The Megyn Kelly Show - August 05, 2026


Michigan’s High Stakes Dem Primary, Blanche Confirmation Latest, Max Miller Stays In： AM Update 8⧸5


Episode Stats


Length

22 minutes

Words per minute

159.25

Word count

3,525

Sentence count

184


Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
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00:00:30.000 Good morning, everyone. I'm Mark Halperin, host of Next Up with Mark Halperin, filling in today
00:00:37.180 for Megyn Kelly. It's Wednesday, August 5th, 2026, and this is your AM Update.
00:00:43.360 Michigan Democrats choosing their Senate nominee following a record-shattering primary battle
00:00:48.000 over the future direction of the party. I believe that we have addressed the concerns that I have.
00:00:53.900 Acting AG Todd Blanch clearing a key Senate hurdle in his bid to get confirmed as the
00:00:58.500 attorney general after two Republican holdouts forced the DOJ to scrap a controversial payout
00:01:04.320 fund. My daughter lives in constant fear of this man. President Trump reportedly losing confidence
00:01:09.960 in Congressman Max Miller as the Ohio Republican denies allegations that he terrorized his former
00:01:16.000 wife and seriously injured their young daughter. And a man who served 10 years for killing his own
00:01:21.460 father, now accused of starting Spokane's largest wildfire. All that and more coming up here
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00:03:12.100 Michigan voters heading to the polls yesterday in a closely watched Democratic Senate
00:03:15.920 primary, viewed as the latest test of the party's ideological direction. Progressive candidate
00:03:21.120 Abdul El-Sayed facing off against more moderate, establishment-backed Congresswoman Haley Stevens.
00:03:27.400 At impact, tracking a record $80.9 million in advertising spending and reservations targeting
00:03:33.780 the Democratic primary, about 79% of all spending in the primary supporting Congresswoman Stevens.
00:03:40.500 The Washington Post reporting Congresswoman Stevens raising more than $11 million through
00:03:44.900 middle of july with donations coming from small dollar contributors as well as energy chemical and
00:03:50.820 pro-israel interests apac and its affiliated organizations pouring get this nearly 30 million
00:03:57.220 dollars into the race according to ad impact the ap calling it apac's largest ever investment
00:04:03.540 in a single election several additional so-called dark money organizations spending millions more
00:04:09.300 without publicly disclosing their donors outside making that outside support a central argument
00:04:14.900 against his opponent telling the washington post and i quote there's a reason that i'm up in nearly
00:04:19.380 all the polls despite the fact that they've outspent us 20 to 130 to one that money is
00:04:24.740 corrupting on its own terms and people understand what will transpire if they support a candidate
00:04:30.340 who's taking that kind of money and they don't want that anymore congresswoman steven's rejecting
00:04:35.780 the suggestion that the spending influences her positions, telling the AP, quote, anyone who
00:04:40.440 supported me is supporting me because of my dedication to the people of Michigan and the
00:04:45.420 things I have done for Michiganders. LCI drawing a sharp contrast on Israel denouncing the war in
00:04:51.060 Gaza and arguing AIPAC holds too much power inside the Democratic Party. As of 11 p.m. Eastern time
00:04:57.500 last night, the race still too close to call, with both campaigns waiting for the final ballots to
00:05:02.960 be counted. We'll have more on this later today on the MK Show. Republicans on the Senate Judiciary
00:05:10.260 Committee advancing Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's nomination yesterday, clearing the way
00:05:15.260 for a confirmation vote before the full Senate. The committee voting 12 to 10 along party lines
00:05:20.560 after Republican Senators John Cornyn and Tom Tillis last week forced party leaders to postpone
00:05:26.080 the vote over their objections to a proposed Justice Department agreement. Republican Judiciary
00:05:31.900 Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley had yesterday's committee vote noting the two holdouts' prior
00:05:37.520 objections. I want to thank Senator Cornyn and Senator Tillis for their work, very hard work,
00:05:47.300 related to today's nomination. Their concerns about the anti-weaponization fund
00:05:54.000 and the IRS settlement were shared by many, including this senator. I'm grateful that they,
00:06:02.720 as well as Mr. Blanche and the White House, worked in good faith to solve them. Formerly
00:06:08.740 rescinding the fund and clarifying the scope of release of claims has put this issue to bed
00:06:16.560 once and for all. Senator Cornyn outlined the written assurances he says Mr. Blanche provided
00:06:23.060 after several rounds of negotiations.
00:06:25.900 I've been very clear, as others have,
00:06:29.160 that in order to support Mr. Blanche's nomination,
00:06:33.020 I needed specific assurances in writing
00:06:35.360 about a release signed by the acting attorney general last May.
