Megyn Kelly Criticizes CBS Edits in Netanyahu Interview, Accuses Network of Protecting Israeli PM

Conservative commentator and podcast host Megyn Kelly sharply criticized Bari Weiss and CBS News on Monday after a ‘60 Minutes’ interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aired over the weekend. Kelly alleged the network edited the interview to remove remarks she described as "anti-American" and to protect Netanyahu from public backlash.

Kelly Questions CBS Edits in Netanyahu Interview

Kelly, host of ‘The Megyn Kelly Show’, questioned why CBS omitted portions of Netanyahu’s interview where he characterized Americans who question U.S. support for Israel as "anti-American." She stated:

"Why? Why did Bari Weiss and her CBS cut from the interview of Netanyahu all the references by Netanyahu attacking Americans who have questions about Israel as anti-American? Is it possible they believe that might make him look bad and further alienate Americans? I think there’s a level of protection being run now on a foreign leader that’s just obvious. It’s as plain as the nose on your face, and you have to ask yourself why and whether we’re allowing this."

Kelly’s remarks followed the Sunday airing of the interview, which included Netanyahu’s controversial claims about social media manipulation.

Netanyahu’s Claims About Social Media Manipulation

During the interview with Major Garrett, Netanyahu argued that a decline in U.S. support for Israel is directly linked to the rise of social media, which he claimed is being exploited by foreign actors:

"The deterioration of support for Israel in the United States I would say correlates almost 100% with the geometric rise of social media. And that by itself is not what caused it, and I don’t believe in censoring them or anything. But I’ll tell you what happened: We have several countries that basically manipulated social media with bot farms, with fake addresses, to break the American sympathy to Israel, to break the American-Israeli alliance because they think it’s in their interest."

Netanyahu continued:

"And they do it in a clever way. You hear a text message, ‘I’m a red-blooded Texan, I’ve always supported Israel, but I can’t stand what they’re doing, I’m turning against Israel.’ And then you trace the address to some basement in Pakistan, you know? And that’s something that has hurt us badly."

Kelly Slams CBS for Omitting Key Context in Edited Interview

Kelly criticized CBS for excluding the full segment on social media manipulation in its televised broadcast, though the unedited interview is available on YouTube. She argued that the edit allowed Netanyahu to deflect blame for declining U.S. support away from Israel’s actions:

The version that aired on TV included some of what we just played, but it was combined with a section from the very end of the interview, which focused on Israel’s tactics to respond to the sentiment shift, not the shift itself.

Kelly further stated:

"It’s not Israel’s behavior. It has nothing to do with those tens of thousands dead in Gaza, or Gaza looking like a parking lot now, or what appears to be a thirst for more war by Israel."

She concluded that CBS deliberately avoided discussing the "actual shift itself" in U.S. public opinion toward Israel.

Kelly Questions CBS’ Motives and Leadership

Kelly suggested that CBS’ editing choices may be influenced by its leadership, particularly Bari Weiss, who she described as a strong advocate for Israel:

"Why is that? Why does CBS not want to discuss that? Could it be the Ellisons and their handmaiden Bari Weiss, who runs CBS now, who’s huge on Israel? It’s truly her favorite issue."

The controversy highlights ongoing debates about media bias, editorial decisions, and the portrayal of foreign leaders in U.S. news coverage.