Obama-Era Intel Plot Exposed, DOJ Seeks Epstein Transcripts, Dems Mourn Colbert: AM Update 7/21

Now's the time to start your next adventure behind the wheel of an exciting new Toyota hybrid.

With the largest lineup of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electrified vehicles to choose from, Toyota has the one for you.

Every new Toyota hybrid comes with Toyota Care, two-year complementary scheduled maintenance, an exclusive hybrid battery warranty, and Toyota's legendary quality and reliability.

Visit your local Toyota dealer today, Toyota.

Let's go places.

See your local Toyota dealer for hybrid battery warranty details.

Good morning, everyone.

I'm Megan Kelly.

It's Monday, July 21st, and this is the 100th episode of your AM update.

Accountability, action, prosecution, indictments for those who are responsible for trying to seal our democracy to make sure that this never happens to our country again.

Director of National Intelligence Telsi Gabbard releasing a bombshell report containing newly declassified documents exposing what she calls a plot within the highest levels of the Obama White House to subvert the impending Trump presidency.

Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting a federal judge release grand jury testimony relating to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

What's happening at CBS right now is bone-chilling.

And Democrat lawmakers mourn the cancellation of their very favorite late-night cheerleader as if democracy itself has ended.

All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update.

I've been talking a lot about Riverbend Ranch steaks lately and for good reason.

The ranch is just a few miles from West Yellowstone, Montana, where we go in the wintertime and their steaks are so flavorful and surprisingly tender.

Even someone like me who does not know how to cook can make it taste delicious.

It's thanks to the quality of the beef.

A lot of our listeners have been writing and sharing similar feedback.

Abigail Feynman will not stop talking about Riverbend Ranch, and I feel the same.

So these guys raise Angus cattle, but they've taken it even further.

For 35 years now, more than three decades, the owner has selectively bred Angus cattle with superior genetics for marbling and tenderness.

It's all about the marbling and the tenderness, creating a herd that truly stands out.

Their beef is born, raised, and processed too, entirely inside America without artificial growth hormones or antibiotics.

And it is shipped directly from the ranch to your door riverbend ranch is not just another beef company it's a legacy of quality care and craftsmanship that you can taste in every bite order from riverbendranch.com use the promo code megan for twenty dollars off your first order and you'll be eating the same steak that my family and i eat at night and let me know what you think riverbendranch.com promo code megan

on friday evening director of national intelligence tulsie Gabbard declassifying a trove of documents from the final months of the Obama administration relating to intelligence on Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Director Gabbard saying these documents reveal a plot within the highest levels of the government to manufacture and politicize intelligence, laying the groundwork for a quote, years-long coup against President Trump.

Director Gabbard Sunday morning on Fox News.

The months leading up to the November 2016 election,

the intelligence community agreed that there was no intelligence that reflected that Russia was trying to hack the election in favor of either candidate.

The evidence showed, the intelligence showed that, again, Russia did not have either the intent nor the capability to be able to impact the outcome of the United States election.

The new information revealing on December 8th, 2016, one month after President Trump's election victory, the Intel community was preparing this assessment for the President's Daily Brief: quote, we assess that Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent U.S.

election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure.

The report highlighting some nefarious activity by Russian government-affiliated actors, for example, compromising a voter registration database in Illinois, along with other unsuccessful attempts to do the same in other states.

However, the report going on to conclude, quote, election monitoring and the type of systems targeted, infrastructure not used to cast or count votes, make it highly unlikely it would have resulted in altering any state's official vote result.

Criminal activity also failed to reach the scale and sophistication necessary to change election outcomes.

Later that day, the FBI under Director Comey withdrew FBI participation from the report, notifying other Intel community officials that the FBI would be drafting a dissent.

The reasoning behind the sudden change in FBI participation is not yet clear, but after the FBI withdrawal, a senior official killed the report entirely, quote, based on some new guidance.

The report, based on months of work from career intelligence officials, concluding Russia did not hack the election, was never published.

The following day, December 9, 2016, President Obama, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan, National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Secretary of State John Kerry, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Deputy Director of the FBI Andrew McCabe, and other high-level officials met at the White House.

Director Gabbard releasing post-meeting notes that reveal a complete change in the Intel community's attitude toward Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Then-DNI Clapper's assistant sending an email reading in part, quote, The IC is prepared to produce an assessment per the president's request that pulls together the information we have on the tools Moscow used and the actions it took to influence the 2016 election and explanation of why Moscow directed these activities and how Moscow's approach has changed over time.

Within hours of that meeting, the Washington Post ran a report on leaked information headlined, Secret Assessment Says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House.

Major media outlets like The Guardian and Reuters publishing their own articles based on the Washington Post piece.

