In a fiery exchange on The View, returning host Elisabeth Hasselbeck took the opportunity to publicly slam her conservative colleague Megyn Kelly over her criticism of the recent US strikes on Iran, sparking a heated response that left the air charged with tension.
Hasselbeck, filling in for Alyssa Farah Griffin, used her time on the talk show she once co-hosted to attack Kelly’s public condemnation of the military actions. The episode unfolded after a segment aired featuring Kelly’s comments on the deadly airstrike, where she voiced doubts about the justifications behind the deaths of US soldiers involved in the mission.
“Let me just say this,” Hasselbeck began, her voice filled with emotion. “Megyn Kelly’s clip that we ran before, asking who those troops died for. How dare you, Megyn Kelly?” Hasselbeck continued, sharply criticizing Kelly for questioning the sacrifices made by the troops. “When they are sacrificing their lives in our uniform, how dare you tell them, or their families, or our nation, what they died for?”
Kelly wasted no time in firing back, offering a scathing reply. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Kelly didn’t mince words, calling Hasselbeck “too weak to handle the ladies of The View” and claiming she had fled from the public spotlight after leaving the The View in 2013. “She ran from the public square into exile so she could avoid mean people saying unflattering things about her,” Kelly said. “And there are many to say.”
Hasselbeck’s outburst marked the continuation of her complicated relationship with the world of conservative media. After being famously ousted from The View following an on-air argument with Barbara Walters and Joy Behar, Hasselbeck’s reappearance on the program as a guest host has reignited tensions within the conservative media sphere.
Megyn Kelly, now a SiriusXM host, responded directly to Hasselbeck’s remarks, dismissing her as a “know-nothing” who should not be in a position to critique the national conversation on the Iran conflict. Kelly, who has been an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, went on to call Hasselbeck’s intervention into the discussion about the US military actions a move for attention.
Kelly, unlike Hasselbeck, has publicly expressed skepticism over the US’s military actions in Iran. She voiced concerns about the justification for the attacks, particularly questioning why US soldiers had to die for a foreign country. “My own feeling is no one should have to die for a foreign country,” Kelly said, emphasizing that she didn’t believe those who lost their lives were fighting for the United States. Kelly further expressed doubt over the validity of the White House’s claim that Iran had been planning a preemptive strike against the US.
“This feels very much to me like it is clearly Israel’s war,” Kelly remarked, referencing the longstanding tensions between Iran and Israel. Her comments, which cast doubt on the purpose behind the operation, led to her criticism of both the US and Israeli involvement in the region. While Kelly expressed sympathy for the soldiers on the front lines, she made it clear that she didn’t agree with the administration’s approach.
Despite Kelly’s firm stance on the issue, her remarks have generated mixed reactions from conservative figures. Some have voiced support for her questioning the necessity of the strikes, while others have condemned her for undermining the military’s efforts. Kelly’s comments have also prompted responses from President Trump, who dismissed Kelly’s influence on his decision-making. Trump remarked that Kelly’s opinions had “no impact” on his choices regarding the US’s actions in Iran.
The situation took another twist when Tucker Carlson, another prominent conservative voice, also spoke out against the military intervention, making his own reservations about the US’s involvement in the conflict. While some conservative voices remain divided on the matter, the clash between Kelly and Hasselbeck shows no signs of cooling down. Kelly, with her sharp critique of the US-Iran conflict, and Hasselbeck, standing firmly by her more traditional conservative perspective, have made their disagreement a focal point of the ongoing media conversation about America’s role in the Middle East.
As the war in Iran continues to develop, the divide among conservative figures like Kelly and Hasselbeck is only likely to widen. Whether their feud will escalate further or serve as a mere momentary clash in the world of media remains to be seen.
