The Megyn Kelly Show - Fed Official Sues Over Firing, New Details on Bolton Probe, Newsom's Bizarre Rant: AM Update 8/29

Episode Date: August 29, 2025

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook sues the Trump administration over her firing, calling the mortgage fraud allegations “unsubstantiated” and claiming the real issue is policy disagreements over interest rates. CDC Director Susan Monarez refuses to step down after being asked to resign, prompting the White House to fire her directly and triggering high-profile resignations across the agency. New reporting from the New York Times shows the FBI probe into John Bolton began under Biden and centers on emails tied to his 2020 memoir, complicating claims of Trumpian retribution. California Governor Gavin Newsom sues to block Trump’s use of the National Guard in Los Angeles, while simultaneously expanding his own state’s anti-crime operations, drawing charges of contradiction. Governor Newsom accuses President Trump of planning to deploy the National Guard to polling places as part of a scheme to block the next election ... a fevered claim made just hours before Newsom himself rolled out new state-led crime suppression operations across California. All Family Pharmacy: Order now at https://allfamilypharmacy.com/MEGYN and save 10% with code MEGYN10Riverbend Ranch: Visit https://riverbendranch.com/ | Use promo code MEGYN for $20 off your first order.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Friday, August 29th, 2025, and this is your AM update. To sabotage and undermine the president, that should be enough cause to justify their lawful removal. The Trump administration facing some high-profile employment challenges this week as two top officials get fired only to then refuse to leave. New reporting exposes the basis of the investigation. into John Bolton, undermining accusations that President Trump is weaponizing law enforcement against him. I don't think Donald Trump wants another election. And Gavin Newsom makes a bizarre prediction about President Trump's intentions with the National Guard. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update.

Who's really on your side when it comes to your health? Insurance companies, bureaucrats, pharmacies that refuse valid prescriptions, Not so much. Too many parts of our health care system are working against you. Blocking proven treatments, jacking up prices, making you jump through hoops that are unnecessary. This is why I want to tell you about all-family pharmacy, an independent pharmacy that's on your side, fighting for your medical freedom, making it simple to get the treatments you trust without the insurance run around. Just order online. A licensed doctor will review your request and your medication ships straight to your door. it's fast, simple, and secure. Right now, Ivermectin and Mavendazol are 25% off, starting at just

two bucks a capsule. And you can save another 10% off with code Megan 10. Choose from over 200 medications, antibiotics, hydroxychloroquine, NAD plus, antivirals, and more, all with a prescription included. Go to allfamilyfarmacy.com slash Megan and use the code Megan 10 to save today. That's All-Family Pharmacy, where your health and your choice matters. Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook on Thursday officially suing the Trump administration over her firing, hiring attorney Abby Lowell, known for his representation of, among others, Hunter Biden, to represent her. Cook is battling to retain her 14-year appointment at the Federal Reserve set to expire in

2038. The president on Monday moving to fire Cook over a criminal referral made earlier this month by the nation's top housing finance regulator Bill Pulte, alleging she committed mortgage fraud, claiming she listed two separate homes as her primary residence, fraudulently securing more favorable loan rates. Cook firing back with a lawsuit against the administration, calling her ouster, quote, unprecedented and illegal, arguing, quote, an unsubstantiated, allegation about private mortgage applications submitted by Governor Cook prior to her Senate confirmation does not constitute cause for termination. Notably, she uses that turn unsubstantiated, but she does not in her lawsuit nor anywhere publicly since the allegation broke actually deny it.

Her lawyer is now asking for a D.C. federal judge to declare her firing was unlawful and that she can remain an active member of the Board of Governors. The first hearing, set for 10 a.m. today before a Biden appointed judge. We spoke with Julie Kelly, reporter for declassified on Substack about this case. She says it is the latest example of D.C. courts bending over backwards to rush anti-Trump lawsuits to the front of the line. It's pretty amazing to watch how quickly these judges, especially in Washington, D.C., are taking up these lawsuits. And in many cases immediately entering temporary restraining orders on behalf of whoever the plaintiff is seeking to be reinstated or not fired or not dismissed. I mean, they are, they are moving with great

speed. In fact, so much so that an appellate court judge mocked even the Supreme Court and his other colleagues as this sort of Denny's restaurant atmosphere that whatever these plaintiffs are looking for immediately seeking relief from whatever the president and his administration are trying to do immediately, you know, setting these hearings. Like this is some sort of national emergency. You've set aside real legitimate cases, including criminal cases, so you could take up the latest lawsuit against the president. It's pretty remarkable to see.

