Megyn Kelly's dilemma: Too Liberal for Fox and not Liberal enough for NBC!
Megyn Kelly has made news in recent months for departing the Fox News Channel and joining NBC. Now, Kelly is being strongly criticized for her upcoming interview with Alex Jones, of the far-right website, Infowars.
Jones is known for his unfounded conspiracy theories, including allegations that the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks were an "inside job," and that the mass killing of 26 people -- including 20 students -- at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 was an elaborate fake, and that actors played the parents of the children who died in the attack.
As the New York Times and other outlets are reporting, the news that Kelly's interview with Jones is scheduled to air June 18 on NBC's "Sunday Night With Megyn Kelly," has prompted parents of some of the slain children at Sandy Hook to protest.
Some parents have created Tweets with photos of their dead children, and addressed them to Kelly.
The daughter of the principal who died at Sandy Hook Tweeted, in reference to Jones: "This piece of actual garbage encourages people to call my mom's death a hoax and harass other Sandy Hook families. Shame on you @megynkelly."
cristina hassinger @chass63
This piece of actual garbage encourages people to call my mom's death a hoax and harass other Sandy Hook families. Shame on you @megynkelly.
For her part, Kelly Tweeted that her interview with Jones would feature a discussion of "controversies and conspiracies."
In response to criticism, specifically the Tweeted comment, "I hate that this type of coverage is gonna help legitimatize him," Kelly Tweeted:
Megyn Kelly
✔@megynkelly
POTUS's been on & praises @RealAlexJones' show. He's giving Infowars a WH press credential. Many don't know him; our job is 2 shine a light.
As Variety reports, Donald Trump appeared on Jones' show in December of 2015.
Even as Sandy Hook parents and others call for a boycott of Kelly's show, the Huffington Post reports that Jones and others involved in Infowars now say that Kelly's interview represents a conspiracy to do a "hatchet job" on Jones.
From the Huffington Post report:
"'She's gotten a bigger megaphone, she's gotten a bigger sponsorship from the deep state, and she's about to do her hatchet jobs, which I think are going to ultimately fail and we will continue to beat by reaching the people directly through the internet,' Infowars' Washington bureau lead Jerome Corsi said on Jones' show Monday."
Jones, the Huffington Post continues, is now demanding NBC not air the interview, which he characterizes as a "hit piece" on him. Jones pointed to how the NBC crew lit him as evidence that the interview was intended to "take Alex Jones down."
As the Huffington Post says, Jones accuses the NBC crew of lighting "my face from the side and under, like you light somebody for a Halloween piece, for a horror movie."