The Megyn Kelly Show - Smithsonian Director Grilled, AOC Leaves 2028 Door Open, NJ Reveals Illegal Voters： AM Update 7⧸22

00:00:00.000 Hey, good morning, everyone. I'm Mark Halperin, host of Next Up with Mark Halperin, filling in

00:00:06.600 today for the great Megyn Kelly. It's Wednesday, July 22nd, 2026, and this is your AM Update.

00:00:13.100 We strive to represent all Americans. 1.00

00:00:15.840 You strive to represent all the queer pedophiles. 1.00

00:00:20.060 The director of the Smithsonian's American History Museum grilled on Capitol Hill 0.99

00:00:24.360 over accusations she's turned the institution into a showcase for left-wing activism.

00:00:30.920 Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez leaving the door open to a presidential run in 2028

00:00:37.020 and the Pentagon identifying three American soldiers killed in the renewed fighting with Iran.

00:00:41.720 A serious software error in New Jersey's motor vehicle system led to the improper voter registration

00:00:49.580 And more than 6,000 non-citizens improperly added to New Jersey's voter rolls,

00:00:55.440 with hundreds going on to cast ballots. All that and more coming up here on your AM Update.

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00:02:09.400 it. Text MK to the number 989898. The director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American

00:02:17.120 History facing a congressional grilling Tuesday over accusations that she has turned the taxpayer

00:02:21.940 funded institution into a vehicle for left-wing activism. Republican lawmakers questioning Anthea

00:02:29.460 Hartig during a House oversight delivering on government efficiency or DOGE subcommittee

00:02:34.880 hearing focused on the Smithsonian's presentation of American history. The hearing coming just weeks

00:02:40.820 after the White House published a 162-page report accusing the museum of failing to present the

00:02:46.080 nation's heritage in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of the country. The Independence

00:02:51.660 Day report arguing the museum gives insufficient attention to the founding fathers and the nation's

00:02:57.160 founding while placing an outsized focus on slavery, immigration, woke gender ideology.

00:03:02.940 The Smithsonian receiving more than half of its roughly $1 billion annual budget from federal sources, including money directly appropriated by Congress, President Trump previously signing an executive order directing Vice President J.D. Vance and federal budget officials to prevent taxpayer money from supporting exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide the public by race, or promote ideologies at odds with federal policy.

00:03:30.260 Republican Congressman Tim Burchett of Tennessee, who chairs the Doge Subcommittee, in his opening statement accusing Hartig of helping move the museum away from its original mission and toward a fixation on race, sexuality, inequality, and oppression.

00:03:47.280 Dr. Hartig proudly takes credit for changing the museum's mission statement,

00:03:52.160 which no longer uses the term American history or refers to the infinite richness of that history.

00:03:58.360 The museum is now guided by an interpretive plan that ensures all topics focus on the core issues of our time.

00:04:05.720 And do we want to guess what they are?

00:04:07.680 Race and identity, gender and sexuality, environmental change, immigration and migrations,

00:04:14.360 and economic inequality, top the list.

00:04:17.300 Also, a center for restorative justice at the museum,

00:04:21.180 created under Dr. Hartig's watch,

00:04:23.100 hosted a decolonization working group

00:04:25.920 to investigate historical harms

00:04:28.100 that result in ongoing systematic oppression.

00:04:31.720 To remove any doubt about her intentions,

00:04:33.820 Dr. Hartig, in her own words,

00:04:35.520 states that she views history

00:04:37.000 as a prime tool of social justice.

00:04:40.300 Republican Congressman Brandon Gill of Texas

00:04:42.580 highlighting some of the more absurd material promoted by the Smithsonian.

00:04:47.640 Would you say that the goal of history is to be objective?

00:04:50.980 Thank you, sir, for the question.

00:04:52.800 You know, I think that there are many goals of history,

00:04:56.000 and certainly as you collect, as we do, examine evidence, create scholarship.

00:05:01.160 Is objectivity one of the goals of history?

00:05:03.500 We strive to be objective and nonpartisan and not based on any ideology.

00:05:08.040 So it's one of the goals.

00:05:09.400 That seems a little bit concerning.