Director Gabbard noting in this new report, quote, at this point, there is no official intelligence community assessment that contains that conclusion.

With just six weeks on the clock before inauguration day, Intel officials got to work, grinding through the holidays to comply with President Obama's directive.

On January 6th, 2017, the Obama administration releasing a 25-page unclassified Intel community assessment stating, quote, we assess with high confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S.

presidential election.

We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump.

The ICA noting, quote, further information has come to light since Election Day that, when combined with Russian behavior since early November 2016, increases our confidence in our assessment of Russian motivations and goals.

Director Gabbard's report stating the further information was later confirmed to be the Steele dossier, the Clinton campaign-funded and now totally discredited opposition research containing salacious allegations involving activities between Donald Trump and Russian prostitutes in Moscow and more.

Earlier this month, current CIA Director John Ratcliffe, releasing a report concluding then-CIA Director Brennan, advocated for the inclusion of that steel dossier into the Obama-ordered assessment, knowing it did not meet, quote, even the most basic tradecraft standards.

This assessment becoming the basis for frenzied reporting throughout the remainder of the first Trump presidency, kicking off the Mueller report and endless media chatter.

Russia hacked the election to tilt it to Mr.

Trump.

The Russians definitively hacked the election.

Russia did hack the election.

No doubt the Russians hacked the election.

Yes, Russia hacked the election.

In fact, Russia hacked the election.

President-elect Donald Trump still not sounding convinced that russia hacked the election the president does not want to come to terms with the fact that the russians hacked the election this latest report from dni gabbard receiving scant media attention this weekend the new york times reporting quote gabbard claims obama administration tried to undermine trump in 2016 the sub headline reading quote democrats denounced a report issued by the office of the director of national intelligence as politically motivated and error ridden the report does not highlight specific errors in Director Gabbard's report.

Investigative journalist Matt Taibi, arriving at a very different conclusion, posting on X, quote, the new documents released by Tulsi Gabbard leave no doubt, none, that the Barack Obama White House invented a phony espionage scandal to hang on the incoming Trump administration.

The sole question is, why?

What idiot thought this would work, that it was a good idea?

The findings of this latest report referred to the DOJ for further investigation.

Director Gabbard, Sunday on Fox, promising accountability, including potential prosecutions, and teasing more releases to come.

There's no question in my mind that this intelligence community assessment that President Obama ordered be published, it was manufactured intelligence that sought to achieve President Obama and his team's objective, which was undermining President Trump's presidency and subverting the will of the American people.

So, yes, next week we will be releasing more detailed information about how exactly this took place and the extent to which

this information was sought to be hidden from the American people, hidden from officials who would be in a position to do something about it.

Accountability, action, prosecution, indictments for those who are responsible for trying to steal our democracy is essential for us to make sure that this never happens to our country again.

Coming up, the Trump DOJ requesting a federal judge release the grand jury transcripts relating to the Epstein case.

And leftist lawmakers mourn the impending loss of their very favorite late-night show with Stephen Colbert.

Celebrate Independence Day with an epic July 4th sale.

Stock up on supplements from BrickhouseNutrition.com and save big, 25% off everything with code FIREWORKS25.

You can get Lean, their number one weight loss supplement packed with natural, studied ingredients, no injections, just real results they say can help you slim down in time for summer.

Or try Field of Greens, the superfood drink so powerful, they guarantee your doctor will notice your boosted health or they will give you your money back.

Collagen peptides are another favorite for glowing skin and hair.

Beauty experts say collagen can be the fountain of youth for skin and hair.

From weight loss to wellness, Brick House Nutrition has it all.

This sale is huge, but it's only here for a few days and products will sell out.

Don't wait.

Head to brickhouseenutrition.com, use Fireworks25 for 25% off.

Go big this 4th of July.

BrickhouseNutrition.com.

Stock up now.

On Friday, the DOJ requesting a federal judge unseal grand jury testimony from the cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghelene Maxwell.

Epstein was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019 when he died in his prison cell.

Attorney General Pam Bondi facing intense public backlash following her many teases promising more information about Epstein, only to then leak a DOJ memo to left-wing media on a holiday weekend declaring there will be no further releases and no further indictments, along with the conclusion that, oh, Epstein really did kill himself.

Many MAGA supporters expressing outrage over the handling of this story, demanding all materials relating to the case be released to the public.

Democrats also glomming on to the story in order to criticize the Trump administration and try to tie Epstein to Trump himself, despite showing zero interest in the Epstein story under the Biden administration.

AG Bondi on Friday filing a motion in the Southern District of New York requesting the transcripts be released with redactions of victim-related and other personal identifying information in both the Epstein and Maxwell grand jury proceedings.

