Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly reportedly escalated an already simmering feud on Friday, blasting CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro as “cowards” and accusing them of attacking her publicly without the courtesy of a private conversation.
The clash erupted in the aftermath of Shapiro’s headline-grabbing speech at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference on Thursday, where he took aim at prominent figures within the conservative movement. Shapiro sharply criticized conservatives he accused of tolerating or promoting conspiracy theories, focusing in particular on Candace Owens and her comments regarding the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
In his address, Shapiro accused several well-known conservatives of moral cowardice for remaining silent. “The fact that they have said nothing while Candace has been vomiting all sorts of hideous and conspiratorial nonsense into the public square for years is just as cowardly,” Shapiro said. He added that personal relationships should not excuse silence, arguing that friendship with public figures who say or do “evil things” does not justify inaction.
Shapiro explicitly named Tucker Carlson, rejecting the idea that Carlson’s status or friendship should shield Owens from criticism. He then turned to Kelly, saying she had characterized Owens as a young mother and therefore avoided condemning her actions. Shapiro said that rationale did not hold up morally.
Kelly responded swiftly on social media, initially expressing disbelief that two people she considered friends would attack her publicly. In her first post, she accused Shapiro and Weiss of launching a joint assault without understanding what had been happening behind the scenes. She suggested they should have checked with Turning Point USA and Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, before speaking out, and said she was embarrassed for them.
Hours later, Kelly sharpened her rhetoric. Borrowing language from Weiss’ own coverage of Shapiro’s speech, which used the headline “Only Cowards Tolerate Conspiracy Theorists,” Kelly turned the accusation back on her critics. “Only cowards take to the national stage or X to attack their ‘friends’ without so much as a phone call to discuss it,” Kelly wrote. She also claimed Weiss deliberately did not tag her in posts because she was afraid.
Kelly’s remarks marked a further escalation in the ongoing MAGA-aligned feud involving Owens and Erika Kirk. Kirk has accused Owens of targeting Turning Point USA and her family with what she describes as baseless accusations, a charge that has divided conservative media figures and activists.
The controversy dominated much of AmericaFest, with Shapiro’s speech setting the tone and drawing responses from other speakers. Later Thursday evening, Carlson addressed the issue in his own remarks, pushing back against what he portrayed as an attempt to police debate within the movement. Carlson said Charlie Kirk had firmly believed in open debate and warned against a return to what he described as cancel culture. He made clear he would not participate in silencing or ostracizing voices, regardless of pressure.
Weiss, meanwhile, has aligned herself strongly with Erika Kirk. She went so far as to host a town hall event with Kirk on Saturday, though the event reportedly drew limited viewership.
Owens and Kirk met in person on Monday to discuss their dispute, a meeting Kelly has said she helped facilitate. Despite that sit-down, the broader conflict shows little sign of resolution. With AmericaFest continuing through the weekend and Erika Kirk scheduled to speak on Sunday, the rift among high-profile conservatives appears set to remain front and center.
[READ MORE: AmericaFest Erupts as Shapiro and Carlson Clash Over Speech, Guests, and the Conservative Movement’s Future]
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