00:05:11.780 It certainly does to me, because as part of this white supremacy document that your organization has promoted,

00:05:19.980 objectivity is a core and defining aspect of white supremacy culture.

00:05:26.040 Is it important to be polite?

00:05:28.340 Excuse me, sir?

00:05:28.960 Is it important to be polite?

00:05:31.360 Yes, sir.

00:05:32.520 It's also interesting, because the same mass action toolkit that your organization has been promoting

00:05:38.220 references politeness as a defining characteristic of white supremacy culture.

00:05:45.180 Harding pushing back on accusations that the museum denigrates the country.

00:05:49.160 We honor the Declaration, the Revolution, the Constitution, our national symbols,

00:05:54.580 and we tell the truth about the times that the country fell short of its own founding ideals.

00:06:01.820 Telling our story fully is a form of respect for the American people

00:06:06.180 and a commitment to constantly being in pursuit of a more perfect union.

00:06:11.940 Democratic Congressman Jasmine Crockett of Texas, responding with her usual theatrics, 0.95

00:06:17.000 dismissing the entire proceeding as an effort to whitewash American history.

00:06:22.140 Thank you, Mr. Chair. Welcome to the Republicans' White Pride Rally disguised as a congressional

00:06:27.960 hearing. It might be uncomfortable for some people on this committee to hear about the true history

00:06:33.240 of America. And I hate that for them, but facts are facts. And it's a fact that there is a violent,

00:06:40.740 exclusionary, discriminatory, sexist, and racist part of American history, where our indigenous

00:06:46.360 populations were forcibly displaced from their land, where thousands of black people were unjustly

00:06:52.360 lynched, where black people were denied the right to vote and they're still trying to do it today, 0.72

00:06:57.300 where women needed their husbands' permission to open a bank account, where people with 0.74

00:07:01.120 disabilities were routinely excluded from schools, workplaces and public life, where four little

00:07:06.420 black girls were murdered by the KKK at the 16th Street Baptist Church. And a lot of this wasn't

00:07:12.460 that long ago. New York Democratic Congressman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez offering her strongest 0.59

00:07:19.180 indication yet that she may be eyeing the White House in 2028. Asked by Politico about her

00:07:24.860 presidential prospects, AOC responding, quote, I mean, I can't say that I've ruled it out.

00:07:30.180 The comment coming during a weekend swing through Michigan, where Ocasio-Cortez joined Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders to campaign for far-left Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed,

00:07:42.000 AOC emerging as one of El-Sayed's most prominent national supporters after endorsing him earlier this month in Michigan's closely-watched Democrat Senate primary,

00:07:51.720 the appearance marking the latest stop in a national campaign schedule carrying Ocasio-Cortez well beyond her New York district,

00:07:59.540 She spent much of last year appearing alongside Senator Sanders at his so-called fighting oligarchy rallies before increasingly taking to the trail on behalf of candidates that she's personally selected.

00:08:12.860 AOC withholding her support from former Maine Senate candidate Graham Plattner, despite the early enthusiasm surrounding his campaign, the congresswoman telling Politico that staying out of a primary should not necessarily be viewed as a rejection, adding, quote,

00:08:26.840 but I think that me choosing to enter a race has a high bar because I put a lot of energy

00:08:33.000 into every candidate that I endorse. Her choices on the campaign trail are not the only signs

00:08:38.180 fueling speculation about 2028. Axios observing a noticeable change in Ocasio-Cortez political

00:08:45.080 language in recent months, a Democratic Socialist increasingly pairing her calls for sweeping

00:08:50.440 economic change with a more inspirational appeal. Here, for instance, a recent campaign appearance.

00:08:56.880 Ask your skeptical neighbor to believe. It's the only thing that we have. Our hope is the only

00:09:06.320 thing that creates change. And that's why so many people try to talk us out of it.

