Megyn Kelly is drawing renewed scrutiny after defending President Donald Trump’s comment telling CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins she should “smile,” and invoking advice she said she received from the late Fox News executive Roger Ailes.
Trump’s remark, made during an exchange over newly released Epstein-related documents, drew widespread criticism as sexist and dismissive of Collins’ role as a journalist. Rather than distance herself from the comment, Kelly defended it on her SiriusXM show during an interview with Vice President JD Vance, saying she had offered Collins similar advice in the past and that Ailes “used to tell us that.”
Vance: There was a moment in the Oval Office, I wasn’t even in there, but Trump was talking to Kaitlan Collins. Trump says, ‘Why don’t you ever smile?’ And it’s actually, like, so perceptive. Have some fun. pic.twitter.com/UGv5QPehg9
— FactPost (@factpostnews) February 4, 2026
Kelly’s reference to Ailes immediately sparked backlash from media critics and social media users, given Ailes’ legacy. Ailes was forced out of Fox News in 2016 amid numerous sexual harassment allegations, including from Kelly herself, who was among the women whose accounts helped prompt internal investigations and public scrutiny of his behavior.
Critics said the juxtaposition was jarring: defending a remark perceived as sexist by citing guidance from a man whose tenure ended amid accusations of workplace harassment. Advocacy groups and commentators noted that “smile more,” particularly when directed at women in professional settings, has long been criticized as a gendered phrase used to undermine authority or shift the focus from substantive reporting to appearance.
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Supporters of Kelly argued she was just speaking from personal experience in television news, where producers and anchors often discuss on-camera presence. They said her anecdote was intended to reflect broadcast realities rather than endorse sexism.
The exchange comes as Kelly has increasingly aligned with conservative audiences and figures, including Trump, after years of public clashes with the president. The episode has reignited conversations about gendered language in journalism and how media figures revisit past critiques in light of present political alignments.
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