The Megyn Kelly Show - October 30, 2026


Inside Look at Trump Midterm Strategy, Maine Ad Controversy, Habba-Grenell Dispute： AM Update 10⧸30

Bombshell Report That Ilhan Omar Investigation Started Under OBAMA, Plus the Scheme to Trick Alaska Voters, with Stu Burguiere ｜ Ep. 1430 Sandra Birchmore’s Injuries, Christa Pike 911 Calls, and Virginia Man Tried for Murder of Wife, with Vinnie Politan： The MK True Crime Show

Episode Stats


Length

16 minutes

Words per minute

161.35

Word count

2,724

Sentence count

158

Harmful content

Misogyny

3

sentences flagged

Hate speech

2

sentences flagged


Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
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00:00:32.700 Good morning, everyone.
00:00:34.160 I'm Emily Drushinsky, host of After Party and the Megyn Kelly Wrap-Up Show on SiriusXM channel 111.
00:00:39.040 It's Friday, October 30th, 2026, and this is your AM update.
00:00:43.600 A blaring warning sign for Republicans in a state that should be safe territory.
00:00:48.080 New Senate polling raising alarms for Republicans in traditionally red states,
00:00:52.980 as the New York Times reveals behind-the-scenes concerns at the White House
00:00:56.000 over President Trump's midterm campaign strategy.
00:00:59.180 I am not a Troy Jackson supporter at all.
00:01:01.620 A Susan Collins supporter accusing a Democrat-aligned political group
00:01:04.700 of tricking her into appearing in a campaign ad backing her opponent, Troy Jackson.
00:01:09.660 The feud between Alina Hava and Rick Grinnell taking another turn,
00:01:13.460 as the White House reportedly questions the authenticity of key evidence
00:01:16.720 in a multi-million dollar dispute.
00:01:19.560 And U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly uncovering a suspected Chinese spy
00:01:23.480 with close ties to NVIDIA's CEO,
00:01:25.900 raising concerns about Beijing's access
00:01:27.580 to America's most advanced AI technology.
00:01:30.720 All that more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.
00:01:37.260 Our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition,
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00:02:26.980 Election Day is just four days away as new polling showing Democrats ahead in four critical
00:02:31.740 Senate contests, including two traditionally Republican strongholds, and the New York Times
00:02:36.280 reports growing anxiety inside the White House over the prospect of Republicans losing control
00:02:41.200 of Congress. CNN's John Berman breaking down the latest polling from four Senate races.
00:02:47.080 In Texas, Democrat James Tallarico leads Republican Ken Paxman by six points.
00:02:52.740 This would be a major flip. No Democrat has won a statewide race in Texas in three decades.
00:02:59.140 In Michigan, Democrat Abdul Al-Sayed leads Republican Mike Rogers by seven points. This
00:03:04.600 is a significant shift. Back around Labor Day, there was no clear leader here.
00:03:09.140 For Democrats, holding on to Michigan is essential in their Senate math.
00:03:13.780 In deep red Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton is at 49 percent to 45 percent for Republican incumbent Roger Marshall.
00:03:23.240 This is within the margin of error, but still a blaring warning sign for Republicans in a state that should be safe territory and not where they want to be spending time, effort and money.
00:03:32.660 And in Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson is at 49 percent.
00:03:37.100 The incumbent Republican Susan Collins is at 45 percent.
00:03:40.360 This, too, is within the margin of error.
00:03:43.020 But again, across the boards in these numbers that we've seen from these four states, Democrats will see a path to the majority.
00:03:51.260 The increasingly competitive Senate map raising the stakes for Republicans who need 50 seats to maintain their majority, given Vice President J.D. Vance's ability to break a tie.
00:04:01.380 The latest polling coming as the New York Times reports growing concern behind the scenes at the White House,
00:04:06.480 where some Republican political advisors and outside groups have reportedly warned that President Trump's appearances
00:04:11.540 in closely contested states could actually hurt GOP candidates.
00:04:16.380 According to the Times, which interviewed 16 current and former administration officials and Trump allies,
00:04:21.340 a gloomy atmosphere settling over parts of the administration as Republicans confront the possibility of losing both chambers of Congress.
