The Megyn Kelly Show - Trump Approval Slips Ahead of SOTU, Kouri Richins Husband Poisoning Trial Starts: AM Update 2/24

Episode Date: February 24, 2026

President Trump heads into tonight’s high-stakes State of the Union facing his lowest approval ratings of either term, with new polls showing sharp erosion among independents and deep voter concern about the economy. President Trump hosts Angel Families at the White House, honoring victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants and reaffirming his long-standing alliance with the families as he pushes tougher immigration enforcement. A federal judge blocks the release of former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s classified documents report, ruling its publication would cause “irreparable damage” after the case against President Trump was dismissed. Opening arguments begin in the trial of Utah mother Kouri Richins, accused of poisoning her husband with fentanyl after publishing a children’s book about coping with his death, as prosecutors and defense clash over motive and manner of death.     Herald Group: Learn more at https://GuardYourCard.com   Relief Factor: Break up with pain—Relief Factor targets inflammation so you can move better and feel better; try the 3-Week QuickStart for just $19.95 at https://ReliefFactor.com or call 800-4-RELIEF. 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, February 24th, 2026, and this is your AM update. Right, talking about the lowest Trump has ever been going into the state of the union. President Trump heading into tonight's high-stakes state-of-the-union address amid some troubling poll numbers. Their stories were censored and suppressed like maybe almost never before. President Trump honors the families of Americans killed by illegal immigrants. A federal judge blasting former special counsel. counsel Jack Smith and an order blocking the release of his classified documents report on the president. And opening arguments begin in the trial of Corey Richens, the mother who published a children's book

to help her son's cope with the loss of their father, only to be later arrested and charged with his murder. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update. Our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, says Washington politicians are always getting in your wallet, and now they're messing with your credit card. They say your credit card and the security offers are under attack, and that Senators Dick Durbin and Roger Marshall want to change the nation's payment system to benefit corporate megastores like Walmart and Target at the expense of everyday Americans. Credit cards can keep your payments secure and provide rewards that families use

to help make everyday purchases more affordable. The Electronic Payments Coalition says the Durbin Marshall mandates would let corporate megastores cut corners on credit card processing, routing transactions over cheaper, untested networks, with weaker security and fewer protections. Find out more at guardyourcard.com and consider telling Congress to guard your card. The state of the union addresses tonight and the president heads into it amid sliding approval ratings. According to a new CNN poll released yesterday, just 36% of respondents say they approve of the way Mr. Trump is handling his job as president. 63% disapprove. This marking a

steep drop from last year's lead up to Mr. Trump's joint address to Congress, his approval rating then, after just a few weeks in office, at 48% in a CNN poll. Asked about the direction of the country, just 38% of surveyed adults this week say Mr. Trump's policies are moving the U.S. in the right direction. 61% say we're headed in the wrong one. As the president prepares to address the nation tonight, 57% of respondents say the economy and cost of living is is the top issue they want him to address. Trailing way behind in second place, immigration at just 13%. The state of U.S. democracy at 11%, health care at 7,

crime and safety and foreign policy, all lagging far behind. CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten says the biggest driver of the slide is the president's collapse with independence. What is driving this drop? I said record was the name of the game when it came to this. right, talking about the lowest Trump has ever been going into the state of the union, the lowest that any president has been this century going into a state of the union at this point in their presidency. It is also the weakest that Donald Trump has ever been with independence.

At this point, a year ago, Donald Trump was at minus 13 points. Look at this. Minus 47 points among independence. The lowest Donald Trump has ever been in either of his two terms as president with independence, that is driving these numbers. Meanwhile, the president not faring much better in new polling done jointly by the Washington Post and ABC News. That survey showing 39% approval versus 60% disapproval, Mr. Trump's highest disapproval ratings since the days after the January 6th Capitol riot. Breaking it down by issue, just 41% say they approve of the president's handling of the

economy, 57% disapprove. On immigration, 40% approved versus 50% percent. percent who disapprove, on tariffs, 34% approve versus 64% who do not. While the numbers for President Trump look rough, Democrats in Congress hardly benefiting. On immigration in the news these past couple of months with nonstop negative coverage for the president, 38% of registered voters say they trust President Trump more. 34% prefer Democrats on this issue, with 24% saying neither. On reducing the cost of living, it's essentially a tie. 32% trust President Trump more.

31% prefer Democrats. 33% say they trust neither. As President Trump makes the case tonight for his administration, some Democrats preparing to boycott the event altogether. U.S. senator from California, Adam Schiff, announcing in a Saturday social media video that he will not be in attendance. I will not be attending the state of the union. I've never missed one.