00:09:13.200 That's why so many people try to deride it as naive, as out of touch. And cynicism gets sold

00:09:21.280 to us as sophistication. I assure you it is not. What is very sophisticated is understanding full

00:09:29.140 well the forces that are working against us and deciding to fight anyway. If that sounds familiar,

00:09:36.280 go ahead and compare that with then Illinois Senator Barack Obama introducing himself to

00:09:41.460 the country at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Do we participate in a politics

00:09:48.260 of cynicism or do we participate in a politics of hope i'm not talking about blind optimism here

00:09:55.700 but i'm talking about something more substantial it's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire

00:10:00.980 singing freedom songs the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores the hope of a young

00:10:08.660 naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the mekong delta the hope of a mill worker's son who dares

00:10:14.900 to defy the odds. The hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place

00:10:20.880 for him too. Hope, hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty, the audacity

00:10:32.480 of hope. Axios reporting the resemblance may not be entirely coincidental. A person familiar with

00:10:39.200 Ocasio-Cortez's relationship with Barack Obama says the former president has taken notice of

00:10:44.840 her communication skills, and that the two have had several positive private interactions.

00:10:50.460 On prediction market Kalshi, Ocasio-Cortez recently drawing roughly a 15% chance of securing 0.93

00:10:56.400 the Democrats' presidential nomination, putting her tied with Senator John Ossoff of Georgia

00:11:01.420 and behind California Governor Gavin Newsom at about 20%.

00:11:05.620 Traditional polling also placing Ocasio-Cortez within the top tier of possible candidates.

00:11:11.080 The Real Clear Politics national polling average, showing former Vice President Kamala Harris leading the prospective field at 28.1 percent, Governor Newsom following at 16.5, with former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 11.1, and then AOC at 8.5 percent.

00:11:29.100 Coming up, the Pentagon identifying three American soldiers killed in a conflict with

00:11:35.400 Iran and New Jersey Governor Nike Sherrill confirming thousands of non-citizens were

00:11:40.320 improperly registered to vote in her state, and hundreds actually cast ballots.

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00:13:10.700 The Pentagon identifying three American soldiers killed in the renewed fighting with Iran over the

00:13:15.380 weekend, 25-year-old First Lieutenant Tyler James Freehan and 19-year-old Private Isabella

00:13:21.440 Gonzalez serving at Muwafik Salty Air Base in Jordan when it came under attack from Iranian

00:13:27.580 missiles. Both were in air defense artillery units. Lieutenant Freehan lived in Hawaii and

00:13:33.140 was assigned to the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

00:13:38.440 The Army posthumously promoting him to captain and awarding him the Bronze Star of the Purple

00:13:43.540 heart and combat action badge. Private Gonzalez was from Carrollton, Texas. She graduated from

00:13:49.700 high school just last year, joining the Army. Immediately afterwards, Private Gonzalez was

00:13:54.160 assigned to the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command in Germany. At just 19 years old, she's the

00:13:59.500 youngest American service member killed since the war began. The same Iranian barrage, leaving a

00:14:05.020 third American soldier missing, remains recovered from the base, are believed to belong to that

00:14:09.300 service member reports to the Times, though officials have not yet announced a positive

00:14:13.540 identification. The Pentagon yesterday also identifying 30-year-old Sergeant Michael

00:14:18.020 Emanuel Swinton of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Sergeant Swinton was killed in Iraq during a

00:14:23.300 controlled detonation of a downed Iranian attack drone. A U.S. official telling the New York Times

00:14:28.300 that Sergeant Swinton was not carrying out the detonation himself, but was struck by debris from

00:14:33.640 the blast. His death remains under investigation. Sergeant Swinton served with the 108th Air

00:14:39.160 Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Bragg, the Army posthumously promoting Sergeant Swinton

00:14:44.100 to Staff Sergeant and awarding him the Bronze Star Purple Heart and also the Combat Action

00:14:50.280 Badge. The White House announcing on Monday that President Trump will attend the dignified

00:14:54.220 transfer of the fallen service members at Dover Air Force Base. The ceremony has been postponed,

00:15:00.560 with officials still working to finalize the date and time. The identification announcement

00:15:05.460 coming after CBS reports nearly 100 service members have been injured in Iranian strikes

00:15:10.980 across the region this month. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirming that almost

00:15:16.640 100 troops suffered some degree of injury, with 96% already returning to duty. The injuries

00:15:22.740 resulting from multiple Iranian attacks on American bases and assets across the Middle East.

00:15:28.020 President Trump posting to True Social on Monday, quote, every time Iran kills an American soldier,

00:15:32.740 They will pay for that killing many times over.

