The Megyn Kelly Show - DOJ Investigates E. Jean Carroll, Bessent on Trump $250 Bill, Potential Iran Deal： AM Update 5⧸29

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00:00:30.000 Good morning, everyone. I'm Emily Drashinsky, host of After Party and the Megyn Kelly Wrap-Up

00:00:37.220 Show on SiriusXM Channel 111. It's Friday, May 29th, 2026, and this is your AM Update.

00:00:43.920 Perjury cases are serious. They're punishable by maximum five years in prison,

00:00:47.760 but they're much harder for prosecutors to prove than I think people might realize.

00:00:51.120 The DOJ launching a criminal probe into E. Jean Carroll,

00:00:54.640 weighing whether or not she committed perjury in her civil suit against President Trump.

00:00:58.860 I will mention, three weeks ago, I got an honorary degree from the University of South Carolina, so if you really want to get a question, you can call me Dr. Besson.

00:01:07.480 Treasury Secretary Scott Besson taking on the White House press briefing, becoming the latest cabinet member to step in for Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt.

00:01:15.140 New reporting raises questions on whether U.S. and Iranian officials are nearing a deal.

00:01:19.920 And Coast Guard crews are back in Bahamian water, renewing the search for missing American Lynette Hooker.

00:01:25.600 All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.

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00:02:33.680 The DOJ opening a criminal investigation into writer E. Jean Carroll, focusing on whether

00:02:39.160 she committed perjury in her civil lawsuits against President Trump, Carroll previously

00:02:44.180 filing two lawsuits against President Trump. In 2019, Carroll alleging in a New York magazine

00:02:49.840 excerpt from her memoir that Mr. Trump raped her in a Bergdorf-Goodman dressing room sometime 0.69

00:02:55.520 around 1995 or 1996. President Trump publicly denied the allegations, prompting Carroll to

00:03:01.860 sue him for defamation. That case was put on hold because of issues related to the fact that he was

00:03:07.340 the sitting president. Carroll later filing a second lawsuit, alleging both defamation and

00:03:12.940 sexual assault after New York temporarily opened a legal window for older sexual assault claims.

00:03:18.520 That second case went to trial first, with a jury in May 2023 finding President Trump

00:03:23.640 liable for sexual abuse and defamation, but not rape.

00:03:27.860 Mr. Trump ordered to pay Carroll $5 million.

00:03:31.120 Carroll's original defamation case later went to trial separately, with jurors only

00:03:35.460 deciding damages after the earlier verdict had established liability.

00:03:39.940 That jury awarding Carroll $83.3 million.

00:03:43.620 President Trump denies Carroll's allegations and is appealing both verdicts.

00:03:48.360 Now, Carol's own testimony reportedly under scrutiny.

00:03:52.060 According to CNN, prosecutors are focused on a 2022 deposition

00:03:55.480 when Carol said no one else was paying her legal fees.

00:03:59.000 Her lawyers disclosing that some of her legal expenses

00:04:01.340 had been covered through a non-profit backed by LinkedIn co-founder

00:04:05.100 and Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman, a major Trump critic.

00:04:09.780 Mr. Trump's attorneys arguing at the time that the funding disclosure

00:04:12.780 raised serious questions about Carol's credibility.

00:04:16.440 Carroll's lawyers arguing the funding had no bearing on her claims,

00:04:20.080 saying she had not met or spoken with anyone connected to the nonprofit.

00:04:24.160 Neither Carroll nor Hoffman commenting yet on the latest reporting.

00:04:27.760 The DOJ declining to comment on the investigation to multiple outlets.

00:04:31.900 CNN legal analyst Allie Honig explaining why a perjury case is serious, but not simple.

00:04:37.320 So perjury cases are serious.

00:04:39.520 They're punishable by maximum five years in prison,

00:04:41.680 but they're much harder for prosecutors to prove than I think people might realize.

00:04:44.540 So what prosecutors want to show her to have an indictment against E.

00:04:47.620 Jean Carroll is that, A, she gave false testimony about whether she knew where this funding

00:04:52.640 was coming from, B, that the way she was asked the question was unambiguous, that there's

00:04:57.160 no wiggle room, there's no confusion about what the question was or what the answer was.