Typically, grand jury transcripts are kept secret to protect innocent individuals who may not ultimately be indicted.

The decision will be up to the judge.

A.G.

Bondi in the request highlighting the intense public interest surrounding the case as justification for the release.

President Trump, who has repeatedly expressed the desire to move on from this story, posting on Saturday to Truth Social quote: Even if the court gave its full and unwavering approval, nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request.

It will always be more, more, more.

MAGA.

Democrat politicians spending the weekend in mourning over the announced cancellation of CBS's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

CBS announcing last week the show will be pulled from the air next year, citing financial reasons.

Puck News's Matthew Bellany reporting the late show costs more than $100 million a year to produce and loses more than $40 million per year, $15 million of which pads Colbert's pockets each year for a show that has has lost 50% of its ad revenue in just the last six years.

Colbert's ratings in overall households watching were at number one, barely, for network late-night shows, but in the advertiser-friendly demo of 18 to 49-year-olds, he was losing to Jimmy Kimmel.

In addition, Colbert, Kimmel, Fallon, and all late-night hosts are getting crushed by Fox News's Greg Gutfeld, whose channel customers must pay to get, unlike the networks, which are free.

Guttfeld logging nearly a million more viewers in the overall numbers and besting all nets in the key advertiser-friendly demo too for a fraction of the production costs.

CBS maintains the decision to end Colbert's show was entirely driven by financial concerns.

Despite the obvious math supporting CBS's decision, leftists across America lamenting the firing as an ominous result of a sinister force, aka the Trump administration.

Critics of the decision pointing to an ongoing merger between CBS parent company Paramount and Skydance Media and the ultimate need for approval from the Trump administration accusing the network of caving to President Trump.

Colbert himself criticizing his employer CBS just days before his show's cancellation for agreeing to a $16 million settlement with President Trump over edits to a 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, calling the settlement, quote, a big fat bribe.

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, always thirsty for social media attention, posted the following on Saturday.

I want to tell you why the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's show matters so much.

We are on the precipice of entering a censorship state in which Donald Trump is using the powers of the federal government in order to erase criticism from the airwaves.

What's happening at CBS right now is bone-chilling.

They have now canceled Stephen Colbert's show, knowing that Stephen Colbert was a nightly thorn in the side of Donald Trump.

This is a really, really dangerous moment.

Stephen Colbert didn't get thrown off the air because he wasn't doing well.

He was the highest-rated show on TV in late night.

He was canceled, very likely,

because Paramount and its owners are trying to get rich off of this merger.

And Donald Trump has made it clear to them and everybody else in the media space that if you want any favors from me, then you have to silence my critics on your platforms.

It's bone-chilling, I say.

Failed vice presidential candidate Tim Walls posting on X, quote, Stephen Colbert is the best in the business.

He always told truth to power and pulled no punches, posting a picture of him laughing with Colbert over a cup of coffee.

Where were those punches?

Washington Free Beacon editor Peter Hassan posting on X, quote, it's so telling that these eulogies of Colbert's comedy show never include the line, he was funny.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy on Saturday posting this reaction to social media.

I mean, I'm seeing like Bernie Sanders, Comrade Sanders, Olivis Warren, all being like, We need an investigation.

This is bribery.

This is blackmail.

CBS only fired Colbert because he criticizes Trump and they just settled a $16 million lawsuit.

And then Colbert went on the air and said he doesn't trust CBS.

Buddy, you're losing $40 million

a year.

You have 200 people creating one show.

We have 200 people at Barcelona, content creators, creating like 30 shows.

And some of them, the bigger ones, draw a bigger audience than Colbert.

And then you compound that with Colbert openly going on air, being like, I don't trust CBS.

If one of my employees, who I was paying $16 million a year while losing $40 million a year, went on their show and was like, I don't like Dave.

I don't trust Dave.

You know what I would do?

Like, welcome to the real fucking world.

What did you think was going to happen?

Of course they'd fire you.

I'd fire you in a fucking heartbeat.

That's not politics.

That's just being ungrateful.

And see you later.

Colbert and his defenders of democracy and the press and Congress will have plenty of time to keep complaining.

The show is set to stay on the air until next May.

And that'll do it for your AM update.

I'm Megan Kelly.

Join me back here for the Megan Kelly Show live at SiriusXM Triumph Channel 111 at Noon East on youtube.com/slash Megan Kelly and on all podcast platforms.

Today, we'll have Rahm Emmanuel on the show.

Are you ready to get spicy?

These Doritos Golden Sriracha aren't that spicy.

Maybe it's time to turn up the heat or turn it down.

It's time for something that's not too spicy.

Try Doritos Golden Sriracha.

Spicy.

But not too spicy.