00:06:40.160 I asked for written assurances that clarifies
00:06:43.100 the scope of the parties to the IRS audit agreement
00:06:48.780 and that permanently ends the weaponization fund.
00:06:51.980 This past Sunday, Senator Tillis and I came to an agreement after numerous meetings with the Department of Justice and Mr. Blanche on an agency interpretative guidance document that reaffirms what Mr. Blanche said in his sworn testimony in front of the committee.
00:07:09.040 This document will help limit the substance and scope of the audit protection to the defendants in the lawsuit, the IRS and the Treasury.
00:07:19.200 And it limits it to the parties to the audit settlement.
00:07:23.420 It limits the parties to the audit settlement to the plaintiffs, the people who brought the lawsuit and no one else.
00:07:30.420 Senator Till is saying the agreement resolves his objections, then broadening his criticism to the political use of federal law enforcement under both parties.
00:07:39.040 I believe that we have addressed the concerns that I have. The first one I called the payout pot for punks. I've never liked this 1776 fund. It made no sense to me, and I thought it was an insult to the police officers and the people that defended us on January the 6th. It's done. It's been rescinded, and I am satisfied.
00:07:58.540 Everybody has this view of they are as pure as the driven snow, and it's the other side that has a problem.
00:08:05.840 I think we both have a problem, folks.
00:08:08.280 If you want to talk about weaponization, take a look at the Biden administration.
00:08:13.420 Take a look at the Obama administration.
00:08:15.520 Take a look at Crossfire Hurricane.
00:08:17.340 Take a look at the codes that Lois Lerner used in the IRS to target businesses to try and unbank them.
00:08:24.160 Take a look at the prospective pardons on the way out the door that President Biden did for family members, for staff members in Congress.
00:08:33.600 The bottom line is nobody is clean here.
00:08:36.540 And until we start recognizing this behavior is bad, we're just going to one up it.
00:08:41.560 Democrats remaining unconvinced that the changes permanently close either issue.
00:08:46.540 To state the obvious, Mr. Blanche's statement on the slush front and the IRS immunity agreement are not signed by the parties to the settlement agreement and are therefore unenforceable.
00:08:59.040 The parties could still sue to enforce the agreement and the cop beaters fund can easily be revived with a new order from the Department of Justice 15 minutes after Mr. Blanche is confirmed as attorney general.
00:09:11.640 The nomination now heading to the full Senate.
00:09:14.860 Politico reporting Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, John Curtis of Utah, and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana have not yet committed to supporting Mr. Blanche.
00:09:23.840 Senator Murkowski telling the outlet the written elimination of a fund is a, quote, pretty good step, while the other two continue reviewing the nomination.
00:09:31.980 Punchbowl News reporting yesterday afternoon Senator Susan Collins, Republican from Maine, will not vote for Blanche.
00:09:38.200 With Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky absent from voting since June, for health reasons, Blanche can lose no more than one additional Republican if every Democrat remains opposed.
00:09:49.280 Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune aiming to hold the final confirmation vote before senators leave Washington, potentially as soon as the end of the week.
00:09:57.680 Coming up, President Trump reportedly raising doubts about Congressman Max Miller
00:10:03.540 as he comes out swinging over allegations of violent abuse against his former wife
00:10:08.080 and their young daughter. And the man accused of setting Spokane's largest wildfire
00:10:12.760 is a convict who recently left prison for killing his own father.
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00:11:23.420 LLC, a licensed insurance agency. Republican Congressman Max Miller of Ohio refusing to
00:11:31.280 abandon his reelection campaign, even as President Trump is reportedly expressing doubts about Miller's
00:11:36.940 ability to survive the growing allegations against him. CBS News reporting the president
00:11:41.900 called Congressman Miller on Monday, raising concerns about his campaign following accusations
00:11:46.700 that he assaulted his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, and their two-year-old daughter. Axios reporting the
00:11:52.860 president repeatedly warning that Miller's re-election prospects are not looking good.
00:11:58.040 Congressman Miller reportedly pointing to his own polling and telling the president he will remain
00:12:02.540 in the race. Congressman Miller entering the House in 2023 after receiving President Trump's
00:12:07.700 endorsement. The former Trump White House aide marrying Emily Moreno in 2022 during a ceremony
00:12:13.820 at the President's Bedminster Golf Club. Moreno, the daughter of Republican Senator Bernie Moreno
00:12:18.920 of Ohio, separating from the Congressman in 2024 before the couple's divorce. The former Mrs. Miller