00:05:01.060 C, that she knew it was false at that time, in 2022 at the deposition, and then D, the 0.85

00:05:07.420 prosecutors will have to show what we call materiality, meaning was the thing she allegedly

00:05:12.780 lied about relevant to some substantial issue in the case. It's not enough if it was just some

00:05:18.740 detail or some throwaway. So those are the things prosecutors have to show. And of course, Kate,

00:05:22.280 beyond a reasonable doubt, when it gets to a jury, if and when it gets to a jury.

00:05:27.140 President Trump refiling his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the publisher of

00:05:31.760 The Wall Street Journal and two of its reporters, taking another run at the case after a federal

00:05:35.920 judge tossed the original complaint last month. The lawsuit centering on a July 2025 report

00:05:41.560 about Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday album,

00:05:44.540 compiled in 2003 by Ghislaine Maxwell,

00:05:47.020 years before the disgraced financier

00:05:48.700 was convicted on prostitution charges involving a minor.

00:05:52.500 The journal publishing a story headlined,

00:05:54.560 Jeffrey Epstein's friends sent him body letters

00:05:57.380 for a 50th birthday album.

00:05:59.340 One was from Donald Trump.

00:06:01.240 President Trump repeatedly denying authoring the letter.

00:06:04.560 Shortly after the article's publication,

00:06:06.640 Mr. Trump's legal team filing a defamation lawsuit

00:06:09.140 in the U.S. District Court

00:06:10.400 for the Southern District of Florida,

00:06:12.440 naming the journal's parent company, News Corp.,

00:06:14.700 founder Rupert Murdoch, CEO Robert Thompson,

00:06:17.500 publisher Dow Jones, and two reporters.

00:06:20.060 Mr. Trump's lawyers arguing the report

00:06:21.660 caused significant financial and reputational harm.

00:06:25.080 The journal's legal team urging the court

00:06:26.720 to dismiss the case,

00:06:28.000 arguing the reporting was accurate,

00:06:29.720 and that Trump could not show the journal acted

00:06:31.740 with, quote, actual malice in its reporting,

00:06:34.300 a standard required for public figures.

00:06:37.140 Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Darren Gales

00:06:40.100 siding with the journal, dismissing the complaint without prejudice, meaning the president can

00:06:44.420 refile at a later date. Now the president's legal team doing just that. In the amended filing,

00:06:50.200 Mr. Trump's lawyers argue the journal and its reporters presented the letter as fact

00:06:53.980 without showing proof that he wrote, drew, or signed it. They also argue the journal failed

00:06:58.840 to explain how the letter was obtained, how it was verified, and question why the article did

00:07:03.540 not include a denial from Ghislaine Maxwell, who reportedly told the DOJ she did not recall

00:07:08.540 receiving a letter from Trump for the book. According to the complaint, Mr. Trump personally

00:07:13.400 called Rupert Murdoch before publication, denied sending or signing the letter, and believed Murdoch

00:07:18.860 would stop the story after allegedly saying he would, quote, handle it. A spokesperson from Dow

00:07:24.220 Jones referring to a previous statement, quote, we have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy

00:07:28.820 of our reporting and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit. Treasury Secretary Scott

00:07:35.400 Besant stepping behind the White House briefing room podium, becoming the latest cabinet official

00:07:39.580 to fill in as Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt remains out on maternity leave. Secretary Besant

00:07:45.020 holding the briefing as a new inflation report shows consumer prices increasing, with annual

00:07:49.960 inflation rising to 3.8% in April, up from 3.3% in March, marking the highest level since May of

00:07:57.060 2023. The Secretary opening the briefing by placing those numbers inside a broader economic picture.

00:08:03.040 We've had sustained and resilient GDP growth. Real GDP has risen 2.6 percent over the past

00:08:09.700 four quarters. Atlanta Fed's GDP now predicts 3.8 percent for this quarter, second quarter.

00:08:18.000 The average 401k is up almost $30,000 since President Trump's inauguration. President

00:08:24.080 Trump Rx has already saved Americans over $600 million. I'm sure all of you will want to report

00:08:29.600 on that. And the unemployment rate remains low at 4.3%. Secretary Besant also fielding several

00:08:36.540 questions about a new report from The Washington Post that Trump administration officials are

00:08:40.900 pushing for designs of a new $250 bill featuring the current president's portrait, despite a law

00:08:47.040 barring any living person from appearing on U.S. currency. Mr. Besant responding to the report.