00:04:29.060 The paper describing tensions among competing factions, staff turnover, and uncertainty over what might happen inside the White House following a Republican defeat.
00:04:39.020 Some advisors reportedly anticipating personnel changes after Election Day, as questions emerge about the influence of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
00:04:47.600 President Trump publicly rejecting suggestions that Wiles could be replaced, while White House spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez disputing the characterization of a divided administration,
00:04:56.700 describing the president's team as united behind his agenda.
00:05:00.880 Despite reported concerns about his involvement in competitive races,
00:05:04.340 Mr. Trump and his political advisors continuing to emphasize his ability
00:05:07.860 to energize Republican voters,
00:05:10.560 their strategy focusing heavily on traditionally Republican states,
00:05:13.800 relying on the president's personal appeal to boost turnout.
00:05:17.240 The president emphasizing crowd enthusiasm yesterday ahead of a South Carolina rally.
00:05:22.360 The rallies are unbelievable.
00:05:24.240 I'm doing a rally now in South Carolina.
00:05:26.400 It's packed. The rallies are very well attended. And I think we've we've changed the whole year.
00:05:32.660 We've done a lot of them in over the last week and a half. A lot.
00:05:37.560 We did two years to the other day in Texas. We did a big one, a great one yesterday.
00:05:43.500 And this one, we have lines of people going two miles long. So it'll be great.
00:05:49.040 In a notable late change to his campaign schedule, Mr. Trump canceling a planned Saturday rally in Kansas,
00:05:54.520 opting instead for virtual appearances. A White House official telling NewsNation,
00:05:59.400 the president plans to participate in more than 20 telephone rallies before Election Day,
00:06:03.640 describing the virtual events as an opportunity to expand his reach across the country.
00:06:08.280 President Trump still scheduled to appear in Florida today and Iowa Sunday.
00:06:12.100 The campaign push coming as Republicans receive some encouraging economic news.
00:06:16.280 According to the Commerce Department yesterday, the U.S. economy expanding at an annualized rate
00:06:20.700 of 3.4% during the third quarter, accelerating from 2.2% growth during the previous three
00:06:26.720 months, the increase driven in part by stronger investment and consumer spending.
00:06:31.700 However, a separate Commerce Department report showing inflation accelerating in September,
00:06:36.240 as the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation climbing to 3.6% annually,
00:06:41.720 up from 3.4% in August. The mixed economic picture giving Republicans stronger growth
00:06:47.260 figures to highlight, even as continued price increases complicate their message on affordability
00:06:52.520 just days before voters head to the polls. A Maine woman accusing a Democrat-aligned political
00:06:58.900 group of misleading her into appearing in a campaign ad attacking Republican Senator Susan
00:07:04.560 Collins after allegedly telling her she was filming an advertisement supporting Collins.
00:07:10.780 According to Steve Robinson of The Maine Wire, Kelly Kushnerak, a longtime Republican who owns
00:07:16.020 laundromat near Portland, agreed to participate in the filming last spring. Kushnerak, claiming
00:07:21.680 the videographer, approached her at her business, identified himself as working for the Collins
00:07:26.140 campaign, and asked her to discuss economic conditions in Maine. Months later, her remarks
00:07:31.220 appearing in a digital ad backing Democrat Senate candidate Troy Jackson, Collins' opponent in next
00:07:36.780 week's election. As far as affordability in Maine, nothing is affordable in Maine. Rent is not
00:07:42.920 affordable. Buying a house is not affordable. But do our wages go up? Do we have good jobs in Maine?
00:07:49.080 No. The ad ending with a full-screen message declaring Susan Collins too expensive for Maine 0.57
00:07:55.460 and urging voters to elect Jackson. The spot paid for by the Campaign for a Family-Friendly Economy 0.80
00:08:01.360 PAC, an outside political group supporting Democrats in competitive congressional races.
00:08:06.260 According to federal campaign finance data, the group spending nearly $2 million supporting
00:08:10.820 Jackson's Senate bid, part of a broader effort to help Democrats campaigning on affordability
