The Megyn Kelly Show - Kash Patel Takes Over FBI, Hamas Hostage Outrage, and DOGE Refund Potential: AM Update for 2/21

Episode Date: February 21, 2025

AM Update for 2/21: Kash Patel is confirmed as FBI Director in a 51-49 vote, as Mitch McConnell announces his retirement. Hamas terrorists parade the coffins of the Bibas children through Gaza, but their mother's body is missing. President Trump’s approval rating dips. The White House considers using DOGE savings for taxpayer refunds.Ground News: Use the link https://groundnews.com/megynfor 40% off the Vantage subscription to see through mainstream media narratives. Tax Network USA: CALL 1-800-958-1000 or visit https://TNUSA.com/MEGYN to speak with a strategist for FREE today

Good morning, everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly. It's Friday, February 21st, 2025, and this is your AM Update. The yeas are 51. The nays are 49. The confirmation is confirmed. Kash Patel is confirmed to a 10-year term as FBI director, with a surprise supporter carrying him across the finish line. It was so humiliating, so disgusting, so despicable. Even the UN Commissioner on Human Rights condemned it strongly and fearfully. Our worst fears confirmed. Hamas terrorists parade the coffins of the innocent Biba's children through the streets of Gaza before returning the tiny captives to Israel. We'll have a full report. And a new slate of polls shows slight changes

to President Trump's approval rating. And is Doge about to send you a refund check? All that and more coming up on your AM Update. This show is dedicated to uncovering the truth in a media landscape often dominated by left-leaning narratives, especially when it comes to President Trump. It's safe to say you can expect more agenda-driven stories and factual distortions all over the rest of the news. But I do want to tell you about Ground News. Unlike other platforms that censor or amplify certain narratives, Ground News is not a news publisher. They're an independent app and website that aggregates every source on a story so you can compare coverage and see through mainstream media spin. Ground News has an entire blind spot feed with stories that are receiving

lopsided coverage. It truly reveals how media narratives are shaping the conversation. My viewers are going to get 40% off their Vantage plan, which gives you unlimited access to their website and their app. They are independent. They are supported by subscribers, not corporate interests. You can check them out at groundnews.com slash Megan. That's ground, G-R-O-U-N-D, news.com slash Megan, to take back control of the news you consume. Kash Patel confirmed as FBI director. The vote was 51 to 49. Senator Mitch McConnell surprising many with his vote in favor of Mr. Patel. Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining every Democrat to vote against the nominee. Mr. Patel was believed to be one of President Trump's most controversial nominees. In fact, many pundits on both sides suggested there was zero chance he

would make it through. Yesterday morning, six Senate Democrats held a brief press conference outside of the Hoover Building in one last-ditch effort to protest his confirmation. Kash Patel, mark my words, will cause evil in this building behind us. He's an instrument of Donald Trump's effort to destroy the Justice Department and the FBI so that he is absolutely and completely not only above the law but beyond the law.

This is a real danger and a real threat. This vote will haunt you. You will be held accountable. He is a yes man for President Trump, already undermining the critical bureau he wants to lead. Former Congressman, now Senator, Adam Schiff of California also weighed in. He will misuse the resources of the Bureau. He will weaponize it against the president's political opponents rather than protecting the safety, the public safety of the American people. As a congressman, Mr. Schiff was removed from his position on the House Intel Committee by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. As then chairman of that committee, Mr. Schiff led the hearings investigating Russian influence in the 2016 election. For years, he told the American people that behind closed doors, he had seen evidence of President Trump's direct collusion with Russia to win the 2016 election.

Donald Trump was really the one who enabled this Russian operation to be so successful by giving them cover, by denying it was even happening, by denying it was the Russians. I think there's plenty of evidence of collusion or conspiracy in plain sight. You can see evidence in plain sight on the issue of collusion, pretty compelling evidence. There's ample evidence of collusion in plain sight, and that is true. Follow-up investigations revealed none of that. In fact, we've learned that the story was based off of phony intel originally funded by the Clinton campaign.

The FBI knew the intel was questionably sourced, but used it anyway to secure FISA warrants that allowed them to spy on Trump advisor Carter Page and, by extension, the Trump campaign. Text messages between two top FBI agents revealed their plan to, quote, stop Trump from getting elected. Republicans frequently criticized the FBI under the Biden administration, which created a specific threat tag, edu officials, that would monitor parents attending school board meetings as potential threats. A leaked January 2023 FBI memo proposed monitoring some Catholics, suggesting Catholics interested in the traditional Latin mass could be linked to extremist groups. That memo was later retracted. Trust in the FBI has been on a steady decline.