00:08:52.340 again as treasury secretary i i have two mandates for u.s currency at present that no living person

00:09:00.560 can be on u.s currency and the currency must stay in god we trust so right now there is proposed

00:09:07.900 legislation that in front of the house in front of the senate to change the first requirement so

00:09:13.900 that a living person donald j trump could be on the 250 bill so it's all in the hands of

00:09:21.680 it's all up on Capitol Hill. At Treasury, we prepare things in advance, so we have prepared

00:09:29.860 in advance that if the legislation is passed, but we will stick to the law.

00:09:35.320 Secretary Besson also asked about President Trump's settlement with the IRS and Treasury

00:09:39.140 Department over the leak of his tax returns, the agreement creating a roughly $1.8 billion

00:09:44.040 compensation fund for Americans who say they were harmed by political weaponization of the

00:09:48.920 federal government. Democrats and other critics blasting the arrangement as a taxpayer-funded

00:09:53.780 slush fund, while the administration argues it's meant to compensate people who were unfairly

00:09:58.840 targeted. Here, Secretary Besson. This is going to be the only question I'll take on this matter

00:10:03.820 today. So there's ongoing litigation, so it'd be inappropriate for me to comment. President Trump

00:10:10.160 is a great American who has endured more than 10 years, 10 years of nonstop harassment and

00:10:16.000 weaponization from the federal and state government actors. A bad actor at the IRS leaked more than

00:10:23.720 400,000 tax returns, including the Trump family, all the employees, and that's how we got here now.

00:10:31.220 No American should be targeted for political reasons, and every citizen deserves fair treatment

00:10:35.820 and full protection of the law. The Department of Justice represented Treasury and the IRS in this

00:10:41.680 matter, and I'm going to have to refer any questions to Acting Attorney General Todd

00:10:46.560 Blanche.

00:10:47.600 The secretary did end up taking one follow-up on the subject.

00:10:51.340 Governor Gavin Newsom has floated this idea of a 100% state tax on Californians who receive

00:10:56.980 money from President Trump's anti-weaponization fund.

00:11:00.400 Your response to the governor's call from 100%? 1.00

00:11:03.080 There's no cure for stupid. 1.00

00:11:06.300 Coming up, the U.S. and Iran may be nearing a deal. 1.00

00:11:09.880 Maybe.

00:11:10.140 and the Coast Guard resumes the search

00:11:12.120 for a missing American woman in the Bahamas

00:11:14.340 nearly two months after she went missing.

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00:12:27.740 U.S. officials saying American and Iranian negotiators have reached an agreement on a

00:12:32.460 60-day Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, to extend the ceasefire and begin negotiations on

00:12:38.660 Iran's nuclear program, according to Axios and other outlets. However, the MOU agreement is still

00:12:44.680 awaiting final approval from President Trump and Tehran. The MOU calling for unrestricted shipping

00:12:50.380 through the Strait of Hormuz and the clearing of all Iranian mines within 30 days. The agreement 0.96

00:12:55.820 also requiring the removal of the U.S. naval blockade and limited sanction waivers allowing

00:13:00.960 Iran to sell oil. Meanwhile, in return, Iran committing to not pursue a nuclear weapon,

00:13:06.200 with both the U.S. and Iran continuing negotiations regarding the disposal of its highly enriched uranium as well as enrichment limits.

00:13:13.900 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent yesterday addressing the deal.

00:13:17.200 It is a multifaceted agreement and nothing is going to be on the table until we see the Strait of Vermont open

00:13:25.600 and the Iranians agree that they have to turn over the highly enriched uranium and that they can't have a nuclear program.

00:13:35.840 And to be clear here that this administration, President Trump, has done something that no other administration is able to do.

00:13:44.580 We have gotten the Iranians to talk about their nuclear program and to perhaps commit to not having one.

00:13:51.180 That has never happened before. It had been off the table.

00:13:54.440 So I think when you look at the results of the kinetic action of our economic pressure, it has worked to bring them to the table and have a discussion on this.

00:14:02.460 The news of the potential agreement following an exchange of strikes in the Middle East on Thursday, with CENTCOM accusing Iran of a, quote, egregious ceasefire violation.

00:14:12.720 The U.S. military saying Iran targeted Kuwait with a missile, though Kuwaiti forces successfully intercepting it.

00:14:18.960 According to CENTCOM, the military downing several Iranian drones hours earlier, saying, quote, they posed a clear threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz.

