Mark Halperin
Appearances
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
First of all, I agree with Sean about the ABC case. And I think there are now probably five votes on the court to change the Sullivan standard. And Donald Trump may bring a case that gets the court that does that. But I think it's overly litigious to do what he did yesterday. Ann Seltzer is my friend. She used to be my polling partner. And she's been one of the most accurate pollsters in America.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
It's true that she's stepping back from doing political polling, but she announced that yesterday. Megan, before this poll came out. And she's not retiring. And to say, I don't think it's right to say she's been humiliated. I think people have tried to humiliate her. But every pollster I've ever worked with, every pollster whose work is respected, sometimes polls are wrong.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
In fact, statistically, one in 20 are wrong. To suggest election interference.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
I just think that to judge one person by one poll, there's no evidence that a poll like that, quote unquote, influences the election. But I think what's important is that President Trump be judicious in choosing who to go after. This case, I don't think, I don't agree with you. I think it'll be thrown out on the paper.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
And I think it cheapens the victory he has over ABC, who settled, we don't know exactly why. But he should focus on the cases where not only he feels personally aggrieved, but where there's a chance of not only, and not only cases where he has a chance of winning, but in cases where there's an important principle at stake.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
That's, I think, the best use of his time and his lawyer's time and his money.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
Well, in addition, as you also pointed out, it's not Bobby Kennedy. It's. his lawyer, one of his many lawyers. I find that they're so interesting in the media now, what I call the dominant media. Some of the coverage is reminiscent of the way Donald Trump's been covered for seven years, you know, tendentiously hostile. Some of it's actually as favorable as anything he's ever gotten.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
I think the fate of the nominees, including Bobby Kennedy, including Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard, will be on how well they do when January hearings come.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
it'll also be on uh whether there's any new revelations about them but i think for for team trump these kinds of stories are actually beneficial because in the end they are debunked and once again even though the press is being nice some of the time to trump nicer the They're able to use that to say, look how unfair this is.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
Nothing rallies MAGA and many of the Republican senators more around the Trump nominees than attacks from the media that they consider to be unfair. So I would say that round of stories probably helped Bobby Kennedy because now the focus isn't is Bobby Kennedy right on abortion or is he right on this or that? It's he's under siege from the media. We got to support him.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
Megan, can I say one other thing about- One other thing about Bobby about Bobby Kennedy, we've heard for months, including today on the morning meeting from parents, lots of moms who really believe in make America healthy again. And they're so they're so passionate about it. And and they understand not everything you hear about Bobby Kennedy is true.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
And there may be things they don't like about it. But of all the people Donald Trump is trying to bring into the government. even more than Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy from the outside. Bobby Kennedy has the potential to revolutionize America with that agenda for drugs and food and the health of our children, wellness. All these things are huge problems in America.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
They unite Sanders supporters and Trump supporters, suburban parents, I mean, urban parents. These are massive issues. And just already, just from talking about them during the transition and the campaign,
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
Bobby Kennedy, I would argue, has done more to elevate these issues than anyone ever has, including Michelle Obama, who talked about some of them, but not in the fundamental way of going after corporate interests. And so I'll be curious to see if he pursues it. But that's what I think could win him some Democratic votes, because they're such fundamental issues for their constituents.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
The Democrats, it's kind of incredible when you look at the traction that's gotten and how obvious it is. Politics is about emotion, how emotional an issue this is. It's incredible the Democrats didn't take the lead on this. Incredible.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
That's about as accurate as being an Indian. The man wants rotting teeth and polio. Who can blame him?
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
Okay. But that's AI, right? That's not real Elizabeth Warren.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
So I think you gotta say, as you follow the narrative of the Hegseth nomination, that he and his team, including JD Vance, have done a textbook job, should be studied in political science courses of putting the nomination back on track because it was basically going into a ditch and not coming out.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
He's now done what they needed to do, which is to get all the Republican senators to say, we're not coming out against him until January, if at all. We want to see a hearing. We want to give him a chance to defend himself. All the charges against him of seriousness, almost all of them, I should say, are anonymous. And I think senators recoil at that.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
And you've heard some of the senators, including Johnny Ernst of Iowa, make reference to that. If the allegations become not anonymous, but someone testifies, and if questions about whether he's ready to run the building and sit in the sitting room, if those are put in sharp relief, I think there are some Republicans who might vote negatively towards him.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
The Hegseth nomination was driven, and the questions about him were driven by Democrats and what I call the iron triangle of Democrats, senators, the congressional staff, and the outside groups, along with their media allies. That isn't the case here. These doubts are amongst Republicans. Democrats have their debts too, but they're meaningless because they're not going to vote for him.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
I think if there's no new revelations and he performs well, whether this person testifies or not, I don't think we'll stop him from being confirmed. But he has to perform well, and there have to be no new revelations. And I will tell you that even some of his allies are braced for more revelations.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
So I think you may see you may see. You may see a different witness or witnesses rather than that particular woman.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
Well, I didn't say another woman, although I didn't say not another woman. Look, I think there's been, understandably, a lot of focus on the case that involved a serious accusation and a confidentiality agreement.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
But there are other aspects of his past, including some things not having to do with drinking or alleged sex, but having to do with management, where there are some people who I believe have been anonymous, but who may choose to do television interviews and or come before the committee.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
And I think, although they've been the subject of a lot of criticism and scrutiny from MAGA, these Republican senators who have concerns about him have concerns that range across the board. It doesn't mean they won't vote to confirm it, but I think you're gonna see in some cases that people are willing to testify, not anonymously,
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
I think you're very likely to see some Republican senators say, yes, they should testify and he should have a chance to respond. I think they'll continue to be a high level of focus on this one accuser, this one situation. But there are others lurking in the background, including some that I believe have not been reported yet, but that may surface before the hearings.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
Should senators who oppose your nominees, your cabinet nominees, should they be primaried?