00:12:25.480 now accusing her ex-husband of repeated domestic abuse, including allegedly holding a gun to her
00:12:31.480 head and breaking their daughter's collarbone congressman appearing on cnn yesterday denying
00:12:36.860 all allegations that he abused either his ex-wife or their child there have been two investigations
00:12:43.080 that have already been looked into me and i would like to just have a little bit of moment to explain
00:12:47.680 the first investigation that was looked into me was that my ex-wife emily moreno filed a report
00:12:53.340 of child abuse against me that first incident two individuals were held liable for abusing my
00:12:59.780 daughter at a daycare, which I have a private settlement agreement from. I was found not guilty.
00:13:05.640 They looked at my fingerprints. They made me take off my shirt. They made me look at my body to make
00:13:11.020 sure that I didn't abuse my daughter. And that was number one, Mr. Tapper. Number two, when I was
00:13:15.800 reported for child abuse for my daughter for a broken collarbone, my daughter was in my ex-wife's
00:13:22.120 care nine out of the last 11 days, and she took her to the emergency room, which is a contempt
00:13:27.260 violation from our shared parenting plan further more than that mr tapper is this these matters
00:13:32.840 have already been looked into miss moreno has already gone to the police the police are not
00:13:37.660 investigating it ask yourself why aren't they investigating these things congressman miller
00:13:43.360 going on to say that he's been in therapy for 10 years calling it quote healthy to talk to somebody
00:13:48.740 senator moreno on sunday publicly calling on the congressman his former son-in-law to resign
00:13:53.900 arguing Miller should seek professional help.
00:13:57.220 Speaking to reporters yesterday, the senator describing the toll these allegations are taking on his family.
00:14:03.540 What did you think of Miller telling Trump he could still win the election?
00:14:06.940 Look, I don't care about the politics of this.
00:14:09.460 I hope that you guys understand, and maybe I hope you never have to understand,
00:14:15.140 what my daughter's been through, what my daughter's going through, what my wife is going through,
00:14:20.000 my two boys and my other daughter are going through,
00:14:25.380 this is truly the seventh level of hell.
00:14:29.320 This has been a horrific experience for my entire family.
00:14:33.620 You've got to remember, when you don't have kids and you get divorced,
00:14:37.640 you can just say farewell.
00:14:39.260 You never have to see each other again.
00:14:41.140 But when you have a child, you have to co-parent with that individual for the rest of your life.
00:14:46.640 My daughter lives in constant fear of this man.
00:14:49.140 Not like something that's existential, but deeply in her heart, she fears what this guy is capable of.
00:14:58.660 There are remarks following Congressman Miller's nearly 20-minute live stream Sunday where he denied the allegations and directed viewers to an online file he said would support his version of events.
00:15:10.400 I've been portrayed as an abusive husband, an abusive father, and a violent man.
00:15:16.840 Those allegations have damaged my reputation, caused enormous pain to my family, and most importantly, it's affected our daughter.
00:15:25.720 I very much am grateful for the opportunity to address you in this way, and I look forward to many follow-ups after this.
00:15:33.060 But the last thing I'll say and end it, please take a look at the drop box that will be made public, and it should be made public right now.
00:15:40.880 God bless you all.
00:15:41.860 I'm not getting out of this race and I'm winning in November and I'll be back in the 120th.
00:15:48.240 Thank you all. God bless you. The Congressman then posting a Dropbox link containing hundreds
00:15:53.480 of private messages, photographs and videos. One photograph showing the couple's young daughter
00:15:58.700 unclothed. The images appearing in a February 2025 exchange as Marino and Miller coordinated
00:16:05.060 custody arrangements. Marino informing Miller that she discovered a large bruise while bathing
00:16:10.580 their daughter, Miller, asking her to send a photograph of the injury. The bruising later
00:16:15.720 determined to be connected to a broken collarbone, prompting a police investigation that ended
00:16:20.520 without criminal charges. Miller's attorney taking responsibility for the photograph being
00:16:25.800 included in the release, telling CNN he accidentally overlooked the final three pages of a document
00:16:31.640 exceeding 40 pages, describing the disclosure as unintentional and saying he corrected the
00:16:36.860 file monday morning senator marino yesterday rejecting that explanation and to have this
00:16:42.360 whole thing out in the public like this is not what i wanted to do it's not what my daughter
00:16:47.280 wanted to do but on sunday when he went out and did what he did including releasing photos of my
00:16:54.280 granddaughter completely naked that now you have hundreds of thousands of psychotic human beings
00:17:01.500 that have that and to say oops is grotesque. My personal opinion is that this is a felony
