The Megyn Kelly Show - SBA Fraud Probed, RFK Jr and Hegseth Targeted for Impeachment, In-N-Out Bans “6-7”: AM Update 12/11

Episode Date: December 11, 2025

A federal small-business contracting program intended for disadvantaged owners is now under investigation by the SBA, Treasury, and Senate leaders after a series of fraud revelations, guilty pleas, and undercover footage showing companies exploiting racial set-asides to bypass competitive bidding. The Trump administration is proposing new vetting rules that would require travelers from dozens of visa-waiver countries to submit up to a decade of online information before entering the U.S.. Two House Democrats filed impeachment articles against Secretaries Pete Hegseth and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., attacks widely seen as political stunts with no chance of advancing in a Republican-controlled House. In-N-Out has officially retired order number 67 after the Gen-Alpha “6-7” meme sparked chaotic in-store outbursts, fueled by a viral TikTok trend that has even reached Vice President JD Vance’s household. Walmart: Learn how Walmart is fueling the future of U.S. manufacturing at https://Walmart.com/America-at-work Herald Group: Learn more at https://GuardYourCard.com 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 Emily Dershinsky, host of After Party and the Megan Kelly wrap-up show on Sirius XM Channel 11. It's Thursday, December 11th, 2025, and this is your AM update. Unfortunately, the SBA's A-Day program has been a magnet for fraudsters since its inception. Another federal program under multiple investigations following accusations of rampant fraud and abuse. Customs and Border Protection considers screening social media histories for some travelers seeking entry into the U.S. I introduced articles to impeach Secretary Pete Hexed. RFK Jr. has got to go.

Two Democrat lawmakers filing performative articles of impeachment against two top Trump cabinet officials and a fast food chain takes a stand against a viral meme craze. You know the one. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update. When customers are walking through the aisles of their local Walmart, they are not just picking up groceries or supplies. They are supporting American businesses and their communities.

The real story is what's behind the label. With over two-thirds of the products Walmart buys made, grown, or assembled right here in the U.S., buying local is not just stocking shelves. it's about strengthening communities. Because of that commitment, Walmart invested $350 billion in U.S. manufacturing, helping American companies like Fisher and Weezer specialty foods, that's a local Texas business, expand their operations in Fredericksburg, Texas, to hire more people and bring their Texas-grown peach jam to a national market. Their story is just one example of how Walmart's U.S. manufacturing investment

is supporting over 750,000 American jobs. Businesses across the country are important. empowered to sell more, hire more, and help their communities grow. From farms to factories to final shopping carts, learn how Walmart is fueling the future of U.S. manufacturing at walmart.com slash America at work. A federal contracting program intended for, quote, experienced small business owners who are socially and economically disadvantaged, including black, Hispanic, native, and other groups, now the target of investigations by the small.

business administration, or SBA, the Treasury Department, and the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship amid accusations of rampant fraud. Historically, about 5% of government contracts were set aside under what is known as the 8A program, the Biden administration tripling the goal to 15% of total government contracts. In fiscal year 2024, the program handing out $40 billion in awards. In June, one government official and three executives pleading guilty to a decade-long bribery scheme involving at least 14 contracts totaling more than $550 million. Prosecutors saying the government official sidestepped the competitive bidding process to steer lucrative contracts under the 8A program to executives who were paying him kickbacks.

SBA Administrator Kelly Leffler ordering a review of the program to identify similar examples of misconduct. In October, investigative journalist James O'Keefe releasing a video further exposing alleged fraud within the program, the director of contracts for an 8A company explaining to O'Keefe how businesses in the program are able to win the contracts, then pass off the majority of the work through subcontractors. And I tell you, pass-throughs are a great thing as well. Don't me about those. Well, so pass-throughs, because you're Native American, right? If you have, there's a big bid out, and there's a company that wants to bid on it, that's not Native American.

All they do is partner with you. They use their people. They subcontract to them, right? They're your subs. So a lot of our subcontractors bid on contracts that were perfect in their industry. but because they weren't Native American, they wouldn't win it. So we'd be on it for them. They became our son, and it's an automatic win because of the government sat aside.

You automatically will win that contract because of your Native American status. There's no biddy war. The director telling O'Keefe, their company completes about 20% of the work, passing off the remaining 80% to other contractors in violation of rules regarding subcontractors. in violation of rules regarding subcontracting. That company is now under investigation by the SBA. O'Keeffe's reporting triggering an additional wave of investigations, the Treasury Department in November announcing its own probe into the program,

covering about $9 billion worth of contracts. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, head of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, sending letters to 22 agency heads, including the Department of War, Interior, DOJ, and more, requesting that they pause 8A contracting and conduct internal reviews of those contracts within their agencies. Yesterday, Senator Ernst's committee holding a hearing on the matter, the senator outlining inherent issues that result from issuing contracts based on

skin color rather than merit. Unfortunately, the SBA's 8A program has been a magnet for fraudsters since its inception. When 8A programs divert government contracts to businesses committing fraud, legitimate small businesses pay the price, losing jobs, revenue, and growth opportunities. Government contracting should be based on eligibility and merit, not skin color. I promise to make Washington squeal, and it is clear that this pig pen of a swamp needs a thorough mucking out. Democrats, led by Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, largely belittling the need for the hearing. Today's hearing is called running government like a small business, cut waste, crush fraud.

