Megyn Kelly has sparked significant debate with her recent remarks on her show regarding Jeffrey Epstein, suggesting he wasn’t a pedophile.
Epstein was discovered deceased in his Manhattan jail cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in August 2019.
Earlier that year, he had been detained, dying at age 66 while awaiting trial on charges related to sex trafficking, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Epstein had a prior conviction in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution and served 13 months in prison.
During Wednesday’s episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly made the contentious claim that Epstein was not a pedophile but rather “into the barely legal type.”
She stated: “I know somebody very close to this case to the point where they know virtually everything. Jeffrey Epstein, in this person’s view, was not a pedophile…He was into the barely legal type, like he liked 15 year old girls.”
In the United States, the age of consent varies by state, ranging from 16 to 18.
Kelly elaborated: “I realize this is disgusting and I’m not trying to make an excuse for this; I’m giving you facts. He wasn’t into eight year olds, he liked very young teen types that would look legal to the passerby. There’s a difference between a 15 year old and a five year old.”
Her statements have provoked strong reactions online, with many Reddit users expressing their dismay.
“Oh man, are these the f****** talking points? Because this is f****** disgusting,” commented one user, while another suggested she should feel ‘ashamed’ for her comments.
It follows the release of documents by the Oversight Committee as part of its probe into Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Among the documents were emails where Epstein referenced Trump, with one claiming a person known as ‘Victim 1’ ‘spent many hours’ with Trump.
Though the individual’s name was not disclosed, the White House has claimed the alleged victim is Virginia Giuffre, who asserted before her death that she did not witness any misconduct from the president during her encounters with him.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated: “The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump.”
“The ‘unnamed victim’ referenced in these emails is the late Virginia Giuffre, who repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever and ‘couldn’t have been friendlier’ to her in their limited interactions.”
President Trump has consistently asserted he was not aware of Epstein’s criminal activities.