Megyn Kelly Slams Jake Tapper’s First Amendment Pocket Square as ‘Empty Virtue Signaling’

Megyn Kelly delivered a sharp critique of CNN anchor Jake Tapper over his decision to wear a pocket square emblazoned with the First Amendment at the upcoming White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD).

On Tuesday’s episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show”, Kelly argued that Tapper’s display was a hollow gesture rather than a meaningful commitment to press freedom. She stated:

“The other problem is it does nothing. It’s an empty, meaningless virtue signal, right? It’s worse than nothing because it’s meant to make them look somehow above board and like they really care about these issues. Charlie, when you know Tapper’s infamous for completely blowing it on the Biden mental health story, as did all of CNN.”

Kelly further emphasized that CNN’s sudden advocacy for press freedom appeared reactive rather than genuine:

“They did not care about freedom of the press to do honest reporting until they saw that Biden was imploding, and then they found, you know, their spine, shall I say. So their little pocket square isn’t going to change anything. They need to look inward for that.”

Tapper and other journalists plan to wear accessories highlighting their First Amendment rights during the 2026 WHCD, scheduled for Saturday, April 25 at 8 p.m. ET on C-SPAN. The pocket squares, distributed by the Reporters Committee for the Free Press, feature the text: “Congress Shall Make No Law Abridging The Freedom of Speech or of the Press.”

In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Tapper explained the purpose of the accessories:

“There are a bunch of us that are gonna be wearing these. These are from the Reporters Committee for the Free Press. And, cause there might be some guests there that are unfamiliar.”

The 2026 WHCD marks a notable shift, as it will be hosted by mentalist Oz Pearlman instead of a comedian—a departure from recent tradition. Additionally, it will be the first WHCD attended by former President Donald Trump during his six years in office.