(NewsNation) — Veteran journalist Megyn Kelly said in a Tuesday interview on NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live” that while she is skeptical about the strength of the case against former President Donald Trump in his upcoming hush money trial, she believes he will be convicted.
“I don’t really think there’s a lot of mystery about that. He shouldn’t, but he’s going to get convicted. The jury is going to hate him,” Kelly said, noting the strongly Democratic political leanings of Manhattan, where the trial will be held.
However, Kelly argued that the prosecution faces a high bar in proving the payments to Stormy Daniels were an illegal campaign contribution, rather than a personal matter.
On Saturday, Trump’s lawyers urged Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan to step aside from the case, alleging bias and a conflict of interest because his daughter is a Democratic political consultant.
“She’s a Democratic political operative. Her whole business is getting $10 million from Adam Schiff and the like, who’s running on the promise of getting Trump and getting them and convicted in these cases,” Kelly said, defending the former president’s right to criticize the judge’s impartiality. “That’s why this judge should have disqualified himself, recused himself in the beginning.”
Abrams also asked Kelly about the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a near-total ban on abortions in the state. Democrats are poised to make it a major campaign issue heading into the 2024 elections.
Kelly, however, argued that this was the proper course of action following the reversal of Roe v. Wade.
“This is the true democracy in action and the way it should work,” Kelly said. “Where … there was this law on the books, now it’s going to be enforced because Roe has been removed.”
However, the former Fox News anchor cautioned Republicans against pushing for a federal abortion ban, warning that it could backfire if Democrats regain control of Congress and the White House.
“I really believe this is a state’s rights issue. And I think Republicans need to be very careful about arguing that this is a federal issue and can be legislated at the federal level.”