The Megyn Kelly Show - April 21, 2026


Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic, Promising Cancer Treatment, Becerra Surges in CA Race: AM Update 4⧸21


Episode Stats


Length

17 minutes

Words per minute

160.29285

Word count

2,839

Sentence count

202


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
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00:00:30.000 Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Tuesday, April 21st, 2026, and this is your AM
00:00:38.600 Update. Iran negotiations on the verge of collapse as the ceasefire deadline approaches,
00:00:44.520 while Israel reacts to one of its soldiers seen smashing a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon.
00:00:50.940 Yes, I will, for defamation. And because you know what, Maria, we have to fight back against
00:00:55.260 the fake news. FBI Director Kash Patel filing a $250 million defamation suit against the Atlantic
00:01:02.020 over allegations of drinking and erratic behavior. Pancreatic cancer is the toughest. So our hope is
00:01:10.060 if we can crack the toughest, hopefully we can learn how to crack the rest. An experimental
00:01:14.720 mRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer, delivering early signs of progress in a small trial.
00:01:20.920 and California's governor race shaken up after disgraced former Congressman Eric Swalwell's exit
00:01:26.780 with a potential dark horse emerging in new polling.
00:01:30.720 All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.
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00:02:42.440 the state of peace negotiations with Iran as precarious as ever. President Trump on Monday
00:02:50.340 telling Bloomberg the ceasefire expires tomorrow evening and it is, quote, highly unlikely that it
00:02:55.940 will be extended without a deal. The president telling PBS, quote, lots of bombs will start going
00:03:01.180 off in the event a deal is not reached. Mr. Trump has repeatedly used bellicose language in an effort
00:03:07.540 to scare the Iranians into making a deal. Vice President J.D. Vance set to lead the talks,
00:03:13.100 according to White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt. Jared Kushner and Steve
00:03:17.180 Wyckoff also slated to attend the meeting in Islamabad. They are set to depart sometime today,
00:03:22.780 per CNN. The New York Times reporting earlier in the day Monday that chief negotiator for the
00:03:28.340 Iranians, Mohammed Bagheer Ghalibov, would attend the talks if Vice President Vance was in attendance.
00:03:34.440 However, late Monday, Galabeuf indicating talks would not take place under current conditions,
00:03:40.520 writing in an ex-post, quote,
00:03:42.200 "...Trump, by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn this negotiating table
00:03:47.240 into a table of surrender." Galabeuf writing Iran will not accept negotiations under threats,
00:03:53.900 referring to the U.S. military blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, which remains in effect.
00:03:59.060 CNN reporting yesterday that just 16 ships passed through the strait on Monday,
00:04:04.440 with U.S. Central Command directing 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port.
00:04:10.820 So will the negotiations take place or won't they? Time will tell.
00:04:16.460 The Israeli Defense Force is confirming on Sunday the authenticity of a photo showing an Israeli
00:04:22.340 soldier smashing a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon. In the photo, the statue of Jesus seen
00:04:29.380 upside down at the base of a cross, feet extended in the air, with a soldier smashing a sledgehammer
00:04:36.200 into the statue's face. The photo, which began circulating online Sunday, sparking
00:04:41.320 widespread backlash among many Catholics and Christians. On Sunday afternoon, the IDF confirming
00:04:47.520 in an ex-post that an investigation into the incident is ongoing. The IDF views the incident
00:04:53.920 with great severity and emphasizes that the soldier's conduct is wholly inconsistent with
00:04:58.700 the values expected of its troops. The post going on to promise the statue will be restored to its
00:05:04.700 place. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issuing a statement, quote, I was stunned and
00:05:10.660 saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon.
00:05:16.380 It continues, quote, I condemn the act in the strongest terms. Military authorities are
00:05:20.920 conducting a criminal probe of the matter and will take appropriately harsh disciplinary action
00:05:25.720 against the offender. Head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierre-Baptiste
00:05:30.760 Pizzaballa, who was recently stopped by Israel from celebrating Mass at the Church of the Holy
00:05:36.100 Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, releasing a statement describing the act as, quote,
00:05:41.720 a grave affront to the Christian faith. The Times of Israel reporting the photo was captured in a
00:05:47.100 Christian village of Debal near the Israeli border. The mayor of Debal telling the New York
00:05:52.460 times, the statue was in the garden of a private home in an area where residents were forced to
00:05:57.800 flee about a month ago by Israel's offensive and to which they have not been allowed to return.
00:06:04.100 Israel and Lebanon are currently observing a fragile 10-day ceasefire while working toward
00:06:08.660 a more permanent security agreement amid the conflict involving the Iran-backed terror group
00:06:13.460 Hezbollah, which is heavily concentrated in Lebanon. The U.S. set to host the next round
00:06:18.620 of talks this Thursday in Washington, D.C.
