The Megyn Kelly Show - Trump Unveils Election Intel, Blanche Meets Epstein Victims, WH Betting Probe: AM Update 7/17

Episode Date: July 17, 2026

President Trump releases newly declassified intelligence he says exposes foreign interference during a primetime address. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche meets with alleged Jeffrey Epstein survivors as he works to secure the Republican support needed to advance his nomination. President Trump’s longtime teleprompter operator is accused of using advanced access to presidential speeches to win more than $100,000 on prediction markets. Democrat Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona faces allegations of relationships with congressional staffers as new questions about his judgment threaten his political future.   Subscribe now to Emily's "After Party": Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/after-party-with-emily-jashinsky/id1821493726 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0szVa30NjGYsyIzzBoBCtJ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AfterPartyEmily?sub_confirmation=1   Lean: Discover why LEAN is becoming the choice for real weight‑loss results—shop now at https://TAKELEAN.com use code MK.   Birch Gold: Text MK to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold 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 Dushinsky, host of After Party and the Megan Kelly wrap-up show on SiriusXM Channel 111. It's Friday, July 17, 2026, and this is your AM update. The election system we have dangerously exposes and really exposes to hacking, exploitation, and foreign interference. President Trump unveiling newly declassified intelligence, he says exposes sweeping vulnerabilities in America's election system. I expect that meeting to occur before I'm willing to vote out of this committee. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche meeting with women who say they were victimized by Jeffrey Epstein as he works to secure the support of key Republican senators. President Trump's longtime teleprompter operator accused of cashing in on advanced access to the president's speeches and a damaging new report about Democrat Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona,

alleging affairs with congressional staffers and raising new questions about what else may be out there. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update. Everyone's talking about weight loss injections because the results can be so dramatic, too dramatic, if you've seen some of these actresses, but in any event, if you moderate it, it can look great on you. They work by lowering blood sugar and reducing appetite. But what if you want to lose some weight, but you're not interested in potentially painful, weekly injections, are going to get bruised up, if you don't have to stick yourself with a needle for weight loss, feels weird.

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That's promo code MK at takelean.com. President Trump delivering a primetime address last night focused on what he describes as serious vulnerabilities across the nation's election systems. The president speaking for nearly half an hour from the White House, outlining several areas, he argues, leave U.S. elections exposed to foreign interference and illegal voting. Mr. Trump, beginning with the announcement that his administration is releasing

previously classified intelligence collected by a new White House task force. This evidence shows that the election system we have dangerously exposes and really exposes, like levels never thought possible. to hacking exploitation and foreign interference. Just as disturbingly, this vital information has for many years been covered up and hidden from you. The American people are beautiful, our great American people. But that all changes right now.

The documents we will release starting tonight have been gathered by the White House Government Transparency Task Force. You can see these documents. these documents for yourself at whitehouse.gov. That's whitehouse.gov. Go check it out. The president organizing the newly released intel into what he called, quote, five major areas of concern, beginning with an alleged Chinese breach involving the personal information of hundreds of millions of American voters. Over a period of years, starting during the

2020 election cycle, the People's Republic of China carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history, resulting in China's illicit acquisition of 220 million U.S. voter files. That information includes names, addresses, phone numbers, political party preferences, and other sensitive data that would be needed to register to vote and engage in other nefarious activities, which is exactly what was happening. This data lost, present. and unprecedented in election security nightmare. President Trump, adding that raw intelligence obtained by the FBI in 2020, alleged China attempted to manufacture illegal ballots for Joe Biden,

while accusing officials inside the intelligence community of suppressing reports about Beijing's activities and withholding them from his presidential briefings. Mr. Trump, turning next to a Department of Homeland Security Review, he says offers further evidence that weaknesses extend beyond foreign interference. State voter rolls. and public records, they identified approximately 278,000 non-citizens who are registered to vote in federal elections. Since Democrat states refused to share their voter files, the real number is