A more accurate title, however, would be running government like a Trump family business, cutting deals with billionaires and crushing small businesses. As we're focusing on waste, fraud, and abuse, you know, there's just so much of that rampant in this regime that I hardly know where to begin. The administration's most recent fixation, SBA's 8A program, which is a program that gives small disadvantaged businesses training, technical assistance, and federal contracting opportunities for nine years. Now, those businesses are principally black and brown owned in our country.

That's who they're focusing on. Investigative reporter Luke Roziak, who has extensively covered fraud within the program, testifying that it no longer serves its original purpose. The program was created in 1978, mostly to help black Americans start businesses since they'd been discriminated against by the government. But I don't believe any member of this committee would support the program if you see how it works a half century later.

At least 5% of all federal contracting dollars are diverted through set-asides. But these billions don't go to poor minorities in your states. They go to insiders in the suburbs of D.C., which are already the wealthiest counties in the country. Earlier this week, SBA administrator Kelly Leffler issuing letters requiring all 4,300 8A firms to submit financial records covering the last three years, as Senator Ernst has introduced legislation to halt all awards under the program until an audit is complete. The Trump administration is preparing to require foreign travelers from more than three dozen countries to submit their last five years of social media. history before being allowed into the U.S. U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Tuesday filing notice of the proposal in the Federal Register, the government's official public notice

system. The proposal applying to visitors seeking electronic travel authorization, a visa waiver program for certain countries, to enter the U.S. for up to 90 days. The current guidelines requiring travelers from countries like Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Qatar, Spain, and the U.K., to pay $40. and provide a home address, phone number, email address, and emergency contact. The proposal calling for a more thorough vetting, including all of the traveler's personal and business phone numbers from the last five years, email addresses from the last 10 years, plus names, birthdays, places of birth, and addresses of family members. The rule now subject to a 60-day public comments period where people can weigh in with questions,

comments, and concerns before it can officially take effect. The new vetting procedures set to take effect early next year in advance of the World Cup set to begin in June. Eleven U.S. cities set to host matches with Reuters reporting over a million tourists expected to travel to the states to watch the five-week tournament. Foreign students and H-1B visa holders are subject to similar online presence reviews, critics of the proposal calling it an attack on free speech, though full constitutional protections do not generally apply to foreign travelers, seeking entry into the U.S. A CPP spokesperson telling AM Update, quote,

nothing has changed on this front for those coming to the United States. This is not a final rule. It is simply the first step to starting a discussion to have new policy options to keep the American people safe. The department is constantly looking at how we vet those coming into the country, especially after the terrorist attack in Washington, D.C., against our National Guard right before Thanksgiving. Coming up, articles of impeachment filed against two cabinet officials this week.

Will they go anywhere? And one fast food chain taking steps to protect itself from a viral meme craze. You know, 6'7? As President Trump is settling into his new administration, one of the top Democrats in Congress aiming to undermine the Trump agenda is Senator Dick Durbin. And according to our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, Senator Durbin has a new scheme, a government takeover of your credit card. Today, Americans have thousands of choices in credit cards, but they say Senator Durbin's plan will result in less competition and less security. And that means more risk for your credit and identity.

Learn more at guard your card.com and consider telling your senators to stop Dick Durbin's government takeover of your credit card before it's too late. To Trump cabinet officials now the subjects of newly filed articles of impeachment. To Democrat lawmakers filing separate articles this week, Congressman Sri Tanedar of Michigan on Tuesday, seeking to oust Secretary of War Pete Hegeseth. I introduced articles to impeach Secretary Pete Hexeth for murder and conspiracy to murder and reckless and unlawful mishandling of classified information. Since day one, Secretary Hexed has disgraced that once proud office that he holds, from issuing orders to kill everybody on board a small boat with no evidence of any wrongdoing, to launching a follow-up strike to finish off survivors who barely clinging onto their life. He also put the lives of our own troops in danger.

by leaking classified war plans in an unauthorized signal group chat, which included a random journalist with no role anywhere in the administration. The second strike on a suspected drug vessel in September becoming a media controversy since the Washington Post reported that Secretary Hegeseth allegedly ordered the military to, quote, kill everybody on board. The post noting the directive could have constituted an illegal order, prompting inquiries in the House and Senate. Secretary Hegeseth offering additional clarity telling reporters at a recent cabinet meeting that the second strike was ordered by commanding officer Admiral Frank Mitch Bradley after Mr. Hegeseth had left the room, but that the Admiral

had his full support to make the call. Admiral Bradley appearing on Capitol Hill last week to brief lawmakers in a closed session. Days later, NBC News exclusively reporting that Bradley told members of Congress the 11 people on the boat were on a list of narco-terrorists whom U.S. officials had determined could legally be targeted. Bradley reportedly telling lawmakers the two survivors managed to climb back onto the boat and did not appear injured, nor did they appear to surrender. The military spotting a larger vessel nearby concluding it was set to link up with the initial target. On Monday, President Trump touting to Politico the success of the sea strike operations, which have today, sunk in at least 20 vessels, killing dozens.

