The Megyn Kelly Show - Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic, Promising Cancer Treatment, Becerra Surges in CA Race: AM Update 4/21

Episode Date: April 21, 2026

Iran negotiations appear on the verge of collapse as the ceasefire deadline approaches, with U.S. officials preparing to travel for talks even as Iranian leadership signals it may not participate. Outrage is mounting after the IDF confirmed a soldier was responsible for smashing a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, prompting condemnation from Prime Minister Netanyahu and Christian leaders. FBI Director Kash Patel files a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic, accusing the outlet of knowingly publishing false allegations about his conduct based on anonymous sources. A personalized mRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer is showing early signs of promise in a small Phase 1 trial. California’s governor’s race is shifting following Eric Swalwell’s exit amid scandal, with new polling showing former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra gaining ground as a potential contender.   Birch Gold: Text MK to 989898 to join Birch Gold’s Learn and Earn event by April 30!   Supersure Insurance: Simplify your business insurance and get a free coverage report at https://Supersure.com/Megyn Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Tuesday, April 21st, 2026, and this is your AM update. Iran negotiations on the verge of collapse as the ceasefire deadline approaches, while Israel reacts to one of its soldiers seen smashing a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon. Yes, I will. For defamation, and because you know what, Maria, we have to fight back against the fake news. FBI director Cash Patel filing a $250 million defamation suit against the Atlantic, over allegations of drinking and erratic behavior. Pancreatic cancer is the toughest, so our hope is if we can crack the toughest, hopefully we can learn how to crack the rest. An experimental MRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer delivering early signs of progress

in a small trial. And California's governor race shaken up after disgraced former Congressman Eric Swalwell's exit with a potential dark horse emerging in new polling. All that and more coming up in general. just a moment on your AM update. When the dollar's convertibility into gold ended in 1971, gold was fixed at $35 an ounce. Fast forward to today and the U.S. dollar has lost more than 85% of its purchasing power. Gold, on the other hand, is increased in value by over 12,000 percent.

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The more you learn, the more you can earn. But you have to act now as this special event only runs through April 30th. Text my initials, MK, to the number 9-8-9-8-98 to join Birch Gold's learn and earn precious metals event by April 30th. Go now because there's not much time. Text MK to 98989898 today. The state of peace negotiations with Iran as precarious as ever. President Trump on Monday telling Bloomberg the ceasefire expires tomorrow evening and it is, quote, highly unlikely that it will be extended without a deal. The president telling PBS, quote, lots of bombs will start going off in the event a deal is not reached. Mr. Trump has repeated.

repeatedly used bellicose language in an effort to scare the Iranians into making a deal. Vice President J.D. Vance set to lead the talks, according to White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt, Jared Kushner and Steve Wickhoff also slated to attend the meeting in Islamabad. They are set to depart sometime today, per CNN. The New York Times reporting earlier in the day Monday that chief negotiator for the Iranians, Mohamed Bagir Ghali Buf, would attend the talks if Vice President Vance was in attendance. However, late Monday, Gallabuff indicating talks would not take place under current conditions, writing in an ex post, quote,

Trump, by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn this negotiating table into a table of surrender. Galabuff, writing Iran will not accept negotiations under threats, referring to the U.S. military blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, which remains in effect. CNN reporting yesterday that just 16 ships passed through the strait on Monday, with U.S. Central Command directing 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port. So will the negotiations take place or won't they? Time will tell. The Israeli Defense Forces confirming on Sunday the authenticity of a photo showing an Israeli soldier

smashing a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon. In the photo, the statue of Jesus seen upside down at the base of a cross, feet extended in the air, with the soldier. smashing a sledgehammer into the statue's face. The photo which began circulating online Sunday sparking widespread backlash among many Catholics and Christians. On Sunday afternoon, the IDF confirming in an ex-post that an investigation into the incident is ongoing, quote,

