In this short reaction segment, Megyn Kelly discusses what she says are excerpts from Dr Anthony Fauci’s diary entries that she argues portray an unusually friendly and co-operative relationship with CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper during the pandemic period.
Kelly quotes a text message she says Bash sent to Fauci after a combative congressional hearing exchange with Rep Jim Jordan in April 2021, describing it as evidence of sympathetic, behind-the-scenes behaviour inconsistent with on-air neutrality. She also references a diary entry she says describes Fauci dining at the home of Jake Tapper and his wife in Washington, calling it “friendship building”.
Kelly’s central claim concerns a July 26, 2020 entry she quotes as Fauci writing: “I gave Jake some questions to ask him,” referring to Tapper interviewing another administration health official on CNN’s State of the Union. She argues that if the quoted line is authentic, it indicates a federal official shaping the terms of questioning on a major news programme.
Kelly also recounts a separate text exchange she says Fauci recorded with Tapper mocking Fox News host Laura Ingraham, which she portrays as further evidence of ideological alignment between the public health official and a prominent interviewer.
Megyn Kelly alleges Dr Anthony Fauci’s diary entries show a friendly relationship with CNN presenters Dana Bash and Jake Tapper during the Covid-19 pandemic. She cites a July 2020 line she quotes as Fauci saying he gave Tapper questions to ask another Trump administration health official on CNN, which she argues suggests improper coordination.
Read this moment →