00:08:15.300 issues. Jackson becoming the Democrat nominee in July after Graham Plattner withdrew from the race
00:08:20.460 following a sexual assault allegation, which he denies. Kushnerak telling Robinson she had no
00:08:26.140 idea her comments were being used against Senator Collins until a friend spotted the ad. Now the
00:08:31.080 Collins campaign releasing its own response video, giving Kushnerak an opportunity to explain
00:08:36.020 what happened and make clear which candidate she's actually supporting.
00:08:39.820 I am not a Troy Jackson supporter at all. I definitely feel like I was misled because
00:08:45.100 when I did finally see the ad, I was like, oh, wow, look at that banner, Troy Jackson.
00:08:53.720 I thought it was going to be for Susan Collins. If they're willing to mislead me,
00:09:00.220 how far will they go? The economic problems we have in Maine right now are pretty much the result
00:09:07.720 of our legislature in Augusta that has been in control for the past eight years. Susan Collins
00:09:14.700 works on the national level, but she always puts Maine first. I would say she does more for Mainers
00:09:22.600 economically on certain issues than the legislature in Augusta has done for any Mainer when it comes
00:09:31.440 to affordability. Jackson himself serving as main Senate president during part of the eight-year
00:09:37.340 period, Kushner Act blames for the state's economic troubles. The race remaining extremely
00:09:42.320 close heading into election day, the latest RealClearPolitics polling average showing Jackson
00:09:46.680 leading Collins by just 1.4 percentage points, 48.7 to 47.3 percent.
00:09:54.080 Coming up, new questions surrounding key evidence in a multi-million dollar dispute between Alina
00:09:59.160 Hava and Rick Grinnell, and a suspected Chinese intelligence operative reportedly developing
00:10:04.000 close ties to NVIDIA's CEO, raising new questions about Beijing's efforts to obtain America's
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00:11:24.920 A bitter feud between two prominent Trump allies taking a new turn as the White House questions 0.99
00:11:30.260 whether a text message at the center of a multi-million dollar financial dispute is even
00:11:34.320 authentic. The Daily Mail reporting that administration officials are raising doubts
00:11:38.380 about evidence presented by former Trump attorney Alina Haba Mildon against former Kennedy Center
00:11:43.640 President Rick Grinnell as the White House postpones any conclusions until after next
00:11:48.280 week's midterm elections. At the center of the dispute, allegations that Grinnell directed
00:11:52.920 Haba's billionaire husband, Turkish businessman Turhan Mildon, to send millions of dollars to
00:11:58.180 a private company promising to forward a portion of the money to the Kennedy Center, but allegedly
00:12:03.140 failing to do so. According to the Daily Mail, the dispute dates back to May 2025, when Mildun
00:12:08.600 transferred $17.6 million to a Houston-based defense company called Texas Armament and
00:12:14.400 Technology. Hobble claiming that $5.6 million of that transfer was intended as a donation to
00:12:20.240 the Kennedy Center, but the money never reached the institution. Grinnell denying any wrongdoing,
00:12:25.680 acknowledging that he previously worked as a consultant for the Texas company in 2024,
00:12:30.080 but maintaining that he had no involvement with the business when the transfer occurred the
00:12:34.140 following year. The dispute reaching President Trump on October 9th, when Habba reportedly
00:12:38.780 confronted the president in the Oval Office about the alleged missing donation. Central to Habba's
00:12:43.960 claims is a purported text message from Grinnell to Mildun dated May 3rd, 2025. In the message,
00:12:49.960 Grinnell allegedly promising to arrange the donation once the money reached the company,
00:12:54.160 offering Milton access to exclusive Kennedy Center events
00:12:57.060 and opportunities to meet members of the Trump administration, including the president.
00:13:01.700 The Daily Mail now reporting that White House officials are questioning
00:13:04.540 whether Grinnell actually sent the message, pointing to unusual spelling choices,
00:13:08.700 including the British spelling of center and the hyphenated form of email.
00:13:13.260 One White House official telling the outlet that those word choices are not typical of an American writer,
00:13:18.000 raising concerns that the message may have been fabricated.
00:13:21.220 A second official cautioning that the White House has not determined whether the text is legitimate