00:06:22.460 FBI Director Cash Patel filing a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic and staff writer
00:06:28.540 Sarah Fitzpatrick over a piece published Friday originally headlined, quote,
00:06:33.640 Cash Patel's erratic behavior could cost him his job. The article citing more than two dozen
00:06:38.980 anonymous sources and zero on-the-record sources alleging Director Patel has demonstrated a
00:06:44.640 pattern of unprofessional conduct, at times appearing visibly intoxicated in social settings
00:06:50.200 in D.C. and during trips to Las Vegas. Some sources claiming early morning briefings were
00:06:55.640 occasionally pushed back following late nights by Director Patel. In one incident, the Atlantic
00:07:01.160 reports, quote, a request for breaching equipment, normally used by SWAT and hostage rescue teams to
00:07:07.680 quickly gain entry into buildings, was made last year because Patel had been unreachable behind
00:07:12.560 locked doors, according to multiple people familiar with the request. The article also
00:07:17.640 reporting on a viral moment from February. Director Patel captured on video celebrating
00:07:22.420 with the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team after its gold medal win over Canada,
00:07:27.240 seen drinking and spraying beer in a locker room celebration. Two sources telling the outlet the
00:07:32.560 incident resulted in a phone call to the director from President Trump. However,
00:07:37.580 the administration publicly backing Patel. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt
00:07:41.760 responding to the report, quote,
00:07:43.180 Crime across the country has plummeted to the lowest level in more than 100 years,
00:07:48.260 and many high-profile criminals have been put behind bars.
00:07:51.520 Director Patel remains a critical player on the administration's law and order team.
00:07:56.380 Director Patel addressing the allegations Sunday on Fox News.
00:08:00.340 If the fake news mafia isn't hitting you personally with baseless information
00:08:03.960 in Washington, D.C., then you're not doing your job. And it's louder than ever.
00:08:07.980 This FBI has the most prolific year in crime reduction in the United States history, a 20 point percent reduction in the homicide rate, a 20 point drop in opiate overdose deaths.
00:08:19.840 We have found and identified 6,300 child victims, 6,300 kids get to call home to their kids.
00:08:25.840 That's a 30 percent increase. Seizing enough fentanyl to kill 180 million Americans.
00:08:30.020 That's a 31 percent increase. Tomorrow you will be dropping a lawsuit against The Atlantic magazine.
00:08:35.860 Yes. Yes, I will. For defamation. And because, you know what, Maria? We have to fight back
00:08:40.440 against the fake news. And if the fake news mafia wants to, you know, ring their drum
00:08:44.300 as loud as they can, they're never going to stop me from completing the mission that
00:08:48.540 President Trump asked me to do, which is safeguarding America. And we're doing it
00:08:51.680 better than ever before. At some point on the same day of that interview,
00:08:55.640 The Atlantic editing its headline from Patel's erratic behavior could cost him his job
00:09:01.260 to, quote, the FBI director is MIA. So which is it? They don't say, and there's no explanation
00:09:08.380 for the change, nor any correction. The lawsuit, filed yesterday morning in U.S. District Court
00:09:13.800 in Washington seeking $250 million in damages, accuses the defendants of publishing what Patel
00:09:19.880 describes as knowingly false claims intended to damage his reputation and force him from office,
00:09:25.980 Patel arguing the piece meets the high legal threshold of actual malice, which requires a
00:09:31.220 public figure suing for defamation to prove that a publisher either knew a claim was false or acted
00:09:36.840 with reckless disregard for its truth or falsity in publishing the story. From the complaint,
00:09:42.440 quote, defendants published the article with actual malice, despite being expressly warned
00:09:47.300 hours before publication that the central allegations were categorically false, despite
00:09:52.000 having abundant publicly available information contradicting those allegations, despite obvious
00:09:57.220 some fatal defects in their own sourcing, and adding The Atlantic has a, quote, well-documented,
00:10:02.700 long-running editorial animus toward Director Patel. The complaint alleges a request for more
00:10:07.960 time to respond to the questions went without a response from The Atlantic. The Atlantic responding
00:10:13.780 in a statement, quote, we stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The
00:10:18.900 Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit. Coming up, an experimental
00:10:25.760 mRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer, now showing early, very promising results in a small trial.
00:10:33.220 And a post-Swalwell shakeup in California's governor race,
00:10:36.280 with new polling revealing a potential dark horse contender.
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00:12:06.160 A sign of progress in the fight against pancreatic cancer,
00:12:09.680 one of the most deadly forms of the disease, as an mRNA vaccine now shows promise.
00:12:15.780 Fewer than 13% of patients survive more than five years after a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
00:12:21.840 Without a routine screening test to catch it early, the disease often is not detected until
00:12:26.640 it has already spread, leaving patients with limited treatment options. Only 20% of cases