actually much higher than that. Yet, even this limited analysis found more than a quarter of a million foreigners illegally registered to vote put together these disclosures reveal an election system so broken, so broken and so vulnerable that no one can possibly defend it. It is not defensible. The president then outlining the federal response to the declassified findings. In light of the brand new and irrefutable information, I have revealed tonight, my administration is in the process of notifying the states whose election data was compromised by the People's Republic of China and many others. We will be working. closely to mitigate any harm. And we're taking swift action to ensure that sensitive voter data

is better protected. So we can never be bought. We can never be hacked. And we can never watch a stolen election again. The president ending his remarks with a call to action. Congress must pass the Safe America Act. How easy is that to do unless you want to cheat. The only reason you wouldn't do it is you want to cheat because your policies are so bad and your candidates are so pathetic that you can't get away or can't get elected any other way. This landmark bill requires that all voters must show photo voter ID. These reforms are urgently needed to stop the vulnerabilities that I've mentioned. To all Americans, I ask you to pick up your phone tomorrow, call your representative

and the House and Senate, and demand that they pass the Save America Act without delay. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche meeting yesterday afternoon with women who say they were victimized by Jeffrey Epstein, after a key Republican senator made the sit-down a condition of supporting Blanche's nomination to permanently lead the DOJ. Several of the women seen arriving at Justice Department headquarters for the private meeting with Blanche. It was not immediately clear whether their attorneys joined them inside, the meeting coming just hours after GOP Senator Tom Tillis of North Carolina announced he would not vote to advance Blanche's nomination until the acting attorney general personally heard from the women or met with them through their counsel. Senator Tillis delivering the ultimatum during yesterday morning's second day of

confirmation proceedings as Republican and Democrat witnesses testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Mr. Blanche said very quickly yesterday that he would meet with the victims, the Epstein victims, today if it could be arranged. I understand the restriction that counsel has to be present. I expect that meeting to occur before I'm willing to vote out of this committee. And I'm trying to get to yes, but this is a very important part of getting to yes. There should not be any reason why based on what Mr. Blanche said yesterday if he said that he would do it today, then he can certainly do it over the next two weeks.

Blanche cannot afford to lose Republican support on the committee. Senator Tillis's opposition would leave him without enough votes to advance if every Democrat votes against him, as they are expected to do. Blanche facing pressure over the issue during Wednesday's hearing, telling Democrat Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois that DOJ ethics rules limited his ability to communicate directly with Epstein victims. Will you meet with these 10 survivors? I'm asking you on the record.

If they have lawyers, as you know, I'm prohibited from meeting directly with them. I have met with counsel for survivors, as has many people in the Department of Justice, is over 30. But if they are represented by counsel, we will work with their counsel. If they don't have a lawyer, I will certainly make arrangements to make sure the right people at the Department of Justice meet with them. Absolutely. Will you get it done within the next 30 days that each of these survivors?

I will get it done today if that's necessary. My point is there's somebody here who can meet with them today. get their information arranged to meet with them. The committee is expected to vote on Blanche's nomination at its next meeting in roughly two weeks. Coming up, a White House staffer placed on unpaid leave after allegedly using inside access to President Trump's speeches to make a six-figure profit on prediction markets. And Democrat Senator Ruben Gallego accused of sleeping with congressional staffers during his years in the House as fresh questions about his judgment threatened his 2028 ambitions.

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You will receive a free, no-obligation info kit. With an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau and countless five-star reviews, consider having Birch Gold help. build your foundation with gold. Text MK to the number 98, 9898. President Trump's longtime teleprompter operator accused of turning advanced access to the president's speeches into more than $100,000 in prediction market winnings. ABC News reporting Gabriel Perez is negotiating a potential settlement

with federal regulators over allegations he used inside knowledge to bet on the words President Trump would mention in more than a dozen speeches. Perez operating Mr. Trump's telegrams' televised. prompter since his first presidential campaign in 2016, and, according to ABC sources, is often among the final staff members to review the president's prepared remarks and receive his last-minute changes. The wagers taking place on Kalsh's so-called mentions markets, where users can bet on whether a public figure will use particular words, phrases, or subjects during an appearance. The New York Times reporting Perez wagered on relatively common material, including country names and economic terms.

