Megyn Kelly took sharp aim this week at what she described as a sweeping ideological overhaul inside CBS News, mocking the network for embracing what she called a “lesbian makeover” while abandoning journalistic seriousness in favor of corporate virtue signaling. The LGBTQ community is likely not fond of Kelly’s blunt critique of the mainstream media outlet’s new direction.
Speaking on her SiriusXM show, the former Fox News and NBC anchor reacted to mounting criticism surrounding CBS Mornings host Tony Dokoupil after his recent on-air questioning of Oprah Winfrey sparked internal backlash. Megyn Kelly framed the episode as the latest example of a once-prestigious news division bending itself into knots to satisfy activist pressures rather than defend its own journalists.
Kelly maintains that CBS News’s choice of anchor was heavily influenced by the fact that Bari Weiss, the new editor-in-chief, is a lesbian.
“I figured it out. Bari is an out lesbian, and she’s in a marriage to another woman, and they have kids, and so on. This is a lesbian’s idea of what women want. Like, he’s sweet, he’s soft, this is what this is going to sell,” Megyn Kelly said.
.@MegynKelly on why “Toprah” Dokoupil is just like Stuart Smalley: “He’s got to man up. Just f–k–g deliver the news. You have 19 minutes of content. Stop trying to handhold your audience like they’re a bunch of babies.”
FULL: https://t.co/M96S5cZHB0 pic.twitter.com/Yams9TEROj
— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) January 15, 2026
Megyn Kelly labeled him “patronizing. “Get up and down on the news and stop trying to handhold your audience like they’re a bunch of babies who need you to stroke them through every update,” she added.
Megyn Kelly, who spent years inside legacy media before launching her independent platform, said CBS News has transformed itself into a place where ideological conformity matters more than credibility or fairness. She mocked what she characterized as the network’s effort to rebrand itself culturally, suggesting executives are more focused on signaling progressive identity markers than producing hard news.
According to Kelly, CBS has drifted far from its roots, becoming a network where anchors and executives appear “terrified” of internal blowback if they fail to toe the approved line on social and political issues. Megyn Kelly described the atmosphere as one where journalists are no longer encouraged to ask challenging questions — even of powerful celebrities — without fear of being labeled problematic.
The flashpoint for the comments by Megyn Kelly came after Dokoupil faced internal scrutiny for questioning Oprah about her past praise of controversial figures and movements. Rather than defending the anchor’s right to ask tough questions, Kelly argued, CBS leadership appeared to retreat, reinforcing what she described as a culture of intimidation inside the newsroom.
Megyn Kelly contrasted that response with her own experience in media, saying that serious journalists should be protected when they do their jobs professionally, not punished when their questions make influential figures uncomfortable.
She also took aim at what she framed as CBS News’ broader cultural rebranding, ridiculing what she suggested was an overt attempt to refashion the network’s image to appeal to progressive elites rather than everyday viewers. Megyn Kelly quipped that the makeover was less about journalism and more about optics, identity, and signaling allegiance to fashionable causes.
While Kelly’s remarks were biting, they were also measured, focusing less on personal attacks and more on institutional failure. She emphasized that Dokoupil’s questioning was neither reckless nor inappropriate, and argued that the real scandal was CBS News’ apparent unwillingness to stand behind its own talent.
BREAKING: Megyn Kelly responds to Zohran Mamdani saying that “We will replace the rigidity of Individualism with the warmth of Collectivism.”
“No, actually, we are Americans and we don’t believe in that sh*t.”
Perfectly said. pic.twitter.com/CmwTyFRL8Z
— Ian Jaeger (@IanJaeger29) January 2, 2026
The criticism lands at a time when CBS News is already facing declining ratings and internal turmoil, as legacy networks struggle to retain relevance in an era where audiences increasingly turn to independent media voices. Megyn Kelly noted that viewers are quick to sense when newsrooms prioritize ideology over honesty, and she suggested that CBS is paying the price for that shift.
By contrast, Kelly positioned herself as someone who understands the pressures inside major networks but is no longer constrained by them. She framed her criticism as coming from experience, not spite, describing CBS News as a cautionary tale for what happens when corporate fear overtakes journalistic backbone.
As CBS continues to navigate backlash over internal decisions and on-air controversies, Kelly’s critique underscores a growing divide between legacy media institutions and former insiders who now speak freely about what they see as systemic rot.
For Megyn Kelly, the issue was simple: a news organization that once prided itself on credibility now appears more interested in image management than in defending the core principles of journalism — and viewers, she suggested, are noticing.
