• Megyn Kelly criticized Fox News for uncritical cheerleading of Trump’s Venezuela operation
• Former anchor said she would have been expected to promote the mission if still at network
• Kelly expressed concerns about potential ground troops despite supporting Trump

NEW YORK, NY (TDR) — Megyn Kelly delivered a scathing critique of her former employer Monday, comparing Fox News coverage of President Donald Trump’s Venezuela military operation to state-controlled media.

The conservative commentator, who spent 14 years at Fox News before leaving in 2017, told listeners on her SiriusXM show that the network’s reporting lacked any critical analysis of the weekend operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Megyn Kelly on boots on the ground in Venezuela: “Whose boots? Because I have a 16-year old boy, 12-year-old boy, and 14-year-old girl who might have to fill those boots…I speak for a lot of moms and dads when I say…I will not be joining the Fox News cheerleading  brigade.” pic.twitter.com/MU9PTgtdUq

— Home of the Brave (@OfTheBraveUSA) January 6, 2026

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Former Star Anchor Calls Coverage Propaganda

Kelly did not mince words when describing what she observed after tuning into Fox News coverage of the early Saturday military strike that resulted in Maduro’s capture.

“I turned on Fox News yesterday, and I’m sorry, but it was like watching Russian propaganda. There was nothing skeptical. It was all rah-rah cheerleading, yes, let’s go.”

The 55-year-old former prime-time host acknowledged she understands the network’s editorial approach from personal experience. Kelly rose to become one of Fox News’ biggest stars during her tenure from 2004 to 2017, hosting programs including America Live and The Kelly File.

“When I was at Fox News, which was a long time, 14 years, I would have known exactly what to do in the wake of Trump’s attack in Venezuela. I would have known that I was supposed to cheerlead it.”

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Fox News did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Kelly’s characterization of their coverage.

Taking Cautious Yellow Light Approach

Despite being a Trump supporter who endorsed the president during his 2024 campaign and attended his January 2025 inauguration, Kelly said her past experiences with unquestioning support for military interventions have made her more skeptical.

“I have done that enough times in my career as a Fox News anchor to have been embarrassed enough to know I’m going to stay on the yellow light for this. I’m not in the green-light territory. I’m not in the red-light territory either, but I am staying in the yellow-light territory for now.”

Kelly emphasized she supports both the U.S. military and President Trump but believes parents should approach the Venezuela situation with caution rather than enthusiasm. She referenced failed U.S. interventions as cautionary examples.

“I have seen what happens when you cheerlead, unabashedly, U.S. intervention in foreign countries, thinking it’s for our good and for the national and international good, only to wind up with what we’ve called a quagmire in places like Iraq, not to mention Libya.”

The podcaster noted that regime change operations rarely produce intended outcomes, pointing to a pattern of U.S. difficulties in nation-building after military action.

“We’re not great at going into these foreign countries, decapitating them at the leadership level, and then saying either we’re going to steer the country to a better place or it’s going to steer itself. They just, nine times out of 10, they don’t work out well.”

Mother’s Concerns About Ground Troops

Kelly’s criticism intensified when addressing Trump’s openness to deploying American ground forces in Venezuela. As the mother of two teenage sons and a teenage daughter, she made her concerns personal.

“What does it mean in terms of boots on the ground? Trump is saying, I’m actually fine with that in Venezuela. Well, whose boots? Because I have a 16-year-old boy, and I have a 12-year-old boy, and I have a 14-year-old girl. And a lot of my listeners have children too who are actually the ones who might have to fill the boots.”

The former network anchor said she speaks for many parents in refusing to join what she called the Fox News cheerleading brigade.

“So I think I speak for a lot of moms and dads for that matter when I say I’m staying in yellow territory until we know more, and I will not be joining the Fox News cheerleading brigade this time. I’ve been burned too many times.”

Venezuela Operation Details

The U.S. military operation, called Operation Absolute Resolve, involved more than 150 aircraft across all military branches. Trump approved the mission at 10:46 p.m. Friday from his Mar-a-Lago resort, where he monitored the operation in real time.

Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were transported to New York on a Department of Justice aircraft and made their initial court appearance Monday. Both pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine-importation conspiracy and weapons charges.

Dozens were reportedly killed in strikes on Venezuela’s largest military complex, though no American service members died in the operation. Trump told Fox News he delayed the mission four days waiting for optimal weather conditions.

The president announced plans for the U.S. to temporarily “run” Venezuela and involve American oil companies in repairing the country’s infrastructure. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, surpassing Saudi Arabia.

Kelly’s Complex Trump Relationship

Kelly’s criticism comes despite her evolution from Trump antagonist to supporter. She famously clashed with Trump during the 2016 Republican primary debate when she questioned him about calling women insulting names. Trump responded by boycotting a subsequent debate she moderated.

The relationship thawed significantly by 2024, when Kelly revealed she voted for Trump in 2020 and endorsed him at a Pittsburgh rally days before the November election. She cited concerns about transgender issues and cultural changes affecting her children as motivating factors.

Kelly appeared at Trump’s second inauguration rally in January 2025, marking a dramatic reversal from their contentious 2016 interactions. However, her latest comments demonstrate she maintains independence from Trump’s narrative on policy matters.

Broader Political Reactions

Kelly’s critique aligns with concerns raised by some Republicans and numerous Democrats about the Venezuela operation. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) joined critics questioning the precedent of abducting a foreign leader on their own soil.

International reaction split sharply, with Cuba and Iran condemning the action while Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar praised the operation. The United Nations expressed deep alarm, and Mexico called it a violation of international law.

Will Megyn Kelly’s criticism signal broader conservative skepticism about Venezuela intervention, or will Fox News continue its unwavering support for Trump’s military actions?

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