MAGA Fractures Over Epstein, Fetterman Gets 20 Stitches, Newsom Eyes 2028: AM Update 11/17

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Speaker 2 Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly.
It's Monday, November 17th, 2025, and this is your AM update.

Speaker 3 Unfortunately, it has all come down to the Epstein files, and that is shocking.

Speaker 2 The Epstein files fall out escalating over the weekend, resulting in the political breakup of President Trump and one of his fiercest defenders.

Speaker 2 The Trump administration rolls back some grocery-related tariffs as affordability concerns take center stage.

Speaker 4 The right would say really rough things and names, but on the left it was like they want me to die.

Speaker 2 Senator John Fetterman's recent health scare results in 20 stitches and a moment of reflection. And California Governor Gavin Newsom is officially prepping for his 2028 run.

Speaker 2 All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update.

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Speaker 2 The House reportedly set to vote tomorrow on a bill compelling the Department of Justice to release most of the remaining Jeffrey Epstein files, barring classified information, child sex abuse material, and information identifying victims.

Speaker 2 The vote comes after a small band of Republicans joined Democrats in a petition to sidestep House GOP leadership and force a vote.

Speaker 2 Speaker Mike Johnson yesterday on Fox downplaying the move he strongly opposed.

Speaker 5 So it'll be on the floor again next week. I suspect there'll be lots of votes that we'll just get this done and move it on.
There's nothing to hide.

Speaker 5 And the Oversight Committee is releasing far more information than the discharge petition, their little gambit, ever even anticipated.

Speaker 5 They never even mentioned in the discharge the Epstein estate files.

Speaker 5 And that is the treasure trove of documents that's given us Epstein's flight logs, his personal records, his financial ledgers, his daily calendar. None of that was anticipated.

Speaker 5 So the discharge is totally moot. It is a political exercise, and we're going to dispense with that this week.

Speaker 2 Speaker Johnson, referencing the recent drop of thousands of documents released by the Oversight Committee obtained from the Epstein estate as part of the committee's investigation into the DOJ's handling of the case.

Speaker 2 President Trump accusing Congressman Thomas Massey of Kentucky, as well as Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Lauren Boebert of Colorado, all Republicans, of aiding Democrats in distracting from the administration's accomplishments.

Speaker 2 Mr. Trump last night departing Palm Beach.

Speaker 6 They just keep bringing that up to deflect from the tremendous success of the Trump administration. So a guy like Massey, his poll numbers are showing he's at 6% approval rating right now.

Speaker 6 And we call him Rand Paul Jr. because

Speaker 6 he never votes for the Republican Party. So they're using Jeffrey Epstein as a deflection from the tremendous success that we're having as a party.

Speaker 2 On Friday morning, President Trump posting to Truth Social that he will ask Attorney General Pam Bondi and the DOJ to investigate some Epstein dirt, specifically Epstein's relationship with former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, billionaire tech titan and Trump antagonist Reid Hoffman, and more.

Speaker 2 A.G. Bondi on Friday afternoon posting to X, quote, Southern District of New York U.S.

Speaker 2 Attorney Jay Clayton is one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country, and I've asked him to take the lead.

Speaker 2 A spokesperson for President Clinton stating the former president had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes. Summers previously expressing regret for associating with Epstein.
And boy, did they associate.

Speaker 2 Go check out last Thursday's MK show for details on the dating advice Summers sought from Epstein.

Speaker 2 Reid Hoffman on Friday calling on President Trump to release all files, saying that will clear his name.

Speaker 2 In the meantime, Congressman Massey, a co-sponsor of the Epstein files bill, maintaining he does not believe President Trump will be implicated by any further releases, but that some of his powerful friends and donors might be.

Speaker 2 This is yesterday on ABC.

Speaker 7 I think he's trying to protect a bunch of rich and powerful friends, billionaires, donors to his campaign, friends in his social circles.

Speaker 7 And that's my operating theory on why he's trying so hard to keep these files closed.

Speaker 7 I would remind my Republican colleagues who are deciding how to vote: Donald Trump can protect you in red districts right now by giving you an endorsement, but in 2030, he's not going to be the president, and you will have voted to protect pedophiles if you don't vote to release these files, and the president can't protect you then.

Speaker 7 This vote, the record of this vote, will last longer than Donald Trump's presidency.

Speaker 2 Congressman Massey also suggesting the president's order to reopen an investigation may actually be an attempt to block the files altogether, since materials tied to an active probe cannot be released.