The IDF views the incident with great severity and emphasizes that the soldier's conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops. The post going on to promise the statue will be restored to its place. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issuing a statement, quote, I was stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon. It continues, quote, I condemn the act in the strongest terms. Military authorities are conducting a criminal probe of the matter and will take appropriately harsh disciplinary action

against the offender. Head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierre Batista Pizabala, who was recently stopped by Israel from celibular. at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, releasing a statement describing the act as, quote, a grave affront to the Christian faith. The Times of Israel, reporting the photo was captured in a Christian village of DeBull, near the Israeli border. The mayor of DeBull telling the New York Times the statue was in the garden of a private home

in an area where residents were forced to flee about a month ago by Israel's offensive and to which they have not been allowed to return. Israel and Lebanon are currently observing a fragile 10-day ceasefire while working toward a more permanent security agreement amid the conflict involving the Iran-backed terror group, Hezbollah, which is heavily concentrated in Lebanon. The U.S. set to host the next round of talks this Thursday in Washington, D.C. FBI director Cash Patel filing a defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic and staff writer Sarah Fitzpatrick over a piece published Friday originally headlined, quote, Cache Patel's erratic behavior could cost him his job. The article citing more than two dozen anonymous sources and zero on the record sources, alleging Director Patel has demonstrated a pattern of unprofessional conduct,

at times appearing visibly intoxicated in social settings in D.C. and during trips to Las Vegas. Some sources claiming early morning briefings were occasionally pushed back, following late nights by Director Patel. In one incident, the Atlantic reports, quote, a request for breaching equipment, normally used by SWAT and hostage rescue teams to quickly gain entry into buildings, was made last year because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors, according to multiple people familiar with the request. The article also reporting on a viral moment from February,

Director Patel captured on video celebrating with the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team after its gold medal win over Canada, seen drinking and spraying beer in a locker room celebration. Two sources telling the outlet the incident resulted in a phone call to the director from President Trump. However, the administration publicly backing Patel, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt, responding to the report, quote, crime across the country has plummeted to the lowest level in more than 100 years, and many high-profile criminals have been put behind bars. Director Patel remains a critical player on the administration's law and order team. Director Patel addressing the allegations Sunday on Fox News. If the fake news mafia isn't hitting you personally with baseless information in Washington, D.C.,

then you're not doing your job. And it's louder than ever. This FBI has the most prolific year in crime reduction in the United States history. A 20-point percent reduction in the homicide rate. A 20-point drop in opioid overdose deaths. We have found and identified 6,300 child victims. 6,300 kids get to come home to their kids. That's a 30 percent increase.

Seizing enough fentanyl to kill 180 million Americans, that's a 3,300. 31% increase. Tomorrow you will be dropping a lawsuit against the Atlantic magazine. Yes, yes I will. For defamation. And because you know what, Maria, we have to fight back against the fake news. And if the fake news mafia wants to, you know, ring their drum bait as loud as they can, they're never going to stop me from completing the mission that President Trump asked

me to do, which is safeguarding America. And we're doing it better than ever before. At some point on the same day of that interview, the Atlantic editing its headline from Patel's erratic behavior could cost us. him his job to, quote, the FBI director is MIA. So which is it? They don't say, and there's no explanation for the change, nor any correction. The lawsuit filed yesterday morning in U.S. District Court in Washington seeking $250 million in damages, accuses the defendants of publishing what Patel describes as knowingly false claims intended to damage his reputation and force him

from office. Patel arguing the piece meets the high legal threshold of actual malice, which requires a public figure suing for defamation to prove that a publisher either knew a claim was false or acted with reckless disregard for its truth or falsity in publishing the story. From the complaint, quote, defendants published the article with actual malice, despite being expressly warned hours before publication, that the central allegations were categorically false, despite having abundant publicly available information contradicting those allegations, despite obvious and fatal defects in their own sourcing, and adding the Atlantic has a, quote, well-documented, long-running editorial animus toward Director Patel. The complaint alleges a request for more time to respond to the questions

went without a response from the Atlantic. The Atlantic responding in a statement, quote, we stand by our reporting on Cash Patel, and we will vigorously defend the Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit. Coming up, an experimental MRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer now showing early, very promising results in a small trial, and a post-Swalwell shakeup in California's governor race with new polling revealing a potential dark horse contender. Here's a question for you. How many brokers does it take to ensure your business?