00:14:28.240 Besset insisting the ceasefire, at least for now, is still in effect.

00:14:31.620 With the Iranian government, we did not have regime change, but we changed the regime.

00:14:37.240 As President Trump said at the cabinet meeting, as we've said other times,

00:14:41.280 the first layer of leadership was eliminated, the second layer, and we're now at the third layer.

00:14:48.560 And the way to think about it is the Iranian government, such as it is, is three pillars.

00:14:54.500 It is the elected government, it is the IRGC, and it is the clerics.

00:14:59.680 and they are having trouble communicating.

00:15:02.440 So we are being patient.

00:15:06.260 We do not have unlimited patience.

00:15:08.620 President Trump always prefers a peace deal.

00:15:11.200 So everything we have done thus far has been defensive.

00:15:15.200 And at present, that is what we will continue doing.

00:15:18.480 But if President Trump doesn't think he can get a peace deal,

00:15:20.920 then Kinetic is back.

00:15:22.380 The MOU deal reportedly also laying out steps

00:15:25.320 toward humanitarian aid for Iran

00:15:27.140 and an end to the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon.

00:15:29.680 the topic of at least one tense conversation between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

00:15:35.560 Reuters reporting Iran's news agency Tasneem saying the exact text of the agreement has not been finalized or confirmed.

00:15:43.220 U.S. officials saying the 60-day period would test whether Tehran is serious and ready for a broader shift,

00:15:48.980 President Trump reportedly taking a few days to consider the proposal.

00:15:54.040 The U.S. Coast Guard reopening the search for missing American woman Lynette Hooker in the Bahamas

00:15:59.460 nearly two months after she disappeared while boating with her husband.

00:16:03.960 Lynette last seen on April 4th while traveling by dinghy with her husband, Brian Hooker,

00:16:08.660 back to the sailboat where the couple lived.

00:16:10.980 Brian telling investigators Lynette fell overboard during the trip and was swept away by a strong

00:16:15.720 current.

00:16:16.780 An initial search by Bahamian authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard called off days later

00:16:20.960 after investigators were unable to locate Lynette.

00:16:24.300 Lynette's daughter, Brian's stepdaughter, immediately raising concerns about his account.

00:16:29.280 Carly Ailsworth telling multiple outlets shortly after Lynette's disappearance,

00:16:33.420 the story doesn't add up, and pointing to what she describes as a history of domestic violence

00:16:37.920 in the relationship. Ailsworth describing the relationship to NBC as volatile, saying they

00:16:43.140 have, quote, a history of not getting along, especially when they drink. Brian initially

00:16:47.500 telling police he and Lynette had been drinking the night she went missing. Bahamian authorities

00:16:51.900 arresting Brian on April 8th, holding him for several days before releasing him without charges

00:16:56.900 as the investigation continued.

00:16:59.280 Brian denies wrongdoing and has not been charged with the crime

00:17:01.900 and returned to the United States on April 15th.

00:17:05.140 The U.S. Coast Guard also launching its own investigation

00:17:07.760 into Lynette's disappearance,

00:17:09.800 taking custody of the couple's sailboat, Soulmate, earlier this month.

00:17:13.540 And now, investigators returning to the water.

00:17:16.520 NBC News reporting GPS data appears to undermine Brian's account

00:17:20.220 of where he was the night Lynette disappeared.

00:17:23.640 CBS News reporting that data,

00:17:25.200 taken from one of Brian Hooker's electronic devices showing a track of the device's movements

00:17:30.020 that did not line up with what he told investigators. The outlet reporting investigators

00:17:35.460 now believe Brian's account may have led search teams to look in the wrong area of the Sea of

00:17:40.600 Abaco, Bahamian authorities approving a U.S. Coast Guard request to send divers into a new

00:17:45.960 search area, with crews expected to search waters roughly 25 feet deep, according to Fox News.

00:17:51.220 that'll do it for your am update i'm emily jashinsky host of after party

00:17:57.740 catch the megan kelly show live on sirius xm's the megan kelly channel 111 at noon east

00:18:02.280 on youtube.com slash megan kelly and all podcast platforms

The Megyn Kelly Show - May 29, 2026

DOJ Investigates E. Jean Carroll, Bessent on Trump $250 Bill, Potential Iran Deal： AM Update 5⧸29

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