A 2003 Gallup poll showed 53 percent rated the FBI as good or excellent. As of 2024, that number had dropped to 41%. President Trump campaigned on a promise of rooting out partisan actors from the Justice Department and FBI. A DOJ spokesperson said earlier this week, quote, this DOJ will return to its core function of prosecuting dangerous criminals, not pursuing politically motivated witch hunts. Like Mr. Trump, Bobby Kennedy, and Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel is a fierce critic of the very bureau he now oversees. He made the following statement in a September episode of The Sean Ryan Show. The biggest problem the FBI has had has come out of its intel shops. I'd break that component out

of it. I'd shut down the FBI Hoover building on day one and reopening the next day as a museum of the deep state. And I'd take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals. Go be cops. You're cops. Go be cops. Mr. Patel played a key role identifying FBI misconduct related to the Steele dossier. Reuters reports that in the first month of the second Trump administration, at least 75 career DOJ lawyers and FBI officials have either resigned, been fired, or stripped of their posts. FBI directors typically serve 10-year terms. Prior to his vote for Kash Patel yesterday, Senator Mitch McConnell announcing his own retirement. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime.

I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last. After voting against Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, and RFKJ, many expected the senator to oppose Patel as well. That would have left the tie-breaking vote to Vice President J.D. Vance. First elected to the Senate back in 1984, Mr. McConnell holds the title of longest-serving Senate party leader in American history. Despite a contentious relationship with President Trump's nominees this time around, Senator McConnell played a crucial role in shepherding Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett onto the U.S. Supreme Court.

Coming up, the Biba's children are returned to Israel. The latest on Trump polling and possible Doge refund checks. All this and more in just a moment. The IRS is the largest collection agency in the world. And with April 15th fast approaching, it's more aggressive than ever. If you owe back taxes or have unfiled returns, waiting is not an option. And let's face it, it's stressful. Get this handled. April 15th could mark another tax year that has passed you by. So the smart thing to do is to get ahead of it right now. But listen, never contact the IRS alone.

That's crazy talk. Don't do that. Instead, you could let the experts at Tax Network USA handle it for you. Why? Well, not all tax resolution companies are the same. Tax Network USA has a preferred direct line to the IRS, so they know exactly which agents to deal with and which to avoid. That can be very useful to you. With proven strategies to settle tax problems in your favor, whether you owe 10

grand or 10 million, Tax Network USA's attorneys and negotiators have already resolved over $1 billion in tax debt. Speak with one of their strategists today for free. Don't let the IRS control your future. Call 1-800-958-1000 or visit tnusa.com slash Megan. tnusa.com slash Megan. April 15th is just around the corner. You act now. Get it off your plate before the IRS acts first. Four bodies returned yesterday to Israel from the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials say one of them, expected to be Shiri Bibas, is not actually her and does not match any other hostage. The

Israeli military releasing this statement, quote, this is a violation of utmost severity by the Hamas terrorist organization, which is obligated under the agreement to return four deceased hostages. We demand that Hamas return Sheree home along with all other hostages. Officials did confirm the remains of her two young sons, Ariel, age four, and Kafir, just nine months old when they were taken from their homes barefoot and in their PJs on October 7th, 2023. The boys, the youngest of the 253 hostages taken that day, became a harrowing symbol both to the Israeli people and to the world of the sheer brutality of Hamas's attack. As the choir-living hostages, the Hamas terrorists paraded the bodies through the streets with loud music blaring, almost celebratory.

Some members of the crowd cheering as the caskets of the babies pass by. The four black boxes then displayed on a podium, each with a picture of the hostage at the base, their name and words, quote, The war criminal Netanyahu and his Nazi army killed them with missiles from Zionist warplanes, a claim totally unsupported by any evidence. Israeli President Herzog on MSNBC reacting to the barbaric scene. I think that is a true reality of what we Israelis have been going through with these jihadists who've taken over Gaza and turned it into an Iranian terror base against Israel with their hate and with a lack of morality and with a barbaric approach to life. But it was so humiliating, so disgusting, so despicable. Even the UN Commissioner on Human

Rights condemned it strongly and fearfully. The coffins were scanned for explosives before they were returned by the Red Cross to Israel. The remains of the fourth hostage, also confirmed by Israeli officials, were those of Oded Leifsheetz, 83 when he was taken hostage. He was the founder of the Kibbutz near Oz, the village where he and the Bibas family lived. Mr. Leifsheetz worked for many years as a journalist for a left-leaning newspaper. President Herzog spoke about his life and work. Mr. Leif Sheetz worked for many years as a journalist for a left-leaning newspaper. President Herzog spoke about his life and work. The other person is Oded Leif Sheetz, an 86-year-old retired elderly peace activist.