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
Megan, every syllable calculated to drive you insane.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
If it were scripted, say, how do we annoy Megan? That's exactly what she would say.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
I don't like to never say never, but I find it hard to believe that she could build support. It's so disappointing to see our colleagues, just as they did during the four years of the Biden administration, failing to cover the truth right before our eyes. Is her poor performance the only reason she didn't win? No. But it's right up there. It's right up there. And no one drafted her to run.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
She chose to be the nominee. And she owned a calendar when she chose to be a nominee. She knew there were only 107 days and she knew what her limits were as a candidate. So I think I think both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have escaped a lot of the blame that falls to them. And that's not just my view, but the view of a lot of Democrats, donors and members of Congress, etc.,
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
I think her chances of being governor of California are greater than being the Democratic nominee. But I don't think they're as great as people say, because again, her challenge is her weakness. She does not like to make difficult choices under pressure. And that is the job description for running for governor of California, being governor of California, running for president, being president.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
So I think she might try, but I think she'd be surprised at how tough it is. And finally, I would say, I'm not sure she wants to be governor of California. It's not a great job right now. And so why she'd run and risk losing. And then if she did win, get the job, I'm not really sure.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
I agree. Look, your show and our show and some of the other new media are different than the old media in two important ways besides not being liberally biased. One is that they're authentic. They're real conversations. It's not posturing. It's not some focus group tested thing. People say what they actually think, and that's what Donald Trump does.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
And that is in some ways the last thing Kamala Harris is capable of doing on the public stage. And the last way they're different is it's a relentless search for the truth. It's not about entertainment, although it can be entertaining. It's not about coverup. It's about honesty, whether it's journalism or just the kind of conversations that some podcasters do that Donald Trump went on.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
I continue to be amazed at her schedule, the number of days she took off during the campaign. I don't know exactly what she was doing, but clearly she was doing debate prep, convention prep, et cetera. But after they cleared the convention, I don't know. I don't know what she was doing. Hard work and joy.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
But my point is, Barack Obama, one of the reasons I touted him back in the olden days was I said, he can go on Meet the Press, Monday Night Football, and the Oscars. And the staff doesn't have to worry that when he walks out there, something wrong is going to happen.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
She couldn't do any of those, let alone these new formats where Donald Trump was happy to slide in and talk to anybody, talk to comedians, talk to younger people. I'm sure he didn't prep very much, if at all, because he's comfortable and authentic and he's fine with some challenging questions. That's just her weakness. She just doesn't like to be challenged and put in unpredictable situations.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
Well, look, I think sometimes two news stories conflate. I think it's possible that one of those drones kidnapped Donald Trump and replaced him with a cuddly grandpa, a cuddly conciliatory grandpa. And the aliens don't think we'll figure it out. But we're on to him. Look. Go back to what Sean said.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
I was born ready, Sean. Let's do it.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
Sometimes he's reminded of the host name.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
2016.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
You don't have to be super MAGA, just an objective journalist or observer, to recognize just the nightmare that Donald Trump entered the office with. Because the dominant media created an environment that created for tens of millions of Americans reality, their reality, that he was an illegitimate president.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
And then to be investigated perpetually for the entire eight years, to be voted out of office, and then to say to the voters, Here's what I'm about. Same guy. Here's my agenda. Put me back in. After Democrats said after January 6th, et cetera, he could never win another election.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
So I think he feels a sense of satisfaction, but he also has created an understanding that he gets it better this time. He understands how to be president way better. He's got an incoming second term government that's not a normal lame duck because they're not exhausted.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
And because he's had four years to write executive orders, to think about who he wants to hire and to use his vast human intelligence, which is vast. He's just a super genius at analyzing situations and people. to come in and say, I'm gonna do this job differently this time. And the overriding factor is he loves people kissing the ring or anything else they wanna kiss.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
He loves billionaires kowtowing to him. He loves knowing how to manipulate and leverage these heads of state. So this is like the ultimate mulligan. He's getting to be an incoming president again, With all this knowledge and a much different environment, the press is weaker than it's been since he came on the national stage.
The Megyn Kelly Show
RFK and Hegseth's Path to Confirmation, and Dangers of AI, with Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine, and Tristan Harris | Ep. 967
And all of these people, from Congress to the governors to the foreign leaders to the CEOs, they know that the rules are about to change and that Trump will set the rules and Trump will decide who gets to play the game. And so they're all genuflecting.