that what Dr. Ford had to say today has really cut through. Lester?
LESTER HOLT: Kasie at the – truly at the intersection of politics there, watching the halls in every direction. But your point is well taken, I mean, there are people right now who are watching this, and you wonder, it’s not over, you know, how many open minds are left out there right now, as this progresses along.
TODD: That’s the danger for us. In that, we live and breathe it, the senators live and breathe it, we see this as a political fight, a political argument. This is one of those moments where 330 million Americans are going to have a political opinion on something. Normally, you know how sometimes you do a political poll and 30% are undecided and not paying attention, not on this one. And so, I think one of the things that I’ve been very cautious, I know this is going to leave a mark on our politics, but I’m not yet convinced which way the wind blows on this. Because this is one of these moments the country’s experiencing together and it’s gonna be a cultural star in some way.
GUTHRIE: I think all of these matters are so complex for people, too. You know, it’s so easy for folks in Washington to slot it into red or blue, and you may have very complicated feelings about what you think may have actually happened here. And unfortunately, our politics and our debates really don’t do complexity or nuance all that well right now.
HOLT: Well, you may not be a political person but realize that one of these people has really gone off the rail, and that gives you a queasy feeling.
TODD: Uncomfortable.
HOLT: Because I mean, think about it. I mean, two individuals here with divergent stories, and again, you may not be political, but you have to walk away with kind of an ill feeling in your stomach.
KELLY: Most Americans are not watching this, right? Most Americans are at their jobs right now or taking care of their kids, and they’re going to see clips of it on the evening news.
HOLT: But it the era of [holds up smart phone] –
TODD: I don’t buy that one. I don’t buy that one.
KELLY: They’re not sitting –
TODD: I think more people are watching this than you think.
KELLY: Not 330 million. I think most people are going about their daily business and have already decided whether this is a political hit job on Brett Kavanaugh that’s totally unfair or whether this woman is a heroine for the #MeToo age who somehow found the courage to come forward and speak the truth in a way that’s going to change the balance of the Supreme Court potentially forever. And they’ll, you know, if history is any indicator, they will look at the clips and they will look at they’re favorite channels tonight for affirmation of they’re world view.
(...)