00:13:25.320 and that questions about its authenticity do not automatically resolve the broader allegations against Grinnell.
00:13:31.200 The Daily Mail reporting that White House attorneys have requested evidence connecting the message to Grinnell's phone,
00:13:36.200 as the two sides dispute whether Habba's legal team has supplied everything requested.
00:13:40.740 Grinnell's attorneys reportedly offering to conduct a forensic examination of his phone
00:13:44.700 to demonstrate that the message did not originate from the device,
00:13:48.000 although officials tell the Daily Mail that the results had not been provided as of Monday night.
00:13:52.740 Kennedy Center records showing no donation from Mildun approaching that amount,
00:13:56.760 although the Daily Mail reporting that he paid an outstanding $270,000 pledge earlier this month.
00:14:02.260 Grinnell rejecting the accusations outright,
00:14:04.500 previously telling the Daily Mail he never directed Mildun to send money elsewhere
00:14:07.820 under the pretense of donating it to the Kennedy Center and never received a payment from him.
00:14:13.020 U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly identifying a suspected Chinese spy
00:14:17.380 who developed a close relationship with NVIDIA CEO Jensen Wang.
00:14:21.620 The New York Times reporting President Trump was briefed on the findings nearly a year ago,
00:14:25.960 but chose not to intervene.
00:14:27.760 According to the Times, the investigation began in late 2024
00:14:30.540 when a U.S. Commerce Department official visited a data center in Malaysia
00:14:34.540 operated by Singapore-based company Megaspeed.
00:14:37.980 The official discovered advanced NVIDIA equipment still packed in boxes,
00:14:42.380 raising suspicions the company was illegally diverting restricted American technology to China.
00:14:47.380 That's when Alice Wong, a Chinese executive associated with Megaspeed, came under scrutiny.
00:14:52.480 American intelligence agencies eventually concluding she was gathering information
00:14:55.940 for Beijing. Electronic surveillance also revealing her close relationship with NVIDIA
00:15:00.720 CEO Jensen Wong, raising concerns about China's potential access to sensitive company information
00:15:06.120 and U.S. policy discussions. Jensen Wong becoming an increasingly influential figure in Washington,
00:15:12.120 cultivating a close relationship with President Trump, and successfully lobbying his administration
00:15:16.700 to loosen certain restrictions on chip sales to China. The Times reporting Mr. Trump was briefed
00:15:22.440 on the intelligence findings last year, but chose not to act. The president is reportedly reluctant
00:15:27.800 to disrupt NVIDIA's business or further complicate trade relations with Beijing.
00:15:32.020 At the time, U.S. officials believing Jensen Wong was unaware of Alice Wong's alleged espionage.
00:15:37.360 Some senior Trump administration officials now questioning that assessment.
00:15:41.140 The revelations coming ahead of Trump's planned visit to China next month were restrictions on
00:15:45.700 American AI technology is likely to be on the agenda. The Times reporting Alice Wong remains
00:15:51.380 under surveillance, and Jensen Wong has never received a formal warning from U.S. intelligence
00:15:56.320 officials. The original investigation into Megaspeed transferred to the Justice Department
00:16:01.060 earlier this year, Nvidia pushing back on the allegations. In a statement to CNBC yesterday,
00:16:06.600 a company spokesperson arguing Jensen Wong's interactions with Alice Wong were routine
00:16:11.420 business dealings, noting the CEO meets with thousands of customers every year.
00:16:15.620 NVIDIA also disputing suspicions of illegal chip shipments to China,
00:16:19.620 arguing those allegations were thoroughly investigated and debunked last year.
00:16:23.980 Megaspeed announcing its own internal investigation and pledging cooperation with U.S. authorities.
00:16:29.460 China's embassy rejecting the espionage allegations.
00:16:32.280 The White House, CIA, and NSA declining to comment to The Times.
00:16:38.700 That'll do it for your AM update.
00:16:40.280 I'm Emily Jashinsky, host of After Party.
00:16:42.460 Go and check out more at AfterPartyEmily.com.
00:16:44.820 Catch the Megyn Kelly show later tonight,
00:16:46.460 live on SiriusXM's The Megyn Kelly Channel,
00:16:48.340 111 at noon east,
00:16:49.720 on YouTube.com slash Megyn Kelly,
00:16:51.520 and all podcast platforms.