I have always gone both to inaugurations and to states of the union, but we cannot treat this as normal. This is not business as usual. I will not give him the audience he craves for the lies that he tells. Okay, Mr. Schiff, instead will participate in an alternate event outside of the Capitol building, hosted by left-wing groups Midas Touch and MoveOn.org. Several other Democrat lawmakers also planning to skip the state of the union, including Senators Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Congresswoman Pramilla Jaya Paul of Washington.

Set to deliver the Democrat response to the president's remarks, newly elected Virginia governor Abigail Spamberger. You know the one who stood silent for what felt like forever, when asked in her gubernatorial debate about boys and girls' locker rooms, and also when her attorney general who wanted Republicans and their children murdered, not a peep back then. Now she's feeling chatty. President Trump's full list of special guests not yet announced. The gold-winning U.S. men's hockey team is expected. The gold-winning women's team is not. A U.S. hockey spokesperson telling NBC the women are unable to attend, quote, due to the timing and

previously scheduled academic and professional commitments, the ladies adding they were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgement. How Speaker Mike Johnson telling reporters yesterday that House officials are scrambling to find a place for the beloved men's team following their last-minute invite from President Trump moments after they beat Canada in Milan. The remarks set to begin at 9 p.m. Eastern. President Trump declaring yesterday National Angel Family Day, the White House event attended by dozens of family members whose loved ones have been killed by illegal immigrants. Mr. Trump maintaining a long-standing bond with Angel families, dating back to his first

administration, frequently meeting privately with families at the White House and highlighting their stories as the administration pushes for tougher immigration enforcement and mass deportations. Here are the president welcoming the families and accusing the establishment media and the left of totally ignoring their stories. These are the angel families that we love that for decades our government betrayed and our media totally ignored and I've seen it. When I first got involved with the Angel families, I had a meeting, it was so sad, and they got up and spoke, and the media literally just turned off the cameras.

They didn't want to hear them. It was my first limbs as to what was happening. These are sick people. An infinite loss, there were the victims of politicians who put the comfort of foreign criminals before the safety of American citizens and American patriots. Their stories were censored and suppressed, like maybe. almost never before, so that the politicians could open our borders and allow our nation to be invaded. We didn't win the election. Our nation would right now be destroyed.

President Trump choosing to sign the proclamation on February 22nd in honor of Lake and Riley. The 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student murdered on that date two years ago during a morning jog by illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra. Abara had multiple run-ins with the law, released each time before eventually going on to murder Lakin. Her death, along with similar cases, emerging as a central issue in the 2024 campaign, leading to the first piece of legislation signed under the Second Trump administration, the Laken Riley Act, requiring the Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants arrested for certain violent crimes. Lakin's mother, Alison Phillips, invited to speak yesterday. If you live the nightmare that we have lived, you understand the

importance of the job that he's doing and securing our nation and fighting for our families, because this could be any family. She wasn't somebody that put herself in bad positions. She didn't make bad choices. She was just a good girl. And she just wanted to go for a run that morning. I'm beyond blessed and thankful that you're honoring, not just Lakin, because she's won a ton of people that have suffered at the hands of illegal immigrants.

she's not the only one. And so thank you for honoring all of them, not just Lakin. Coming up, a federal judge slamming former special counsel, Jack Smith, in an order blocking the release of his report on President Trump's classified documents case. And opening arguments begin in the trial of Corey Richens, the woman who published a book to help her children process the grief of losing their father, only to then be arrested for allegedly poisoning him herself. Ever been in a bad relationship? You know the kind. It just wears you down. You settle in. Even

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enjoy life again. Try the three-week quick start for just 1995. Go to Relieffactor.com or call 804 relief. Break up with pain and get back to what matters. Major victory for President Trump, U.S. District Judge Aline Cannon blocking the release of former Special Counsel Jack Smith's report detailing his prosecution of Mr. Trump over the handling of classified documents at Maralago. President Trump and his co-defendants, Walt Nata and Carlos D. Olivera, first moving to block the report's release back in January 2025 upon learning of its creation. On Monday, Judge Cannon, a Trump appointee, prohibiting the DOJ from, quote, releasing distributing, conveying, or sharing with anyone outside the Department of Justice

any information or conclusions in the report or in drafts thereof. In July, 2004, Judge Cannon of the Southern District of Florida, tossing out Smith's case against Mr. Trump and two co-defendants, finding Smith was improperly appointed. Judge Cannon's 15-page ruling yesterday slamming Smith for, after his disqualification, compiling and delivering the report to Attorney General Merrick Garland after the case was thrown out, accusing Smith of circumventing the court's order. Judge Cannon writing the release of this report would, quote, cause irreparable damage to the former defendants by disclosing non-public discovery materials,

adding it would violate, quote, basic notions of fairness and justice in the process where no adjudication of guilt has been reached. Judge Cannon writing that while in cases where a defendant pleads guilty, or where the prosecutor elects not to bring charges, sometimes a special counsel will release a final report. It is, quote, certainly not customary for a prosecutor to disseminate large swaths of discovery after a case is dismissed without finding the defendant guilty

and where the defendants still maintain their innocence. Smith submitting the report to Attorney General Merrick Garland before vacating his post in January 2025. Volume one of the report was focused on Smith's investigation into alleged attempts by Mr. Trump to overturn the 2020 election. Smith managed to spring that one on the public days before President Trump's inauguration. Volume two focuses more on the classified documents case. On that, Judge Cannon telling Smith, nice try, but no cigar. Opening statements yesterday in the trial of Utah mother,