Cook's lawyers now claim the allegations against her were simply a clerical error that she accidentally mislabeled one of her homes as a primary residence on an application four years ago. Keep in mind, both applications were made within weeks of one another. They argue the real reason for her removal is a policy dispute over the Fed's decision to keep interest rates steady in defiance of President Trump's many public pleas to lower them. As a semi-independent body under the executive branch, the president is not technically allowed to fire employees solely over policy disagreements. A White House spokesperson responding in a statement to the New York Post, quote, the president determined there was cause to remove a governor who was credibly accused of

lying in financial documents from a highly sensitive position overseeing financial institutions. The removal of a governor for cause improves the Federal Reserve Board's accountability and credibility and credibility for both the markets and American people. Julie Kelly questioning the very logic of these so-called independent bodies. This is the whole really point what is an independent agency there shouldn't be any there there has to be accountability if you can appoint members to boards like the federal reserve then logic follows that they are under the purview and oversight of the president so the idea that you just appoint people and then they go willy-nilly and work on their own and do whatever they want and in many cases work to sabotage and

undermine the president and his administration's agenda, that should be enough cause to justify their lawful removal. Kelly noting recent cases over similar terminations involving independent bodies indicate likely success for the Trump administration. We already have recent examples of the Supreme Court even stepping in and saying the president's dismissal of Hampton Delinger, who was the Biden appointed Office of Special Counsel. And he was removed. He was fired by the president and personnel director earlier this year. And he fought that firing under the same basis that he had to have cause, that they had to have a reason why.

And basically the higher court, Supreme Court said, no, you don't. This is a position under the direct purview of the president. And so the removal was justified, was lawful. And he finally had to leave that. office. So there is some recent case history that will support the president. The Supreme Court also found, however, that the Fed is a uniquely structured quasi-private entity with a distinct historical tradition, which has some doubting that the High Court would do anything to undermine the Fed's independence. If the Trump administration is successful

in ousting Cook, it could lead to a fundamental realignment of how the executive branch works, says Kelly. And of course this will apply to a Democratic president once, you know, a Democrat is elected again. These terms really should not last longer than, say, two terms of a president. So in this case, a 14-year stagger term for the members of the Federal Reserve Board. There is no such thing as independent, is this the fourth branch of government then? all of these independent offices and boards, then we need to address the entire Constitution, if that's the case. There is no such thing as independent bodies of government that have very powerful decision-making

authority outside of Congress, outside of the president. So, yes, this should be part of a complete overhaul in rethinking the idea that any of these powerful boards and offices, commissions, et cetera. should be independent from presidential authority and oversight. Late last night, Bill Pulte sending a second criminal referral to the DOJ regarding a third Lisa Cook property. Pulte alleging Cook entered into a 15-year mortgage loan on a condo in Cambridge, Massachusetts, representing it as her second home. On later government ethics forms, Cook allegedly represented the property as an investment property,

not a second home. There's a difference. Investment properties typically come with higher interest rates than second homes do, as investment homes are considered more risky by lenders. Cook also allegedly represented an Atlanta property as her residence, despite evidence it was used as a rental. A residence would typically result in a lower mortgage rate than a rental property would, and could lead to a lower down payment requirement, too. All of this would potentially be fraud, if true. And finally, Cook allegedly declared this year that her property in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was her personal residence, despite information indicating it, too, is being used as a rental. As of late Thursday, Ms. Cook had not yet responded to the latest allegations.