Investigators reportedly finding Perez sometimes sold his position while a speech was underway. If President Trump skipped a section containing a word Perez had bet would appear. A lawyer representing Kalshys says its surveillance team identified the suspicious trading and referred it to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC, which regulates the platform. Perez is reportedly cooperating with the investigation. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt back from maternity leave, addressing the report yesterday. Who is running the teleprompter tonight after this report that the other guy is now under investigation for making money off of reading the president's speech? Obviously, I'm aware of the report. The president is too. I spoke with him about it. He believes it's deeply unfortunate and frankly a disgrace.

The White House has extremely strict ethical guidelines with respect to issues like this. This individual will no longer be here. He'll be on paid administrative leave. I'm sorry, without pay. The administrative leave is. unpaid, to be very clear. That was a decision by the president, so I think that speaks for itself. The alleged bet spanning more than a dozen presidential speeches over roughly three months, including February State of the Union, a December primetime address, Mr. Trump's January appearance at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, and a Medal of Honor ceremony in March, according to ABC. The White House later warning staff in a March 24th email against using their government positions or non-public information to place bets. Perez reportedly acknowledging some of the trades during an interview with regulators in recent months.

The CFTC also referring the case to federal prosecutors in Manhattan, who declined to open a criminal investigation. Regulators now reportedly discussing a settlement that would require Perez to surrender his profits and agree not to make similar trades in the future. Kalshi prohibits users from trading on information obtained through their jobs and began requiring customers to disclose their employers last month. The CFTC declined to comment on the investigation. Democrat Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona accused of having consensual sexual relationships with at least two congressional staffers during his decade in the House, according to a new report from the New York Post. Sources telling the Post, both women worked for Texas Democrats and the relationships occurred

while Gallego represented Phoenix in the House between 2015 and 2025. The outlet reporting Gallego acknowledged both relationships to one source. while another source confirmed one of the alleged relationships, saying both relationships are believed to have occurred while he was unmarried. The senator confronted by an NBC news reporter on Capitol Hill shortly after the story was published. Senator Gallego replying, quote, I'm not going to engage in gossip. One source describing the relationship to the post as part of a broader, quote, pattern of mistakes and missteps and judgment calls, noting one woman who was in her 20s and

much younger than Gallego at the time, and asking, quote, what else could there be out there? Gallego divorcing his first wife, Kate, in December 2016, while she was nine months pregnant, and marrying his current wife, Sydney, in June 2021. The report arriving less than three weeks after the bipartisan Senate Ethics Committee dismissed a complaint filed by Republican Congresswoman

Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, alleging campaign finance violations and inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature. The committee saying it found no evidence that Senator Gallego violated federal law, Senate rules or standards of conduct. An unnamed source telling the Post, the committee apparently did not ask about the two reported staffer relationships because investigators were unaware of them and remained focused

on the claims Congresswoman Luna submitted. Congresswoman Luna publicly alleging in April that she had heard from four women describing uncomfortable or inappropriate advances, comments, or touching by Gallego, allegations the senator has denied. The scrutiny also following the April resignation of Senator Gallego's former best friend in Congress, Democrat Eric Swalwell of California, amid multiple allegations of sexual assault and harassment that Swalwell denies. Senator Gallego abandoning his longtime ally after Swalwell's resignation, blaming their friendship for his failure to take years of rumors seriously.

The Post reporting some Democrats fear further disclosures could complicate Gallego's future political aspirations as the 46-year-old senator considers a possible run for president in 2008. And of course, depending on what else emerges, could jeopardize his current position as well. That'll do it for your AM update. I'm Emily Jashinsky, host of AfterParty. Go and check out more at AfterPartyemily.com. Catch the Megan Kelly show later today. Live on Series XMs, the Megan Kelly Channel 11 at noon east on YouTube.com slash Megan Kelly and all podcast platforms.