Corey Richens, accused of fatally poisoning her husband Eric in March 2022. Summit County Prosecutors charging the 35-year-old more than a year later with aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, mortgage fraud, and forgery, alleging she spiked her husband's Moscow mule cocktail with nearly five times a lethal dose of fentanyl at their home near Park City. The state alleging Corey killed her husband to gain access to his business assets and life insurance payouts. Money prosecutors say she intended to use to save her indebted real estate business. The case drawing national attention when authorities arrested Richens just weeks after she published a children's book she wrote, which she says she wrote to help her three young sons cope with their grief after the loss of their father. Corey held in custody since her arrest, denied bail multiple times.

In court yesterday during opening statements, prosecutor Brad Bloodworth, telling jurors Corey was involved in a relationship with another man, Robert Josh Grossman. Bloodworth showing the jury text messages between the two, Corey fantasizing about leaving her husband, gaining millions in the divorce, and then marrying Grossman. Court documents indicating Corey took out multiple life insurance policies, totaling about $2 million on her husband without his knowledge. According to Bloodworth, Corey was allegedly $4.5 million in debt and wrongly believed she would inherit $4 million upon her husband's passing.

Bloodworth laying out the timeline on the night of Eric's death. March the 3rd, 2022. The defendant, Corey Richens, her husband, Eric Richens, and their three children, nine-year-old Carter, seven-year-old Ashton, and five-year-old Weston are at their home in Camas. Eric Richens live for his three boys. At 7.22 p.m.,

Corey Richens' boyfriend, Robert Josh Grossman, texts Corey Richens an image of two people romantically kissing. The image is captioned, Love you. At 836, Corey Richens replies, love you. The boys go to bed. Corey Richens makes Eric a drink and takes it to him in their bedroom. He drinks on the bed, she departs the bedroom. Corey Richens returns to the bedroom at about 3 o'clock a.m. She feels that Eric is cold.

She nudges him. He does not respond. Defense attorney Catherine Nestor beginning her argument with 911 audio from that night. No, no, no, let me. I just have the emergency. Can you do CPR? Can you do CPR? No.

I don't tell you. You don't know. I'm going to tell you how to. Are you willing to do CPR? Yeah. Those were the sounds of a wife becoming a widow. Nestor pointing to a key unanswered question in the case. He ingested a fatal dose of fentanyl.

What you will never hear after four years of investigation, where as recently as two weeks ago, they were back searching that house. After four years of investigation. and five weeks of this trial, you know what you're never going to hear, is how that fentanyl got inside of him, because there is zero evidence of that. To this day, slide 11, please, you're going to see that his death certificate reads that the manner of his death is still unknown to this day. You're going to hear testimony that a medical examiner has the ability to declare the manner of someone's death.

It can be homicide. It can be suicide. It can be accidental overdose. It can be murder. It can be anything. To this day, the medical examiner, the professional that's the head of declaring how people die in the state of Utah, has never been able to determine the manner of Eric Richon's death. Nestor telling jurors that Eric was dependent on drugs like marijuana gummies to relieve pain, pointing to a crime scene photo showing an empty expired hydrocodone. bottle in the couple's bedroom. Nestor also happens to be the attorney for Tyler Robinson, the accused killer of Charlie Kirk. Prosecutors calling Eric's sister, Katie Richens Benson, to the stand the first day of the trial. Benson describing what she believed to be unusual behavior from her sister-in-law on the night of Eric's death. Who was there when you arrived? Sorry, guys. This was the worst in my life. I'm sorry. When I got there, there was a bunch of emergency personnel police officers and Corey and her mom Lisa were there and I saw Corey standing on the

other side of the staircase she just shook her head at me I observed that she was she was not how she normally was when we would go on overnights she was very well put together she had a matching pajama-esque outfit on her hair was all done up She wasn't crying like I was. She wasn't hysterical. Just stood there and shook her head no at me. On cross, Benson admitting that her brother had previously been prescribed hydrocodone, had used THC, and drank alcohol socially. If convicted, Richens could face a maximum of life in prison,

she has pleaded not guilty on all counts. M.K. True Crime will be live streaming every second of this trial at their YouTube channel with coverage from all of our top legal experts. The trial's expected to last through late March. 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.