Speaker 2 The fallout deepening over the weekend.

Speaker 2 President Trump on Friday night cutting ties with Congresswoman MTG of Georgia, writing on Truth Social, quote, I am withdrawing my support and endorsement of Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of the great state of Georgia.

Speaker 2 All I see wacky Marjorie do is complain, complain, complain. The president adding, if the right person primaries Greene, he will support that candidate.

Speaker 2 Congresswoman Greene appearing yesterday on CNN saying she still supports the president's MAGA agenda, but will not buckle on this issue.

Speaker 3 I stood with President Trump when virtually no one else did. Unfortunately, it has all come down to the Epstein files, and that is shocking.
And, you know, I stand with these women.

Speaker 3 I stand with rape victims. I stand with children who are in terrible sex abuse situations.
And I stand with survivors of trafficking and those that are trapped in sex trafficking.

Speaker 3 And I will not apologize for that. I believe the country deserves transparency in these files.
And I don't believe that rich, powerful people should be protected

Speaker 3 if they have done anything wrong. And so I'm standing with the women, and I will continue to do my small part to get the files released.

Speaker 2 All of this fracturing could ultimately be for naught if the bill passes as Congressman Massey believes it will.

Speaker 2 The legislation still faces an uphill battle in the Senate where 60 votes are required to pass it, and Senate leadership has not even committed to bringing it to a vote.

Speaker 2 President Trump on Friday rolling back tariffs on dozens of food items.

Speaker 2 The move coming one day after the administration announced new trade frameworks with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

Speaker 2 Agreements the White House says now allow certain tariffs to be lifted. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson, Sunday on Fox.

Speaker 8 We've been working on trade deals with Central and South American countries for six, seven, eight months. And just this past week, we signed signed the trade deals.

Speaker 8 So not only will the tariffs come off, some of the things you just listed, that's a result of the trade deals going through. And then we will see this go down.

Speaker 8 And we're also seeing the import barriers for the other countries come through. So

Speaker 8 this is a complete trade policy. And now we are going to see it affect the prices.

Speaker 2 Items affected include coffee, tea, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, beef, and more. President Trump utilizing sweeping tariffs as a signature tool in his economic strategy, leveraging the U.S.

Speaker 2 economy to pressure trading partners into new deals the White House finds more balanced. Aboard Air Force One on Friday, President Trump conceding tariffs do impact U.S.
consumer prices.

Speaker 9 Mr. President, you said that

Speaker 9 tariffs do not increase prices for consumers, but now you're lowering it.

Speaker 2 White House officials insisting under President Trump's plan, prices will continue to decline. Director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, yesterday on ABC.

Speaker 7 If you're going to the store to buy groceries for Thanksgiving, it's going to be more expensive than you.

Speaker 10 I really, though, don't understand where you're going in the sense that Joe Biden gave us, Joe Biden gave us 20% of the time. He's not president.
Donald Trump's not going to be able to do it.

Speaker 10 No, and you want us to fix the hole that Joe Biden has. No, I'm saying, why does the president tell you? The prices went up so much under Joe Biden, and inflation is way down.

Speaker 10 Inflation is about half what it was in December. This is something that's being fixed fast and real incomes are up after dropping about $3,000 under Joe Biden.

Speaker 10 And so sure you could find a few things where the price is higher, but there's a whole bunch of stuff when the price is lower, like gasoline.

Speaker 10 Where are we going to get the Republican plan to? You understand that mortgage rates have gone way down and it's much cheaper to buy a home now than it was.

Speaker 2 The timing of the announcement, not a minute too soon, as the White House contends with mounting bipartisan criticism relating to cost of living anxiety.

Speaker 2 Coming up, Democrat Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania recovering from a health scare, bringing out the worst of his party.

Speaker 2 And far-left California Governor Gavin Newsom officially setting the stage for a White House run in 2028.

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Speaker 2 U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, Democrat Democrat John Fetterman, hosting a selfie to X on Saturday, showing off a face full of stitches following a medical scare.

Speaker 2 The caption reading, quote, 20 stitches later and a full recovery. I'm back home with Giselle and the kids.
I'm overwhelmed and profoundly grateful for all the well-wishes.

Speaker 2 According to a spokesperson, Mr. Fetterman was on a walk Thursday morning when he felt lightheaded, triggering a fall.

Speaker 2 Doctors later determining the cause, a ventricular fibrillation flare-up, a dangerous type of irregular heartbeat that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest or even death.

