Megyn Kelly Says Alexandria Cortez's DNC Speech Reminded Her of Italian Fascist Leader Mussolini

Megyn Kelly wasn't impressed by Alexandria Ocasio Cortez's speech at the Democratic National Convention. During her Sirius XM podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show, the journalist criticized Cortez for being louder than necessary, likening her words to 20th-century fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini. On the contrary, the DNC crowd lauded Cortez for her electrifying energy on stage. 

Kelly reacted, "When I saw people on the internet praising her last night, even some Republicans, like, 'Oh, that was a great speech,' I thought, have you never actually seen an effective female public speaker? Like, they mistake energy or enthusiasm for effectiveness. I mean, anyone can get up there and shout at you! It doesn't make you a good public speaker. It was like an assault. Don't you feel assaulted...? That's how I felt listening to her," as per Newsweek. 

She then likened Cortez's address to former President Barack Obama's 2004 speech which she played on her show. She opined, "That's what AOC was going for. That's what they all go for. They fail. There's only one Barack Obama...there will never be another Barack Obama. I'm sorry, find your own style. You're not good at imitation." 

Subsequently, she claimed Cortez, at the DNC, also reminded her of Hilaria Baldwin. "She was a cross between Hilaria, who went to a fancy boarding school in either Boston or Rhode Island and isn't Spanish at all," arguing AOC's accent to be inauthentic. She added, "And also this guy...You may remember him from World War II as the leader of Italy." 

Mussolini, the Italian dictator who founded and led the National Fascist Party, was renowned for his great public speaking skills through which he was able to convince people of his goal and earn loyal supporters. While Kelly remained unimpressed, Cortez managed to truly pump the crowd, showing off her oratory prowess.

She began her fiery speech, declaring, "We will send a loud message that the people of this nation will not go back. We choose a new path and open a door to a new day, one that is for the people and by the people." She urged her supporters to work overtime to help VP Kamala Harris win the November elections, citing her own example of working long shifts as a bartender and waitress before winning over the Congress in 2018.

She sang praises of Harris as a leader who genuinely cares about the American people. "America has before us a rare and powerful opportunity. In Kamala Harris, we have a chance to elect a president for the middle class because she is from the middle class," gushed Cortez, per Daily News. Her speech was widely praised. For instance, the senior political editor at HuffPost, Daniel Marans, applauded Cortez on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote, "Once an outsider, AOC now has the entire DNC hall chanting her name."