A bitter public feud has erupted between prominent conservative media figures Megyn Kelly and Ben Shapiro, exposing a deepening ideological rift on the American right. The conflict, which Kelly describes as a personal betrayal, centres on Israel, accusations of cowardice, and the very soul of the conservative movement.
A Public Accusation and a Personal Betrayal
The drama unfolded at the Turning Point USA AmericaFest conference in Phoenix last week. During his speech, Ben Shapiro, 41, took aim at what he called "grifters" and "charlatans" within conservatism, warning the movement was in "serious danger." He then singled out Megyn Kelly, a person he considered a friend, accusing her of cowardice for not condemning commentator Candace Owens.
Owens has recently propagated theories about Israel's involvement in the death of Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk, sparking controversy. Shapiro's public rebuke left Kelly stunned. "I was flabbergasted," she told Vanity Fair. "I thought, 'Who do you think you are?' It felt like a betrayal by a friend."
Kelly's Furious Retort: Fuelling Antisemitism
In a fiery response, Kelly turned the tables on Shapiro and his ally, new CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss. She argued that their aggressive tactics to police commentary on Israel were counterproductive. "They are making antisemites," Kelly declared pointedly. "Tucker [Carlson] is not making antisemites. They are."
Kelly, who noted the growing scepticism towards Israel among young Republicans, accused Shapiro of putting Israel above conservative unity. "Ben is Israel first... his behavior has proven that charge to be correct," she said. She lamented that Shapiro was dividing a movement that had begun to coalesce after Kirk's death, asking, "Why would you divide the American conservative movement... over Israel!"
A Friendship Shattered and a Star-Maker's Resentment
The fallout appears to have permanently severed their long-standing friendship, which began during Kelly's tenure at Fox News. "I don’t think we are friends anymore," Kelly stated bluntly on Friday. She expressed deep resentment over the nature of Shapiro's attack, which came without a private conversation first. "Only cowards take to the national stage or X to attack their 'friends' without so much as a phone call," she posted on X.
Kelly also reminded the public of her role in boosting Shapiro's profile. "Nobody knew who the heck Ben Shapiro was when I started putting him on my shows on the Fox News Channel, and I helped make him a star," she asserted. She defiantly rejected his demands for public condemnations of other figures, comparing it to left-wing virtue signalling. "'Denounce, denounce, condemn, disassociate.' F*ck you!" she concluded from the AmericaFest stage.
The public spat, laden with charges of betrayal, hypocrisy, and ideological puritanism, highlights the intense and emerging fissures within the conservative movement over foreign policy, loyalty, and the boundaries of acceptable discourse. The Daily Mail has approached Ben Shapiro for comment.