Speaker 2 This, the latest health emergency suffered by Senator Federman, who was originally diagnosed with a heart condition in 2017, followed by a serious stroke in 2022.

Speaker 2 Post-stroke, Senator Fetterman struggling with a litany of complications, including auditory processing difficulties and bouts of depression, documented in a newly released memoir titled, Unfettered.

Speaker 2 The latest health setback highlighting a theme Senator Fetterman writes about in his book.

Speaker 2 Since being elected to office, the senator drawing blistering criticism from members of the left for siding with Republicans on reopening the government and on his support for Israel.

Speaker 2 Fetterman telling CNN last week attacks from liberals, especially on left-wing social media platform Blue Sky, are much darker and more personal than criticism he gets from the right.

Speaker 11 And when I asked my digital team, I said, you know, we're on all the platforms. You know, really, what's kind of the harshest, what's kind of the most personal? And the answer was immediate.

Speaker 11 They said, oh, blue sky. It's blue sky.
And the difference is, I mean, the right would say really rough things and names. You know, some names

Speaker 11 I won't repeat on TV, but on the left, it was like, they want me to die, or that we're cheering for your next stroke.

Speaker 11 or why couldn't it depression one um and and i hope your kids find you and i don't know what the kind of a place where that comes from i mean that's that's much different than just calling me a name.

Speaker 11 And that's that's really been consistent, you know, in that community online.

Speaker 2 One Blue Sky user reacting to Senator Fetterman's fall, quote, Karma is a bitch, ain't it, Fetterman? Another writing, quote, tragically, he's expected to live.

Speaker 2 According to local outlet Penn Live, Senator Fetterman has voted with the Trump administration just 6% of the time.

Speaker 2 California Governor Gavin Newsom sitting with Politico for a lengthy puff pee- I mean, profile. The headline, admit it, Gavin Newsom is the 2028 frontrunner.

Speaker 2 Politico also giving Newsom the opportunity to promote the release of a long-delayed memoir, Hard Hitting.

Speaker 2 Politico pointing to the governor's social media presence, where he routinely challenges the Trump administration as a key early factor setting him apart from the other likely contenders.

Speaker 2 Quote, if you believe the phone in your hand will, more than any factor, determine the next Democratic nominee, it's hard not to grasp Newsom's strength.

Speaker 2 As the kids say, he gives main character energy. Oh, Lord.

Speaker 2 Newsome's social media accounts in recent months, reportedly run by a team led by a twenty nine-year-old female staffer, morphing into tired parodies of President Trump's signature style, featuring third-person references, capital letters, and AI-generated images mocking political rivals.

Speaker 2 Newsome recently admitted to harboring presidential ambitions, though telling CBS he will wait until after the 2026 midterms to seriously consider running.

Speaker 2 He's just sitting with Politico talking about the presidency for the fun of it.

Speaker 2 In the meantime, the governor wading into several cross-state political battles, successfully leading a redistricting counteroffensive in his state, adding more Democrat-leaning House seats to offset an effort in Texas to add more Republican-leaning House seats.

Speaker 2 Last week, Newsom traveling to Brazil for an international climate summit, skipped by the White House.

Speaker 2 Newsom saying in the profile, he wants the Democrat Party, quote, to be the mansion to the Mamdani Party. I want it to be inclusive.

Speaker 2 A reference to retired moderate Democrat turned independent Senator Joe Manchin and to New York City mayor-elect Democratic Socialist Zoran Mamdani.

Speaker 2 San Francisco power broker Willie Brown, who appointed Newsom to his first political post, and who also knew Kamala Harris really, really well, asked by Politico what the governor actually believes.

Speaker 2 Willie Brown saying, quote, I don't know. I've never asked him.
For fear he doesn't know.

Speaker 2 His memoir was originally set to release last May, delayed reportedly due to the wildfires, you know, the ones that burned tens of thousands of acres and nearly 7,000 homes and structures in L.A.

Speaker 2 Now Gavin Newsom's memoir will hit in February. The title, quote, Young Man in a Hurry, a Memoir of Discovery.
The governor telling Politico the book is honest and reflective and written in part, Mr.

Speaker 2 Newsom says, because, quote, I was also trying to understand who I am. Of course, the Megan Kelly Show will read this book, so you don't have to.

Speaker 2 And that'll do it for your AM update. I'm Megan Kelly.

Speaker 2 Join me back here for the MK Show live on SiriusXM's The Megan Kelly channel, 111 at Noon East, and on youtube.com/slash Megan Kelly, as well as all podcast platforms.

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