00:12:32.020 are operable, per NBC News, and for those patients, an important breakthrough now being tested.
00:12:38.900 a personalized mRNA vaccine built from a patient's tumor to help the immune system
00:12:45.200 target lingering cancer cells and destroy those that may form later. Dr. Vinod Balachandram,
00:12:52.060 who is leading the trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City,
00:12:56.780 describing the results to NBC. Even at six years, you can find the immune cells
00:13:03.620 made by the vaccine circulating in her blood at very high levels.
00:13:07.640 What kind of difference could this make?
00:13:10.440 Pancreatic cancer is the toughest, so our hope is if we can crack the toughest, hopefully we can learn how to crack the rest.
00:13:19.000 A small phase one trial involving just 16 patients was recently conducted.
00:13:23.840 Of those, eight responded to the treatment with only two seeing their cancer come back.
00:13:29.720 Experts cautioning the results are still early, based on a limited number of patients, and not yet proof the treatment will work at larger scale.
00:13:37.240 Phase two of the trial now underway,
00:13:39.120 backed by vaccine manufacturers Genentech and BioNTech.
00:13:43.180 Dr. Balachandran and his team now studying
00:13:45.680 how the vaccine is working within the immune system
00:13:48.300 to fight the disease.
00:13:51.120 New polling since Democrat and former Congressman Eric Swalwell
00:13:54.700 dropped out of the California gubernatorial race last week
00:13:57.460 amid a wave of sexual misconduct allegations,
00:14:00.660 revealing a potential dark horse contender.
00:14:03.420 Prior to Swalwell's career imploding,
00:14:05.140 he had been routinely performing in the top three, along with Republicans Steve Hilton and
00:14:10.120 Chad Bianco. California's open primary system means the top two candidates on election day
00:14:14.980 advance to the general, regardless of party. Former Biden HHS Secretary Javier Becerra
00:14:21.400 now surging in a slate of new polls. Political consulting firm Gudalunas Strategies, which
00:14:27.140 backs Becerra, finding the former secretary up 11 points since a similar poll preceding
00:14:32.760 Swalwell's exit. The firm reporting Trump-endorsed Republican Steve Hilton leads at 20 percent,
00:14:39.060 Becerra tied for second with billionaire Tom Steyer both at 15 percent, Sheriff Chad Bianco
00:14:44.800 in third at 14 percent, and former Congresswoman Katie Porter bringing up the rear of the top tier
00:14:51.060 I feel like this is unnecessarily argumentative. What is your question?
00:14:54.260 In fourth at 13 percent. The remainder of the field trailing in the single digits.
00:15:00.040 Polling firm Create has Becerra in fourth at 10%.
00:15:03.420 That's up eight points from a month ago.
00:15:05.800 A new poll from Emerson College out late last week,
00:15:08.260 finding Hilton leading the pack at 17,
00:15:10.760 followed by Bianco, who, along with Steyer,
00:15:13.580 is in this poll tied for second at 14%.
00:15:16.520 Becerra and Katie Porter each tied below that at 10%.
00:15:20.840 Outgoing Governor Gavin Newsom yet to endorse any candidates,
00:15:24.420 but the New York Post now reporting the governor's allies
00:15:26.700 are increasingly shifting their attention toward Becerra.
00:15:30.580 CNN on Sunday asking Becerra what he believes is behind the surge.
00:15:34.980 I think folks feel very deceived and voters want to see someone they can trust.
00:15:42.600 It's a tough time in politics.
00:15:44.700 And I believe voters are looking for someone that they can trust.
00:15:47.820 And I believe one thing that makes them have that trust is experience.
00:15:52.420 And I think if I have something, it's experience.
00:15:55.360 Riveting.
00:15:56.540 Tom Steyer, who made his billions as a founder of a San Francisco-based hedge fund,
00:16:01.160 vastly outspending his opponents, booking more than $115 million in ads, according to the AP,
00:16:08.220 nearly 30 times more than his nearest Democrat opponent.
00:16:12.020 Porter, placing in the middle of the pack in most polling, still fighting as well,
00:16:16.000 with this compelling argument last week on KTLA.
00:16:19.400 I think this is a time for women to lead. I think this is a time for moms to lead.
00:16:23.540 In October, the New York Post reporting on resurfaced documents from Porter's 2013 divorce, in which she was accused of dumping scalding hot mashed potatoes on her then-husband's head, more like mom's beating than leading.
00:16:37.300 Each of the five aforementioned candidates, plus San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, set to take the stage tomorrow night in a debate focusing on the economy, public safety, housing, and the state's future direction.
00:16:50.680 Early voting begins May 5th with the primary set for June 2nd.
00:16:57.220 And that'll do it for your AM update.
00:16:59.200 I'm Megan Kelly.
00:17:00.140 Join me back here for the MK Show, live on SiriusXM's The Megan Kelly Channel,
00:17:03.960 111 at noon east, on youtube.com slash megankelly, and on all podcast platforms.
00:17:13.880 Bet MGM, home of the two-up early payout, presents Footy Prime.
00:17:17.600 The stage is set. The sides are poised. Now is the time.
00:17:21.600 Your favorite sports book and your favorite podcast together at last.
00:17:25.140 Footy Prime and BetMGM welcome the world.
00:17:28.040 Come join the party for the best insights, analysis, and share in the global celebration right here at home.
00:17:33.360 Listen to Footy Prime daily on your favorite podcast platform.
00:17:36.660 Download BetMGM app. Make it legendary.
00:17:39.720 Must be 19 plus. Ontario only. Please play responsibly.