Megyn Kelly and Walter Kirn Criticize Late New York Times Border Coverage on The Megyn Kelly Show

Top Points

• Kelly argued that The New York Times reported on Biden’s border failures far too late: She said the paper’s coverage simply repeated problems the public had already witnessed for years and avoided acknowledging earlier policy mistakes.

• Kirn claimed that the Times’ delayed story reflects a broader trend in legacy media: He argued that major outlets now address obvious issues only after political conditions shift, turning journalism into narrative management rather than timely reporting.

• Kelly and Kirn said the border crisis stemmed from Biden’s rapid reversal of Trump-era policies: They emphasized that clearer, more accountable reporting is needed to rebuild public trust in media coverage of immigration and national policy.

Full Report:

On a recent episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, host Megyn Kelly and author Walter Kirn pushed back against what they described as belated and superficial media coverage of President Joe Biden’s immigration and border policies. Their discussion centered on a long-awaited New York Times article examining the border crisis during the Biden administration, which they argued offered little new insight and failed to confront core policy failures.

Kelly Says the New York Times Finally Reported What Was Already Obvious

Kelly opened the segment by criticizing The New York Times for coming “late to the party” on reporting the consequences of Biden’s immigration policies. She argued that the Times article, headlined “How Biden Ignored Warnings and Lost Americans’ Faith in Immigration,” recounted border issues that have been widely apparent to the public for years, such as surges in crossings and overwhelmed enforcement systems. Kelly said that if readers were paying attention, much of the material in the piece would not have been news.

Kelly pointed out that Biden rescinded several Trump-era border policies within days of taking office, including the “Remain in Mexico” program, and then allowed what she said was effectively an open border for much of his presidency until partial reversals in 2024. She challenged why this reality only became a subject of sustained national reporting so long after the policy changes were implemented.

Kirn Calls the Coverage Belated and Self-Protective

Kirn echoed Kelly’s frustration and framed the Times article as less about informing the public and more about managing political narratives. He said The New York Times and similar outlets now prioritize being the last to acknowledge obvious problems rather than breaking stories first. According to Kirn, the delayed coverage of the border reflects a broader pattern where major media outlets eventually reveal what their audiences already knew long ago, often in a way that appears to absolve earlier missteps.

Kirn likened this to previous instances where the Times covered major issues, such as COVID-19 or other political controversies, only after public awareness had long since formed. He said this approach “creates an alternative history” in which media organizations appear to avoid accountability for their earlier framing or omissions.

Calls for Clearer Reporting and Accountability

Kelly and Kirn also discussed how the Times chose to illustrate the story, including its use of controversial images that had previously been misreported and debated. Kelly said selecting those visuals signaled a continued bias rather than a genuine examination of border realities. Kirn added that news organizations should want to be judged by their willingness to face uncomfortable truths early, even if that means acknowledging their role in shaping public perception.

Both Kelly and Kirn suggested that the public is increasingly skeptical of legacy media narratives, especially when outlets revisit well-covered issues only after political winds shift. They urged audiences to seek clearer, more accountable reporting that confronts long-standing policy consequences rather than merely reframing them months or years after the fact.

References

• The Megyn Kelly Show. Episode discussing The New York Times’ coverage of Biden’s immigration and border policies. Megyn Kelly, SiriusXM.

• Kirn, Walter. Commentary on media framing and the Biden administration’s border policy. Interview by Megyn Kelly, The Megyn Kelly Show, SiriusXM.

• “How Biden Ignored Warnings and Lost Americans’ Faith in Immigration.” The New York Times, public reporting referenced in Kelly and Kirn’s discussion.

• “Border Policy Reversals and Migration Trends Under the Biden Administration.” Public reporting compiled from major national news outlets.