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imagine it. Go to supershore.com slash Megan today. That's supershore.com slash Megan, paid for by SuperShure Insurance Agency, LLC, a licensed insurance agency. A sign of progress in the fight against pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly forms of the disease as an MRI vaccine now shows promise. Fewer than 13% of patients survive more than five years after a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Without a routine screening test to catch it early, the disease, often is not detected until it has already spread, leaving patients with limited treatment options. Only 20% of cases are operable per NBC News, and for those patients, an important breakthrough now being tested, a personalized MRNA vaccine built from a patient's tumor to help the immune

system target lingering cancer cells and destroy those that may form later. Dr. Vinod Balashondrom, who is leading the trial at Memorial Sloan Keteroen, Cancer Center in New York City, describing the results to NBC. Even at six years, you can find the immune cells made by the vaccine circulating in her blood at very high levels. What kind of difference could this make? Pancreatic cancer is the toughest, so our hope is if we can crack the toughest, hopefully we can learn how to crack the rest.

A small phase one trial involving just 16 patients was recently conducted. Of those, eight responded to the treatment with only two seeing their cancer come back. Experts cautioning the results are still early, based on a limited number of patients, and not yet proof the treatment will work at larger scale. Phase two of the trial now underway, backed by vaccine manufacturers Genentech and Biantec. Dr. Balashandran and his team now studying how the vaccine is working within the immune system to fight the disease. New polling since Democrat and former Congressman Eric Swalwell dropped out of the California gubernatorial race last week, amid a wave of sexual misconduct allegations, revealing a potential dark horse contender.

Prior to Swalwell's career imploding, he had been routinely performing in the top three, along with Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco. California's open primary system means the top two candidates on Election Day advanced to the general, regardless of party. former Biden HHS secretary Javier Bacera now surging in a slate of new polls. Political consulting firm Goudalunis Strategies, which backs Bacera, finding the former secretary up 11 points since a similar poll preceding Swalwell's exit. The firm reporting Trump endorsed Republican Steve Hilton leads at 20%, Bacera tied for second with billionaire Tom Steyer, both at 15%, Sheriff Chad Bianco in third at 14%, and former

Congresswoman Katie Porter bringing up the rear of the top tier. I feel like this isn't necessarily argumentative. What is your question? In fourth at 13%. The remainder of the field trailing in the single digits. Polling firm Create has Becerra in fourth at 10%, that's up eight points from a month ago. A new poll from Emerson College out late last week finding Hilton leading the pack at 17, followed by Bianco, who along with Steyer, is in this poll tied for second at 14%. Bicera and Katie Porter each tied below that at 10%. Outgoing Governor Gavin Newsom yet to endorse any candidates,

but the New York Post now reporting the governor's allies are increasingly shifting their attention toward Bacera. CNN on Sunday asking Bucera what he believes is behind the surge. I think folks feel very deceived, and voters want to see someone they can trust. It's a tough time in politics, and I believe voters are looking for someone that they can trust. And I believe one thing that makes them have that trust is experience. And I think

if I have something, it's experience. Rividing. Tom Steyer, who made his billions as a founder of a San Francisco based hedge fund, vastly outspending his opponents, booking more than $115 million in ads, according to the AP, nearly 30 times more than his nearest Democrat opponent, Porter placing in the middle of the pack in most polling, still fighting as well, with this compelling argument last week on KTLA. I think this is a time for women to lead. I think this is a time for moms to lead. In October, the New York Post reporting on resurfaced documents from Porter's 2013 divorce, in which she was accused of dumping scalding hot mashed potatoes on her then-husband's head, more like moms beating than leading. Each of the five aforementioned candidates,

plus San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, set to take the stage tomorrow night in a debate focusing on the economy, public safety, housing, and the state's future direction. Early voting begins May 5th with the primary set for June 2nd. And that'll do it for your AM update. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for the MK show. Live on SiriusXMs, the Megan Kelly channel 11 at noon east on YouTube.com slash Megan Kelly and on all podcast platforms.