00:15:38.480 More than 6,000 non-citizens improperly added to New Jersey's voter rolls because of a software failure at the State Motor Vehicle Commission.

00:15:47.440 Democratic Governor Mikey Sherrill revealing the problem at an abruptly scheduled news conference on Tuesday.

00:15:53.080 In June of 2023, nearly three years before I became governor, a serious software error in New Jersey's motor vehicle system led to the improper voter registration of what we believe to be roughly 6,600 people in our state.

00:16:12.000 When New Jerseyans applied for a driver's license or identification at the MVC, they were asked if they wanted to register to vote.

00:16:21.880 In the case of this error, some individuals indicated that they weren't citizens and weren't eligible to vote.

00:16:30.940 But the software registered them anyway.

00:16:34.100 The error in the software was corrected a year later in June of 2024.

00:16:39.520 That is more than two years ago.

00:16:42.140 Governor Sherrill outlining what the state has uncovered so far.

00:16:45.300 Currently, the Division of Elections is working to ensure anyone who is illegally registered is removed from the voter rolls.

00:16:55.460 Initial analysis shows that fewer than 400 newly registered individuals voted in an election due to this software error.

00:17:05.580 They were registered as Democrats, Republicans, and the majority unaffiliated, and were scattered across the state.

00:17:13.280 But let me be clear. This entire situation is unacceptable. It's unacceptable that the vendor released software with such a glaring error. It's unacceptable that the MVC took a year to get this issue fixed. And it's unacceptable that no one in the previous administration brought this to light, demanded accountability or took action when it happened years ago.

00:17:37.520 The governor adding that the state has not found evidence that the ballots connected to the error changed the outcome of any individual election.

00:17:45.400 Ms. Cheryl directing her chief counsel to investigate how the error occurred and why it was not disclosed earlier.

00:17:51.000 The Motor Vehicle Commission also beginning the process of replacing the company that supplied the software, expecting to launch a new system next year.

00:18:00.020 The findings coming less than a week after President Trump used a primetime national address to detail his administration's investigations into illegal voting.

00:18:10.360 Governor Sherrill taking a shot at the Trump administration, apparently seeking to separate the state's software failure from the broader claims about non-citizen voting.

00:18:19.460 As the Trump administration tries to weaponize elections for political gain, I am ensuring that we protect our elections.

00:18:28.420 Let me be clear.

00:18:29.820 Donald Trump has zero credibility on the issue of election integrity.

00:18:34.220 For the past 10 years, he's cried wolf and peddled bizarre conspiracy theories about fraud with no evidence.

00:18:41.820 I saw the consequences of Trump's lies on January 6th.

00:18:45.080 The difference between my administration and this White House is stark.

00:18:50.360 We don't deflect, deny, or exploit problems for our own gain.

00:18:54.860 We find them and we fix them.

00:18:56.960 Because that's what a good, accountable government should do.

00:19:00.880 The Trump administration alleged last week that more than 35,000 non-citizens may be registered to vote New Jersey,

00:19:06.960 a far larger number than those identified through the state's software review.

00:19:10.760 A reporter pressing Governor Sherrill on the remaining registrations

00:19:13.940 and whether her administration is investigating the federal government's claim.

00:19:18.820 These two things seem to be unrelated.

00:19:21.400 So last Wednesday was when I first heard about this.

00:19:24.260 I immediately launched an investigation, and this is what we've uncovered so far, and the investigation continues.

00:19:31.560 We received a letter after Trump's speech that there were this 35,000 from DHS potentially.

00:19:42.900 So we have asked them for any evidence of this, where they got that number, who this is.

00:19:48.020 We've received nothing back yet.

00:19:49.440 and that'll do it for your am update i'm mark calperin host of next up find out more about

00:19:56.440 next up at next up alprin.com catch the megan kelly show today live on sirius xm's the megan

00:20:01.920 kelly channel 111 at noon east on youtube slash megan kelly and of course on all podcast platforms

The Megyn Kelly Show - July 22, 2026

Smithsonian Director Grilled, AOC Leaves 2028 Door Open, NJ Reveals Illegal Voters： AM Update 7⧸22

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