Another employment standoff this week at the CDC, Director Susan Monores, refusing to step down despite HHS Secretary RFKJ's request earlier this week. The New York Times reporting Secretary Kennedy asking Monterez to resign over disagreements in vaccine policy. When she refused, HHS announced Monterez, quote, is no longer director of the CDC. Monterez's attorneys, Mark Zaid, and Abby Lowell again, responding in a statement, quote, when CDC director Susan Monterez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives, and fired dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. She will not resign. By Wednesday evening, the White House personnel office formally notified Monterez of her termination.

Yes, you are fired. Zaid insisting, that too, was unlawful. Writing on social media quote, as a presidential appointee, Senate confirmed officer only the president himself can fire. her. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt on Thursday indicating the White House is committed to firing this woman. Her lawyer's statement made it abundantly clear themselves that she was not aligned with the president's mission to make America healthy again. And the secretary asked her to resign. She said she would and then she said she wouldn't. So the president fired her, which he has every right to do. A new replacement will be announced by either the president or the secretary very soon. and the president and Secretary Kennedy are committed to restoring trust and transparency and

credibility to the CDC. And last night, the administration announcing a top HHS deputy of RFKJ, Jim O'Neill, has been selected to serve as acting CDC director. Amid the fallout, four top CDC officials resigning, chief medical officer Dr. Deborah Howary, Dr. Jennifer Layden, who oversaw public health data, Dr. Daniel Jernigan, who oversaw vaccine safety, and Dr. Dmitri Daskalakis, who ran the center overseeing vaccine recommendations. This guy is perhaps the most recognizable of the bunch, rising to national attention under the Biden administration as the deputy coordinator of the White House Monkeypox response team,

and posing on the cover of HIV Plus magazine in an unbuttoned shirt all the way down, revealing a leather pentagram harness. Just another day in the Biden. administration. The doctor posting a lengthy resignation letter on X that repeatedly uses the term pregnant people touts his LGBTQ credentials and claims, quote, I have never experienced such radical non-transparency, nor have I seen such unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end rather than the good of the American people. Okay, he's never experienced such radical non-transparency, he's never seen such unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end? That is rich coming from a CDC official in power during the COVID pandemic.

This guy signed his letter with his name and his pronouns, he, his, him, which are evident to anyone that has been unfortunate enough to see the aforementioned magazine cover. Bye. Coming up, new reporting on the Bolton investigation undermining claims that Trump is using the FBI as a tool of retribution. And California Governor Gavin Newsom cannot make up his mind about California's crime problem. So I've been talking a lot about River Bend Ranch lately because I love their stakes. River Bend Ranch has taken Black Angus beef to a whole new level. For the last 35 years, River Bend Ranch has been creating a very elite Angus herd by using ultrasound to select genetically

superior cattle with a focus on flavor and tenderness. When you purchase from River Bend Ranch, you are not only supporting the 64 cowboys and cowgirls and their families who work on the ranch, but you're also supporting over 260 other U.S. ranches and the hundreds of American families who work on them. It's born in the USA, it's raised in the USA, it's processed in the USA. It is aged to perfection for 21 days and shipped directly from the ranch to your home. This is not your average black angus beef. So order from Riverbendranch.com. Use the promo code Megan to get $20 off your first order and let me know what you think. Riverbendranch.com promo code Megan. New reporting by the New York Times shining light on the investigation into former Trump

National Security Advisor and current Trump critic John Bolton, who was reportedly in talks to retain, you guessed it, attorney altogether now, Abby Loll, perhaps the busiest man in Washington, not named Donald Trump or maybe Marco Rubio. Bolton's home in office raided one week ago by the FBI, many critics quick to say, this is the latest example of President Trump weaponizing the DOJ

to retaliate against his political enemies, a sampling here from MS now and CNN. Mrs. Chilling, it really is. clearly this is using the FBI in a way that not only tarnishes the FBI, but it tarnishes our country. It looks like it's just more revenge and more retribution on his political enemies. He said he was going to go after all of these individuals, and one by one, he's slowly doing that. The New York Times reporting the investigation, quote, began to pick up momentum during the Biden administration when U.S. intelligence officials collected information that appeared to show Bolton