Have you watched the video? I watched everything, yeah. I watch everything. I see a lot of things. And do you believe that that second strike was necessary? Well, it looked like they were trying to turn back over the boat. But I don't get involved in that. That's up to them.

The admiral that did that is a highly respected, as you know, a highly respected man. and we save 25,000 people every time we knock out a boat. On average, they kill 25,000 Americans. So, you know, I don't like doing that, but the drugs coming in through the sea are down to, they're down by 92%. And I'm trying to figure out the 8%. Who are they?

Nobody wants to drive boats to America loaded up with drugs anymore. Well, I do want to ask because... And we're going to hit them on land very soon, too. As far as Signalgate, an inspector, general report released last week, finding, quote, the secretary's actions created a risk to operational security, but as CNN reports, quote, did not assess whether Hegeseth had shared classified information or properly declassified it, citing Hegsseth's authorities as secretary to unilaterally dictate what is protected information. Pentagon spokesman, Sean Parnell, calling the report a,

quote, total exoneration of the secretary. And in another political stunt, yesterday, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, also of Michigan, introducing articles of impeachment against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. RFK Jr. has got to go. Today I introduced articles of impeachment to remove him from office. RFK Jr. has turned his back on science, on public health, and on the American people. I cannot, and I will not stand by while one man dismantles decades of medical progress. Enough is enough. And that is why I'm putting. to impeach RFK Jr. The impeachment resolution accusing Secretary Kennedy of abusing his authority and undermining

of the public health. The 13-page document laying out a list of grievances, including eliminating research programs, canceling grants, and firing all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which sets vaccine policy. Congresswoman Stevens, currently seeking a Senate seat telling the New York Times this impeachment bid is no political stunt, quote, I am not one for political theater. I am standing up for the health and safety of the people I represent. Not one for political theater, a claim possibly undermined by this floor speech from March 2020 in which the Congresswoman appeared

wearing pink latex gloves, arguing in an unhinged speech in support of a COVID stimulus package. Cause of the servitude, sharing in the profession with those who have not come before you, similar times of trying medical need. Wars and flus pass. You will see darkness. You will be pushed. And our society needs you to stand together at this time. Our country loves you to our doctors and our nurses. I wear these ladies.

The gentlelady's time has expired. The gentleman from Maryland is reserved. HHS spokesperson, Andrew Nixon, telling the Hill on Wednesday, quote, quote, Secretary Kennedy remains focused on improving Americans' health and lowering costs, not on partisan theatrics designed to elevate standing in a failing third-rate Senate bid. Neither one of these efforts are expected to go anywhere, as they lack support from Democrat leadership, and Republicans control the House. Trigger warning.

If you have children listening, this next story could cause an outburst in an out-fast-food-food-burger-chain. officially retiring order number 6-7 following the viral 6-7 meme craze. People Magazine confirming the number removed from the order lineup following incidents of chaos, young customers flocking to the counter, eagerly awaiting the order number to be called, and then pandemonium. Yes, 6-7! Yes, number 6-7! An employee confirming to the outlet the number was removed about a month ago.

The viral 6-7 memes origins may feel impossible to trace if you are over the age of 12, but CNN reporting an early driver, a viral song by Philly rapper Scrilla called Doot Doot 6-7, featuring the rapper repeating the numbers as part of the chorus. From there, high school basketball superstar and social media influencer Taylin Kinney posting a video rating a star Starbucks drink as a six, six, seven, while making the now infamous hand gesture, each palm face up, bobbing up and down, in a weighing motion. Kinney then posting more videos with the song and gesture to his TikTok account, posting one million followers. The rest is history, the viral meme taking off like wildfire, popularized on the mega hit video game Roblox,

perplexing parents feeling left out of the joke, much to the delight of Gen Alpha. Even Vice President J.D. Vance, afflicted by the humor, posting Tuesday to X, quote, Yesterday at church, the Bible reading started on page 66 to 67 of the missile, and my five-year-old went absolutely nuts repeating six, seven, like ten times, and now I think we need to make this narrow exception to the First Amendment and ban these numbers forever. That'll do it for your AM update. I'm Emily Jershinsky, host of AfterParty.

Catch the Megan Kelly show live on Sirius XMs, the Megan Kelly channel 11 at noon east on YouTube.com slash Megan Kelly and all podcast platforms.