00:17:09.160 and that every single human being that touched that photo and transmitted it electronically
00:17:14.120 should go to jail because it is illegal to do that. This has been brutal beyond comprehension
00:17:22.920 and if there's any minimum standard for being an elected official, as I said, he fails to meet that
00:17:30.020 minimum basic standard congressman miller announcing yesterday he will ask the house
00:17:35.060 ethics committee to investigate the allegations against him saying he intends to provide all
00:17:39.940 necessary documents and has quote absolutely nothing to hide the house ethics committee
00:17:45.140 announcing shortly afterward it is opening an investigation the congressman now facing a 4
00:17:50.100 pm deadline today to leave the race the last opportunity for higher republicans to replace
00:17:54.980 him on the november balance a convicted felon who served prison time for killing his own father
00:18:01.940 now under arrest accused of deliberately starting the largest of the devastating wildfires tearing
00:18:07.060 through the spokane washington region authorities on monday charging 37 year old spokane resident
00:18:13.140 aaron farinacci with first degree arson alleging he ignited the old trails fire saturday afternoon
00:18:19.460 the blaze burning more than 3600 acres making it the largest of three major fires surrounding
00:18:24.980 spokane the old trails autumn lane and fairview fires collectively scorching more than 8 000 acres
00:18:31.860 destroying at least 700 buildings and forcing about 67 000 people to evacuate according to nbc
00:18:38.260 news another 400 structures reportedly still awaiting assessment as of monday with all three
00:18:44.260 fires remaining completely uncontained. As of yesterday morning, Spokane County Sheriff John
00:18:49.900 Knowles crediting an alert citizen with giving investigators their first major break in the case.
00:18:55.700 The witness, a citizen, very good citizen, noticed a male standing on the side of the road looking
00:19:02.340 into the trees as he was going to pick somebody up. About 10 minutes later, as he was coming back
00:19:07.260 through the area, he noticed the male was bending down near some grass. At that point, the male stood
00:19:13.000 up and looked very nervous according to our citizen witness at that point the the mail walked away
00:19:21.080 the citizen returned to their house a short time later after being at home they saw smoke coming
00:19:25.960 from what they believed was the area that they had seen the mail bending down by the side of the road
00:19:32.040 and they contacted an airway heights police officer gave that police officer a description
00:19:37.240 of the suspect, Mr. Farnacci was contacted in the area about a mile and a half from where
00:19:43.340 the fire started and was detained, questioned, and ultimately released after being identified
00:19:52.180 by our citizen witness.
00:19:54.760 Sheriff Knowles saying investigators eventually determined the fire originated precisely where
00:19:59.040 the witness reportedly saw Farnacci kneeling beside the road.
00:20:03.920 a judge approving arrests and search warrants Monday with members of Spokane County SWAT team
00:20:08.740 taking Farinacci into custody with that incident the same day.
00:20:12.620 Authorities were covering waterproof matches and a butane lighter from Farinacci
00:20:17.200 when officers initially detained him near the scene.
00:20:21.220 According to an affidavit obtained by the Associated Press, Farinacci denied he started the fire,
00:20:26.040 reportedly claiming he carried the matches and lighter because he smokes.
00:20:30.320 He's now being held on a $1 million bond.
00:20:33.060 Sheriff Knowles also revealing investigators are examining whether Farnacci could be tied
00:20:37.760 to any other crimes while outlining the suspect's serious criminal record.
00:20:42.860 Mr. Farnacci is a convicted felon out of the state of Arizona. He has a felony conviction
00:20:50.840 for manslaughter and a proceeding arrest in the same case in premeditated murder in the state
00:20:57.720 of Arizona. We will be looking into any other crimes Mr. Farnacci may have committed in the
00:21:05.180 past. We will also be looking into other charges that may come about as the facts and circumstances
00:21:13.320 of the old trail fire come to light and come to be known. Just know that this charge is what we
00:21:21.440 have probable cause for right now. It is a serious charge. It is significant, but these charges may
00:21:27.300 change as the investigation goes on. Arizona records revealing Farinacci fatally shot his
00:21:32.960 father in 2010, reportedly following an argument over washing dishes. Farinacci later convicted
00:21:39.260 of manslaughter and aggravated assault, serving roughly 10 years in prison before his release in
00:21:44.720 2020, according to ABC 10. That'll do it for your AM update. I'm Mark Halperin, host of Next Up.
00:21:53.200 Find more about my show at NextUpHalfren.com and catch The Megyn Kelly Show today live
00:21:59.020 on SiriusXM, The Megyn Kelly Channel 111 at Noon East on YouTube.com slash Megyn Kelly
00:22:06.060 and all podcast platforms.