Right-wing political commentator Megyn Kelly sparred with a student at Virginia Tech over which side is really to blame for fueling political violence during a Turning Point USA event on Wednesday night.
TPUSA, Charlie Kirk’s organization, resumed its national tour of college campuses this week with guest headliners after Kirk was shot and killed during the first stop of his “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University on September 10.
Kelly, who headlined the Virginia Tech stop alongside the state’s Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, got into the heated exchange with the student during a Q&A section after he suggested President Donald Trump’s rhetoric contributes to political violence.
“I want to know why you support a president who contributes to the rhetoric that got your friend Charlie killed,” the student said to Kelly. “We saw his rally. Recently, he said, ‘I hate my enemies.’ ... Stephen Miller said similar things. How can you support him when he contributed to what got Charlie killed?”
“Assumes facts not in evidence. What you said is not true,” Kelly responded.
“70% of political violence is committed by Republicans. Look it up!” the student yelled. “The DOJ just pulled the study from their website because they’re delusional.”
“That’s not true,” the host of “The Megyn Kelly Show” podcast said.
Trump’s Justice Department did, in fact, recently remove a study that found far-right extremists have committed more violence and acts of terrorism in the U.S. than their far-left counterparts.
“Once you pull the crazies out of there, it is overwhelmingly left-wing violence,” Kelly continued.
“Let me take on the first part of the premise of your question, that it was President Trump’s rhetoric that led to an assassin killing our friend, Charlie Kirk. That’s a blatant lie. It’s a defamatory blaspheme and it's inappropriate in the setting,” Kelly said to the student.
“That’s not what I said,” the student objected. “I said he contributed to the political atmosphere — the tension.”
“Well, then you have no point. Then your point is utterly empty,” Kelly replied.
The tense interaction continued until finally the student walked away and said, “Thank you for your time.”