We used to work with the Palestinians on a daily basis to help them in any way they need. The Times of Israel reporting Mr. Leif Sheets was an Arabic speaker. He worked with an organization called Road for Recovery. He would drive weekly into the Gaza Strip, shuttling Palestinians in need of medical treatment into Israel. Oded's wife, Yokoved, tells the Times of Israel her husband, quote, fought for the Palestinians his whole life. They betrayed him and took him to hell. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Israeli people yesterday, saying, quote, our hearts may be broken, but our spirit is not. And with this spirit, we will

return all of our hostages. We will destroy the murderers. We will eliminate Hamas. And together, with God's help, we will ensure our future. Six more hostages are set to be released tomorrow. Phase two of these negotiations are now in the preliminary stage. Earlier this week, Mr. Netanyahu reportedly told his cabinet the conditions for entering phase two will require Hamas to disarm and to have no presence in Gaza. A fresh slate of polls showing a slight decrease in enthusiasm for President Trump's job approval. CNN's Harry Enten breaks it down. The worst day of polling for Donald Trump during his entire second term in office.

What am I talking about here? Take a look at Trump's net approval rating. CNN, you see it on this side of the screen. Minus five. Gallup, minus six. Ipsos, minus seven. Quinnipiac, minus four. Negative, negative, negative, negative. Underwater, underwater, underwater, underwater. Enten saying it's the worst day of polling in Trump's second term. All of the polls he referenced come out on a monthly basis, and President Trump is just one month into his second. Each of the four polls referenced have Mr. Trump's approval in the mid to upper 40s, with strong support amongst Republicans. Amongst all voters, CNN shows Mr. Trump with a 47% approval rating compared to 52% who disapprove. Gallup has it

45 to 51, Washington Post-Ipsos 45 to 53, and Quinnipiac 45 to 49. According to the RealClearPolitics polling average, President Trump is at a 48% favorable and 49% unfavorable rating, although these new polls are not factored into those numbers. President Trump's approval rating remains far above his first term, which never got higher than 44%. Potential for a Doge-funded tax refund? The Doge team reports they have saved $55 billion of taxpayer money. The official website says the savings come from fraud detection, contract cancellations, and asset sales, among other actions. Earlier this week, investment manager James Fischbach proposed issuing a refund to taxpayers on X with these savings. Elon Musk responding, we'll check with the president. The idea picking up traction

throughout the week, President Trump addressed it in Miami on Wednesday. There's even under consideration a new concept where we give 20% of the Doge savings to American citizens and 20% goes to paying down debt because the numbers are incredible, Elon. In the briefing room yesterday, Stephen Miller outlined how the concept might play out. The way that it works is when you achieve savings, you can either return it to taxpayers, you can return it to our debtors, or it can be cycled into next year's budget, and then it just lowers the overall baseline for next year. And when is it that people might see those checks?

Well, it's all going to be worked on through the reconciliation process with Congress. A common Republican criticism of the Biden administration was that the stimulus checks were inflationary and counterproductive. CNN's Caitlin Collins asked Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, if he has any concern that Doge refunds could have the same effect. Oh, absolutely not. Because imagine if we don't spend government money and we give it back to people, then if they spend it all, then you're even. But they're probably going to save a lot of it, in which case you're reducing inflation. And also, when the government spends a lot, that's what creates inflation.

We learned that from Joe Biden. Right now, the House and Senate are working on budget proposals. Any Doge refunds would have to come from the budgeting process. Fort Knox, the 109,000-acre property located in Kentucky, is one of the world's most tightly guarded locations. It holds about 161 million ounces of gold, approximately 59 percent of the U.S. Treasury's total supply, according to the U.S. Mint. Or does it? Elon Musk saying, prove it. The last public tour of Fort Knox was in 1974 under President Gerald Ford. A group of congressmen and some journalists became the second tour group outside of authorized

personnel to take a peek around. The first look was President Franklin Roosevelt back in 1943, 10 years after the fort opened. As part of the wider Doge audit of the federal government, Mr. Musk is encouraging President Trump to investigate Fort Knox. President Trump responding to the idea on Wednesday aboard Air Force One. We do want to look. I mean, we hope everything's fine with Fort Knox, but we're going to go to Fort Knox, the fabled Fort Knox, and make sure the gold is there. Where would the gold have gone? If the gold isn't there, we're going to be very upset. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said in a separate interview on Wednesday, quote,

all the gold is present and accounted for. He says the Treasury Department conducts an audit every year. I mean, it is, after all, Fort Knox. That'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Megyn Kelly. Join me back here for The Megyn Kelly Show, live on SiriusXM Triumph Channel 111 at noon east, on youtube.com slash Megyn Kelly, and on all podcast platforms.