In a dramatic escalation of the internal strife tearing through the American right, former Fox News host Megyn Kelly has launched a blistering attack on prominent Jewish commentators Ben Shapiro and Bari Weiss, accusing them of being responsible for creating antisemites.
A War of Words Erupts at AmericaFest
The controversy erupted publicly during the AmericaFest conference, the annual year-end gathering organised by the right-wing youth group Turning Point USA (TPUSA), held in late December 2025. The event became a flashpoint for a roiling MAGA civil war that has been simmering for months.
The conflict has multiple fronts, including fallout from the Epstein files and Tucker Carlson's controversial interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes. However, it was ignited anew by far-right provocateur Candace Owens, who has peddled wild conspiracy theories suggesting TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated with the help of Israeli government figures.
When Shapiro, founder of The Daily Wire, took the AmericaFest stage on Thursday night, he directly called out Kelly, Carlson, and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon. He labelled them "charlatans" and accused Kelly of "cowardice" for refusing to denounce Owens's antisemitic claims. "Friendship with the person accusing TPUSA of a coverup of Charlie’s murder is no excuse for cowardice," Shapiro declared.
Kelly's Counter-Accusation: 'They Are Making Antisemites'
Kelly responded in kind during her own appearance and later in a detailed interview with Vanity Fair. She doubled down on her defence of Owens, applauding her for asking questions about Israel's potential involvement, even while stating she didn't believe Israel was responsible.
Kelly saved her most incendiary remarks for Shapiro and Bari Weiss, the editor-in-chief of CBS News and founder of the pro-Israel outlet The Free Press. Weiss had amplified Shapiro's criticism of Kelly on social media.
"Ben is Israel first," Kelly stated, adding that Shapiro would likely call that charge antisemitic. "And I'm sorry, but his behavior has proven that charge to be correct." She argued that Shapiro and Weiss, through their strident pro-Israel advocacy and attempts to censor criticism, were alienating young conservatives.
"They are making antisemites. Tucker is not making antisemites. They are," Kelly told Vanity Fair, directly accusing the two media figures of pushing conservatives towards anti-Jewish hatred.
A Movement Fractured With No End in Sight
The fallout shows no sign of abating. Despite a mediated meeting with Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, Owens has continued to promote her conspiracy theories, recently hosting a so-called "witness" to implicate Kirk's widow in the plot.
Owens further escalated matters by posting a video where she called Shapiro and his father "belly creatures who slither on" and promoted a notorious antisemitic tract, The Talmudic Jew. Remarkably, just hours after that video aired, Kelly again defended Owens's right to question Israeli involvement from the AmericaFest stage.
This bitter public feud, encompassing accusations of antisemitism, cowardice, and foreign loyalty, underscores a profound and widening rift within the MAGA movement and the broader American conservative landscape. With key figures like Shapiro, Kelly, Carlson, and Owens at loggerheads, the prospect of reconciliation appears distant.