had mishandled classified information. The U.S. reportedly gathering info from an adversarial foreign spy agency, including emails with sensitive information that, quote, Mr. Bolton, while still working in the first Trump administration, appeared to have sent to people close to him on an unclassified system. The Times forced to admit that while searches on Bolton's property raise questions about retribution, quote, the new details of the case present a more complex chain of events. The quote, long-running investigation into Bolton reportedly involves information appearing

to come from classified documents he had seen as national security advisor. He allegedly emailed the sensitive information to people close to him as he gathered material for his 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened. Bolton, who served under Trump 1.0 from April 2018 through September 2019, previously denied any wrongdoing in the crafting of his memoir. Mr. Bolton is being investigated under the Espionage Act. No charges have yet been filed. California Governor Gavin Newsom struggling to decide whether crime is a problem in his state or not. The governor and likely 2028 Democratic presidential candidate is suing the Trump administration over its federalization of National Guard troops in Los Angeles,

arguing the move violates the Posse Comitatis Act, which prohibits the use of the military as, domestic law enforcement. The decision on that suit is pending. Governor Newsom is one of the most vocal critics of the Trump administration's use of the National Guard in California and in D.C. Recent reporting indicating the White House is working on plans to potentially broaden the effort across the country, though President Trump says that would be with the cooperation of the respective governors. In a bizarre politico town hall appearance on Wednesday, Governor Newsom suggesting President Trump's use of the National Guard is far more sinister

that it's actually a pretext to somehow shut down or interfere with the next presidential election. He will send the National Guard, he will send him all across this country, and he will do so through election day. You have the largest private police force in the world. When they're done with this,

all that funding and that big, beautiful betrayal allows more resources for this private, police force that increasingly is showing a tendency, not to swear an oath to the Constitution, but to the President of the United States. And he'll be sending them to voting booths and polling places all across this country. I don't think Donald Trump wants another election. And you think he's going to run again? No, who spends $200 million on a ballroom at their home and then leaves the house? This is serious, guys. This is serious. So the National Guard is being deployed not to

fight crime, but as placeholders to somehow keep Trump in office. Got it. Except, less than 24 hours after that town hall appearance, Governor Newsom announcing plans to expand crime suppression operation in his state, though without requesting help from the feds. One reporter questioning the governor on the apparent disconnect in his positions. Two messages today are kind of contradictory. On the one hand, you're mocking Trump's deployments and, you know, highlighting the crime rates and red states that you say are higher, and at the same time, we're here because you're surging law enforcement across the state. So do you believe that crime is a problem in California or not? Well, I'm sort of a curious question. I made the entire point that crime's an issue, and we want

to tackle it, and we continue to do more in that space, and we announced and highlighted some of the expansion, what is not contradictory, respectfully. is that we're doing it in partnership with our local communities. We did it in partnership with the Biden administration prior. We're not talking about the nationalization, the militarization of the Guard and militarizing the United States cities. So quite the contrary. So crime is a problem that needs more resources. And Trump is providing those resources.

But he's not doing it for the right reason. As proven by Gavin Newsom's fever dream, Or is it more likely the governor's been watching Bill Maher on Friday nights, who said the following one week ago? I don't know if I was the first one to use the phrase slow-moving coup. If there was a slow-moving coup, let me just describe some of the steps, and you tell me if I'm being paranoid. First, create a masked police force. Normalize snatching people off the street. Normalize seeing the car, the National Guard, and the military.

Have other states start sending their troops. So you have in the Capitol a sort of permanent police presence. So when an election dispute might come up, just hypothetically, I'm going to pretend for the rest of the duration that the Democrats do have a chance of winning and they might win the next election. I just don't think they're ever going to take power because this is what's going to happen.

Because I think this coup is going to go off a lot smoother than the last one. And that'll do it for your AM update. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for the Megan Kelly Show. Live on Sirius XM Triumph Channel 11 at noon east on YouTube.com slash Megan Kelly and on all podcast platforms.